If there is furniture that is too heavy to move, cover it completely with plastic sheeting or a drop cloth.
Sometimes the areas underneath fixtures are the best places to start peeling away wallpaper.
Water will run down when it’s sprayed onto the walls, and you don’t want to risk any water damage. You could use a drop cloth over the body of the floor but opt for plastic around the baseboards.
To turn off the electric, locate the electrical panel (this is often in a basement or closet). Shut off the individual breaker that powers the room you’re in. You may need to test several breakers to find the right one if they aren’t marked.
Some very stubborn wallpapers may even need to be steamed away. But, try using hot water first before you rent a steamer.
Removing the top layer of wallpaper first and exposing the backing makes it a lot easier for the backing to absorb the water. In theory, this should make the removal process much faster.
This step is most helpful for waterproof wallpapers or ones that are glossy or made of vinyl. Remember, if you were able to peel away the top layer of wallpaper, you don’t need to worry about scoring the backing on its own. Scorers quickly poke hundreds of tiny little holes into the wallpaper. You can buy them at all home improvement stores or online for $10 or less.
The hotter the water, the more effective it’ll be at removing the wallpaper.
If you’re working with plaster walls, don’t worry about how much water you’re applying—it can take a lot of liquid! But if you’re working with drywall, try to only use as much water as you need—saturation for more than 15 minutes can cause permanent damage.
You could also use a metal spatula to the same effect. The more flexible the instrument, the less likely it’ll be to mark up the wall. If you discover a second layer of wallpaper underneath the first, focus on removing the top layer completely before thinking about the second layer. That bottom layer will come up much more easily if the first layer is completely gone.
It’s totally okay to take a break and step away from your project when you need to. Nothing is going to get damaged in the middle of this kind of process since you aren’t using any kind of chemical product.
Wallpaper “glue” and wallpaper “paste” are the same thing.
You can buy gel stripper at any home improvement store or online. It costs about $10-$15 a bottle.
It can sometimes help to wipe off your putty knife with a damp towel in between scraping.
Use this as an opportunity to spot check the walls for any spots you missed. If you come across a sticky section, take a minute to clean it.
You can buy a container of spackling paste for about $5 from home improvement stores or online.
You don’t need to apply a lot of pressure when you sand the paste. Just rub the sandpaper back and forth over the section several times until it feels smooth to the touch.
Even if the wall is painted underneath of the wallpaper you just removed, you should still prime it again before doing anything new.
