How to Remove Wallpaper

Whether you've grown tired of your room's look or decided it's finally time to undo a previous owner's questionable choice, stripping wallpaper can seem intimidating. But, we promise, the process itself is actually quite simple. With the right tools and a little know-how, your eye-sore can quickly become your new favorite spot in the house.

Materials

• Drop cloth
• Wide putty knife
• Sponge
• Screwdriver, to remove outlet covers
• Ladder or step stool
• Spray bottle or paint roller
• Wallpaper scorer
• Wallpaper remover solution (or homemade version)
• Power steamer, for difficult-to-remove wallpaper 

Steps

For Peelable Wallpaper
Created specifically to be removed with ease, removing peelable wallpaper still requires some work (mostly in cleaning the residue). It peels off in one sheet by grabbing the corners, and instead of using a soap solution, you can simply wash the adhesive off with water.

For Non-Peelable Wallpaper
1. Identify Your Wall Type
Before you start the process of stripping off your wallpaper, it's helpful to know the type of wall hiding beneath. This will determine what kind of tools to use, and the force needed to ensure no damage comes to your walls.

Plaster walls are most commonly found in homes more than 50-years-old. If you knock on these walls the sound is a dull thud, as plaster is more dense than drywall. These walls are more durable and can withstand more water.

Drywall is more common in modern homes, and any homes that have had renovations. Drywall will have a hollow sound when you knock on it, as it is a less dense and covered with bonded layers of paper. If your wall is made of drywall, take care when using your scraping tool as it can easily puncture the drywall if used too vigorously. Additionally, the paper coating on drywall can withstand some moisture, but too much water on its surface can harm it, so treat it gingerly.

2. Prepare Your Room
Clear your walls of any art or decorative objects and remove draperies or any furniture that may impede the removal process. You want a clear work space.

Cover your floors and baseboards with drop cloths to catch the wallpaper you will scrape off your walls. This step is important because the wallpaper's glue backing can be sticky when it is removed from the walls, and can stick to floors and baseboards. In a pinch, put down newspaper or plastic sheeting to avoid further clean-up later.

Remove all switch plates and outlet covers from the walls.

Turn off power to the room. Water will be applied to your wallpaper, so it is best to be safe and turn off the electricity.

3. Prepare Your Removal Solution
There are many commercial options available for removing wallpaper, but you can easily create your own at home as well. If using a commercial solution, heat water to near boiling or boiling and add your wallpaper stripper solution according to the directions.

Fabric softener is a great wallpaper remover. Add to extremely hot water in a 1-to-1 ratio. Vinegar can also be used as a removal solution at a 5-to-1 ratio of very hot water to vinegar. Mix your solution in small batches to ensure the water remains hot.

4. Score Your Walls
Scoring creates small holes in the paper, allowing the removal solution to penetrate the paper to get to the adhesive backing. A special tool called a scoring tool or wallpaper perforator makes easy work of the process.

Consider testing a small portion of your wall with solution to measure the ease with which your wallpaper is removed. If you think you can manage the project without scoring the walls, save yourself the step. 

5. Spray Your Walls with Solution
With your spray bottle or roller, saturate your wallpaper with your solution. If you're working on a small area, feel free to spray the entire area. Wait a few minutes for the solution to permeate the paper before you move onto the next step. For larger areas, it is best to work on one area at a time.

Work in 15-minute batches to ensure the water solution stays hot—it makes the wallpaper removal process much easier.

6. Strip Wallpaper
Using your putty knife, begin peeling off paper at tears, seams, and bubbles in the paper. Once you've completely stripped an area (about 10-15 minutes), repeat step 5.

7. Clean Your Walls
Once you've finished peeling off all your wallpaper, much of the adhesive may still be adhered to the wall. Using a soap and hot water mixture, wash the walls of the glue with a sponge. Dry with a towel.

8. Be Patient
Congratulations, you’re done! Wait a few days before you repaint or add new wallpaper to ensure any moisture has completely evaporated from the walls.