How To Remove Wallpaper And Prepare Walls For DIY Wallpapering

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

This coating is not going out of fashion soon, given the variety of assortments in stores, it is quite popular. But over time, colors and textures become outdated and need to be changed. To prepare the walls well for gluing wallpaper with your own hands, you first need to clean them of the old coating.

It is advisable to soften paper wallpaper with a soap solution containing a small amount of glue. If you apply this solution to thick or waterproof wallpaper, then cut and rub it. When they are soft, they can be removed very easily with a metal spatula. This procedure should be repeated if it was not possible to clean the first time. In difficult areas, try ironing the wall through a wet cloth.

It should also be noted that double layer vinyl wallpaper has a bottom layer. To remove the top layer of this coating, thin horizontal cuts need to be made. The second layer can be left if it adheres firmly to the plaster, of course.

If your walls were painted with oil paint or enamel, then you need to clean it with sandpaper. To remove the whitewash, you can use the same spatula with soapy water. If the layer of whitewash is small, you can do with ordinary hot water and use a sponge to moisten the surface.

To repair minor damage on bare areas, use gypsum plaster or special putty.

In order for the new wallpaper to hold well, they need to be glued to even, dry and clean walls. When gluing thin paper wallpaper, pre-glue the covering paper. After you have finished preparing the wall, you can safely start gluing wallpaper with your own hands.

Technology for removing old wallpaper - advice from a professional master

When, in the process of renovating an apartment, we reach the installation of new wallpapers, the problem of removing old ones arises. And this must be done very carefully, even if these old ones "hold on very tightly." After all, a small piece of old wallpaper left on the wall can significantly spoil the future look. How? Firstly, it can subsequently come off corny … along with new ones. Secondly, even the thinnest wallpaper will be visible under the new wallpaper and the wall will not seem perfectly flat. And, thirdly, mold and other microorganisms easily develop under the remaining pieces.

Before touching the wall, let's prepare:

• ordinary warm water, or even better, wallpaper remover;
• a steam generator (or steam mop), which makes it much easier to apply water to the walls;
• a wallpaper tiger or a roller with needles, or any other device for perforating old wallpaper;
• two different spatulas for removing soaked and perforated wallpaper from the wall. The different ones are wide and narrow, but both are equally sharp.
• plastic wrap, which should be enough to cover the floor in the room, and on which everything that was previously on the wall will fall and fall;
• masking tape, which needs to glue the film to the skirting boards around the perimeter. With the same tape, we glue the sockets so that water, dust, paper does not get into them. And in general, it is advisable to disconnect the wiring in the room.

It would also be nice to have a drywall knife, a bucket and a sponge (although it is more convenient - a tray, as well as a paint roller).

It is ideal to use a wallpaper remover spray.

However, you may need something else.

Well, everything is ready: let's start. And further actions depend on the type of wallpaper. The least effort required is vinyl wallpaper. They need to be scratched with a wallpaper tiger, then moistened abundantly and left for a while. The liquid will get under the polymer layer and begin to dissolve the glue. Then we take the upper edge of the canvas and remove it in one piece. They should not tear due to the strength of the PVC layer. And if something remains on the wall from the paper base, moisten it with water and easily remove it with a spatula. For non-woven and washable wallpaper, the actions are similar. They are also quite durable.

But with paper wallpaper you will have to tinker, because they tear easily. Therefore, wetting the surface well, we methodically remove them in parts. Using a special wallpaper remover instead of water will make your work much easier. And if you add very little glue to it for pasting wallpaper and let the wallpaper dry, then it's quite simple. If you do not have a special liquid, “steam” the wallpaper using a steam generator or an iron with steam generation function.

But PVA does not dissolve with water and you will have to manually separate the wallpaper with a spatula or use a sander. Consider dust protection! Liquid wallpaper and glass wallpaper can be removed in the same way as non-woven wallpaper.

There are times when it is difficult to remove a newspaper glued to the wall with the addition of PVA and water does not help. The way to remove the glued newspaper from the wall is to use a gas burner or technical hair dryer.

But everything is much more complicated if the old wallpaper was glued to drywall. You cannot use water, you will have to look for special agents that dissolve the glue. And - little by little, with a spatula, we very carefully remove the former beauty. May God give you patience! We hope that the new wallpaper looks perfect, because not a piece of the old one is left on the wall!

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