How to Remove Wallpaper That Was Not Primed

Ideally, bare walls should be primed before wallpaper is applied. This layer of primer acts as a barrier between the wall and the wallpaper adhesive. When the primer is missing, the wallpaper adhesive bonds directly to the wall beneath it. When you try to pull away wallpaper from a wall that has not been primed, the wallpaper will likely take the top layer of the wall board along with it. To avoid that problem, the best way to remove wallpaper from an unprimed wall is to first loosen its adhesive with an enzyme stripper.

Enzyme remover
Plastic tarp
Newspaper
Wallpaper scraper
Water
Brush
Rag

Instructions

- 1
  Score the surface of vinyl-coated wallpaper, using a wallpaper scorer. Enzyme remover quickly soaks through plain paper wallpaper. But most modern wallpaper is coated with vinyl. This makes it more durable but also more resistant to moisture penetration. Roll the wallpaper scorer over the wallpaper to cover its surface in small holes through which the enzyme can penetrate.
- 2
  Lay a plastic tarp underneath the wallpaper to catch any dripping enzyme remover. If it gets too moist as you work, cover it with a layer or two of newspaper.
- 3
  Mix the enzyme stripper with hot water (if necessary), following the manufacturer's instructions for methods and amounts.
- 4
  Brush or roll the mixed or premixed enzyme stripper onto the wallpaper. Allow it to sit for the manufacturer-recommended amount of time (usually 20 minutes to one hour). The wallpaper should remain moist during this period. If necessary, apply more of the enzyme remover.
- 5
  Wipe the wallpaper away--gently--with a wallpaper scraper. The wallpaper should come off with virtually no effort. If there are still some stubborn areas, reapply the enzyme remover, wait the manufacturer-recommended amount of time, then try again.
- 6
  Wipe away any residual paste on the wall with your wallpaper scraper, followed by a rag soaked in the enzyme remover.

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