Preparing to remove wallpaper

Before you start dismantling, it is important to prepare the work area. The old coating does not always come off easily – you need to have tools at hand. Safety precautions are no less important.

Observing safety precautions

It will not be possible to remove the old coating in absolute cleanliness. Plaster, old paint, and dust may come off along with the wallpaper. To preserve furniture and floors, you need to prepare the room.

Preparing the room:

  • Turn off the electricity in the room completely.
  • Seal the sockets and switches with masking or office tape.
  • Take out the furniture.
  • Lay film or newspapers on the floor.
  • Seal the baseboards.
  • If there is furniture left, move it to the center and cover it.
  • Leave a wet rag at the entrance – it traps dust.

What tools are needed for dismantling?

Different equipment is used to remove old covering. The material matters – some wallpapers are easy to remove, others need to be wetted or treated with a special compound. But there is a list of basic tools.

You will need:

  • Gloves.
  • Spatula.
  • A bucket of warm water.
  • Dishwashing liquid.
  • Roller.
  • Sponge.
  • A brush with metal bristles.
  • Wallpaper remover.
  • Iron.

Basic methods and means for removing old wallpaper

Each material has its own characteristics. How to remove depends on the type of old canvases.

With water

A simple and most obvious method. By wetting you can easily remove old self-adhesive, non-woven, paper and even vinyl wallpaper.

Tools:

  • A bucket of water at room temperature.
  • Roller.
  • A construction spatula.
  • A stationery knife.

How to:

  1. Drop dishwashing detergent into the water and stir.
  2. Wet the roller and roll several strips of wallpaper with it.

  3. Wait – the material should soften. Use a spatula to lift the canvas at the joint and remove it.
  4. Use a knife to remove small pieces from the wall.

  • Wait — the material should soften. Use a spatula to lift the canvas at the joint and remove it.
  • Use a knife to remove small pieces from the wall.

  • Video

    You can watch the full process on the video.

    Mechanical method (steam and needle roller)

    With this method, you can easily remove almost any old coating. The presence of a steam generator is a great bonus in the work. An alternative to it is an iron, but you will need a sheet or a piece of cotton material.

    What wallpaper is it best for?

    Suitable for paper, non-woven, vinyl wallpaper.

    Inventory:

    • Steam generator or iron with a sheet.
    • A container with water.
    • Wallpaper tiger (aka needle roller), but a stationery knife will do.
    • Spatula.

    How to remove wallpaper with steam:

    1. Go over the canvases with a needle roller.

    2. Wet the sheet, wring out and lean against the wall.
    3. Set the iron to the highest temperature.
    4. Iron the sheet several times.

    5. Pry up with a spatula and quickly remove.

  • Wet the sheet, wring out and lean against the wall.
  • Set the iron to the highest temperature.
  • Iron the sheet several times.

  • Pry it up with a spatula and quickly remove it.
  • Special chemicals

    If the wallpaper is tight, it is difficult to remove it using traditional methods. To save time and achieve the best result, special chemical solutions are often used. They are sold in construction supermarkets and help to quickly remove old canvases.

    What wallpaper is it best for?

    It is used for non-woven, paper, washable, textile wallpaper.

    Necessary inventory:

    • Roller.
    • Rubberized gloves.
    • A basin of water.
    • Wallpaper tiger (if not, you can use a knife).
    • Spatula.

    Step-by-step instructions

    1. Dilute the substance with water according to the instructions.
    2. Roll the walls with the wallpaper tiger or poke with a knife.
    3. Apply the composition to the walls with a roller.
    4. Leave the wallpaper to soak (the exact time is on the packaging).
    5. It is enough to pry the canvas with a spatula and tear it off.

    Removing old Soviet wallpaper requires effort. Often they are glued to a layer of newspapers, under which there is old plaster. To begin with, you can try the traditional method – soaking with water and tearing off. If that doesn’t work, use liquid.

    Features of removal depending on the base and material

    Different coatings have their own characteristics. This must be taken into account when choosing a removal method.

    • Vinyl. Comes off easily. It is enough to soak them in water and remove them after 20-30 minutes.
    • Paper. They come off easily if they are glued with high-quality glue (universal “Methylan”). They are removed with a knife or spatula. If they do not come off, soak them in water or steam them with an iron.
    • Non-woven. They have two layers, the top layer is removed. Ideally, it is better to steam old canvases or use a wallpaper remover.
    • Liquid. They are afraid of moisture. To “unstick” them, it is enough to soak the wall, after a while the coating will begin to peel off the walls.
    • Washable. Treated with a protective compound that does not allow moisture to pass through. You need to roll the walls with a needle roller, apply wallpaper remover, and remove after a while.
    • Glass wallpaper. Easily removed. You need to tear the sheets and fill the space underneath with water. They will start to peel off after 45 minutes. Or immediately pour in a special liquid and easily tear off.
    • Self-adhesive. Old sheets come off easily; to speed up the process, you can wet them with boiling water or use a building hair dryer.
  • Vinyl. Easily removed. Just soak them in water and remove them after 20-30 minutes.
  • Paper. Easily removed if glued with high-quality glue (universal “Metilan”). Removed with a knife or spatula. If they don’t come off, soak them in water or steam them with an iron.
  • Non-woven. They have two layers, the top layer is removed. Ideally, it is better to steam old sheets or use a wallpaper remover.
  • Liquid. They are afraid of moisture. To “unstick” them, it is enough to soak the wall, after a while the coating will begin to peel off the walls.
  • Washable. They are treated with a protective compound that does not allow moisture to pass through. You need to roll the walls with a needle roller, apply wallpaper remover, and remove them after a while.
  • Glass wallpaper. They are easy to remove. You need to tear the sheets, fill the space underneath with water. After 45 minutes, they will begin to peel off. Or immediately pour in a special liquid and tear off easily.
  • Self-adhesive. Old sheets come off easily, to speed up the process you can wet them with boiling water or use a building hair dryer.
  • How to tear off wallpaper depending on the type of surface?

    To remove old covering from walls, it is worth considering the type of surface. This will simplify the work and eliminate additional manipulations afterwards.

    Drywall

    The material is not resistant to moisture. You won’t be able to use water or a chemical compound, as this will cause the plasterboard to deform. You can remove the old coating with steam (iron) or tear it off manually, using a knife. Work carefully so that the knife doesn’t scratch the plasterboard.

    Concrete walls

    Concrete is not afraid of water and high temperatures. You can remove the old coating in any way, you need to start from the material of the canvases. Paper wallpaper can be easily removed with water, while washable, textile, vinyl and other wallpapers can be removed mechanically or with a chemical composition.

    Wooden surface (plywood, chipboard, fibreboard, gypsum fiberboard)

    Wood and plywood are afraid of moisture, and if the surface was not additionally treated before wallpapering, it will not be possible to remove the sheets by soaking. You can remove the coating from painted walls with steam. A win-win option is a composition for removing old wallpaper. It will not deform the wooden surface and will help remove the coating with a minimum investment of time. Or carefully peel off the wallpaper with a knife or spatula.

    The best way to quickly and easily remove at home

    To remove the coating quickly and without unnecessary effort, it is recommended to use a wallpaper remover. Chemical agents are a convenient option for the home – they are harmless to health, suitable for all surfaces (wood, plasterboard), a minimum of dirt and dust during the work. You can remove old canvases with steam – the result is good, but if there is no steam generator, labor-intensive work awaits.

    How to remove old ceiling wallpaper?

    Removing old wallpaper from the ceiling depends on the material. It is inconvenient to work with an iron on the ceiling, the only option is to soak it in water or a chemical solution.

    You will need:

    • A stepladder or table.
    • A container for water.
    • A spatula.
    • A roller.
    • Masking tape.
    • Film.

    From the equipment, prepare glasses, gloves, a hat, old clothes.

    Step-by-step instructions:

    1. Take out the furniture.
    2. Turn off the electricity, remove the chandelier (preferably).
    3. Seal the sockets and baseboards with tape.
    4. Cover the floor.
    5. Dip the roller in water or a special water-based solution.
    6. Soak the ceiling.
    7. Wait 25-40 minutes until the sheets are soaked.
    8. Carefully pry the sheet with a spatula, remove.
    9. Do not turn on the electricity, wait until the ceiling dries.

    What to do if the wallpaper is glued with PVA or bustilate glue?

    If the old coating is glued with PVA glue, you will not be able to tear it off with a spatula or scraper. Ideally, you need a device – a grinder or angle grinder with sandpaper attachments. The process is dusty, but the result is worth it.

    If you do not have such devices in your arsenal, a needle roller will help out. You need to scratch the old wallpaper for a long time. Finally, treat the walls with a wallpaper remover and tear them off.

    To remove old wallpaper glued to bustilate, you need to work for a long time with a scraper, a metal brush, and sandpaper.

    • If there is putty under the wallpaper, this method is not recommended, so as not to have to re-finish the walls.
    • The steaming method is suitable for paper sheets.
    • Washable, vinyl, and textile wallpaper is best treated with a chemical compound, and then easily removed.

    How to tear off problem areas?

    The work will require more time and patience. This applies to stripping old wallpaper in a room with a suspended ceiling and behind radiators.

    From under a suspended ceiling

    You will need:

    • A sharp knife.
    • A wide spatula (preferably).
    • Water or glue solvent.

    Action algorithm:

    1. Apply the spatula to the ceiling vertically.
    2. Use a knife to trim the wallpaper along the edge of the spatula.
    3. Apply the spatula again, shifting it.
    4. In this order, trim the wallpaper at the border with the ceiling along the entire perimeter.
    5. Wet the wallpaper with water or solution, remove.

    Behind the radiator

    If the radiator can be dismantled, there will be no problems. Behind a stationary radiator, you will have to use a small spatula or knife. The result depends on the size of the radiator and how far your hand reaches.

    Removing old wallpaper with your own hands without involving professionals should not be difficult. Manufacturers offer special chemical compounds that can cope even with firmly glued old sheets. The main thing is to decide on the removal method in advance, prepare the inventory and the room.