How Much Work Is Involved With Removing Wallpaper & Fixing the Wall?

Type of Wallpaper

• What kind of wallpaper you have hanging in your home is going to play a key factor in how much effort and time will be required for removal. If it was hung in recent years, it's possible that it might be removable wallpaper that peels right off. If not, your wallpaper most likely needs to be soaked with water or with a stripping solution mixed with water to dissolve the glue. At that point, you'll need to scrape the pulp off with a wallboard knife. Worst case scenario is the wallpaper has a vinyl or other nonporous surface made for easy cleanup. This type of surface is waterproof, and you'll need to sand or peel the top nonporous layer off before you can soak the underlayer and then scrape it.

Type of Wall

• Some walls, especially in older homes, may be made of plaster. It's easier to scrap wallpaper off plaster than the more commonly used drywall, so you can get through the job more quickly. Drywall is prone to damage when removing wallpaper because it's easy to scratch and gouge, especially if it becomes oversaturated with water. If soaking and scraping is called for, it's best to work in small sections, approximately 3 feet wide. Allow the water or diluted solution to soak in from 15 to 30 minutes on a section-- any more and you risk oversaturating the drywall. Scrape carefully so you don't take chunks out of the finish and use a small spray bottle of water to rewet sections sparingly as needed.

Adhesive

• Even if you manage to peel or scrape the paper off the wall with little fuss or plain water, chances are you're going to have adhesive left on the surface. You need to remove the adhesive because it can interfere with priming, painting or repapering your wall. Try washing it off with a solution of one part vinegar to one part water, but if the vinegar doesn't remove it, use an adhesive remover solution. Solutions can be noxious, so prepare it and use it in accordance with the manufacturer's directions.

Fixing the Wall

• After the wallpaper is removed and the walls are clean, allow the wall time to thoroughly dry. For drywall, if you had to use a lot of water or solution, this can take several days. Once the walls are thoroughly dry, use joint compound to patch up any scratches, gouges or other imperfections you find in the wall. After filling imperfections with compound, the walls will need sanding. Paint the walls with one or two coats of primer, and they'll be ready for painting, papering or whatever decorative treatment you have planned.