Removing Wallpaper Made Easy: Tips And Tricks
A complete house makeover might be tempting, but some of us need more resources or money for that luxury. What a homeowner typically needs for a fresh new look or to have the aesthetically pleasing design they’ve always wanted usually comes from a change of wallpaper.
While changing your wallpaper doesn’t necessarily cost too much if you require these services from professionals, you don’t need technical knowledge to go the DIY route either.
However, even though it’s not challenging, there are some tips and tricks to successfully remove and apply your preferred wallpapers and make the process less messy and effortless.
If you’re a complete DIYer looking for easy tips and tricks, you’re at the right place. Read on!
The Simple Tools Needed For Effective Wallpaper Removal
Here’s a list of the tools you’ll need to get started.
- Sponge
- A bucket
- Scraper knife/heavy-duty scraper
- A wallpaper strip solution
- Ladder
- Scorer
- Plastic sheets, dust sheets, and rubber gloves.
Tips And Tricks For Easy Wallpaper Removal
Preparing The Room
The first thing you need to do before you start the whole process is to ensure the room is a safe space. And by safe space, we mean clearing out the room to prevent possible damage to the things inside the room.
Like moving your furniture to the centre of the room, removing paintings or any other valuables that might have been kept on top of your tables, etc.; if there’s no room to move them elsewhere, cover them with old dust sheets.
More prep involves covering your floors with plastic sheets for superior protection and making cleaning easier afterwards. Switching electricity off and protecting switches and sockets is a must.
Start By Scoring
Scoring the wallpaper makes everything easier since this process allows the steam, water, or solution to get inside the wallpaper easily and softens the paste initially applied.
You can get a wallpaper scorer that is widely available and cheap too. However, if you don’t want to spend any money, might we suggest the traditional way and use your scraper to score?
Just ensure you don’t press as hard using both items since you don’t want to damage what’s inside the plaster.
Soaking The Wallpaper
After you’ve successfully done scoring, it’s time to soak the wallpaper to scrape it off the wall easily. Remember that warm water is the cheapest or simplest solution to remove the wallpaper. So get a bucket of it and grab yourself a sponge.
Proceed to dip the sponge in the warm water and squeeze it on the wall. This should easily soak the wallpaper; you only have to wait at least 15 minutes for it to get soaked completely.
On the contrary, if you have money to spare, get a wallpaper strip solution and repeat the same process. This effective wallpaper strip solution typically contains chemicals that dissolve better and breaks down the adhesive more effectively.
Start Scraping
After it’s completely soaked, you can use a three- or four-inch scraper or get a heavy-duty scraper and start removing it by pushing it into the paper and up with the item.
Just make sure you do it gently so you don’t scratch the wall underneath.
