I am removing wallpaper that has been on the walls of my bedroom for many years. Any easy way to do this without damaging the walls?
Our Answer
Well, there is nothing easy about removing wallpaper. I usually start the process with a handy tool called the paper tiger that scores the old paper and help the wallpaper removal solution to soak in. (see http://www.amazon.com/Zinsser-2966-PaperTiger-Scoring-Wallpaper/dp/B0000DI7WP). You can buy the wall paper remover solution or make your own with a 50/50 mix of fabric softener and hot water.
Then it’s just scrape, scrape, scrape – BUT, while being careful not to damage the drywall under the wallpaper. If the paper turns out to be too hard for the solution to remove, the next best step is to use a wallpaper steamer (can be rented inexpensively) which uses hot steam to loosen the paper.
After it is off, it’s very important to prime the walls before the top coat. Primer seals in whatever is left behind, helps make sure the top coat sticks, and give the top coat and evens out the surface density to the top coat flows on nicely and dries evenly. Also be sure to use washable flat paint. Anything that has a sheen will show imperfection in the wall, of which there are bound to be after removing wall paper.
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