How to Remove Wallpaper that Is 50 Years Old

When remodeling an older home, you may run into old, decrepit wallpaper. The wallpaper may appear to be peeling off on its own, but it needs help to be removed entirely. Since the wallpaper has dried to an almost crumbling state, it requires a liquid to soften it to ease it from the wall. After loosening the wallpaper, you can scrape it away without damaging the wall's surface.

Coarse sandpaper
Spray bottle
Liquid fabric softener
Wide putty knife
Plastic trash bags
Bucket
2 tbsp. ammonia
Sponge
Rags

Instructions

- 1
  Fold a sheet of coarse sandpaper in half. Run the sandpaper over the surface of the wallpaper using medium pressure. As the sandpaper loses its grit, turn it to expose the unused side. Wipe the sandpaper over the entire wallpaper surface.
- 2
  Fill a spray bottle half way with water and the rest of the way with liquid fabric softener. Spray the wallpaper generously with the solution. Allow the solution 20 to 30 minutes to loosen the wallpaper.
- 3
  Scrape the wallpaper from the wall with a wide putty knife. Starting at the top of the wall, position a wide putty knife facing down and run it under the wallpaper. Scrape down to the floor. Place the removed wallpaper into large plastic trash bags.
- 4
  Mix water and two tbsp. ammonia in a bucket. Wash the walls with a large sponge soaked in the ammonia mixture. Rinse the walls with cool water and the sponge. Dry the walls with rags.

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