I’ve tried removing my bathroom wallpaper with a steamer and after removing less than 24 sq. ft. of wallpaper in 4 hours, I gave that up. I next tried repeated applications of vinegar and hot water after carefully scoring the paper. That didn’t work much better. I decided to remove all the exterior portions of the wallpaper to let the vinegar solution and the light scoring work better. All I have left on the walls are the paste and a very thin brown paper, both of which are very difficult to remove. I’m tempted to prime twice and paint twice to try to avoid another week removing paper/paste. I’ve scraped all the joints where the seams of wallpaper are and removed all loose brown paper, but I’ve been warned that painting over this is always unsatisfactory.
Any help would be most appreciated.
9heavier
0 portions of the wallpaper to let
Replies
Find the Zinnser product called DIF. It's a concenrate you mix with hot water. Has fun enzymes that eat the paste and off it comes. May take a couple of applications. Have used it in several projects, rinsed it off, painted and never had an issue.
Donjr I tried your suggestion and I was able to remove all the rest of the paper in a large bathroom in about 2 more days. It was still tough and took multiple applications of DIF, but it saved my walls and my sanity. THANKS.tenniscro
From someone who's successfully removed (little damage) MILES of paper applied over virgin drywall (no primer or sizing)
Ingredients for your solution:
Time
SHARP 5-1 tool on small sections of water wetted paper (lift the edge with the tool and pull the paper with your fingers)
Time
You'd have needed less time if you'd removed the surface paper dry and NEVER scored the paper.
TSP solution followed by warm water will clean the glue.
Allow to dry
Repair DW paper
Prime, Paint, Paint
"Fortunately, the ideas of individual liberty, private property, freedom of contract and association, personal responsibility and liability, and government power as the primary enemy of liberty and property, will not die out as long as there is a human race, simply because they are true and the truth supports itself."
Hans-Hermann Hoppe
I'll just add that priming over old wall paper paste with oil or shellac based primer can prevent a lot of potential grief. I've learned that even trace amounts of residual paste will glob up a good paint job. No matter how many times you rinse the wall with DIF paste remover or fresh water, there always seems to be some amount of old paste left on the wall. If you try priming over residual paste with latex primer, the resultant finish looks like someone smeared oatmeal on the wall. Prime with oil or shellac then you can topcoat with whatever you like.
Simple solution. Go find you a coon, lock him in the bathroom for the day. When you come back, all the wall paper will be removed!
My DH wears the pants in the family. But I control the zipper!
If the wallpaper has become one with the wall, just leave it.
Sometimes removing wallpaper is the same as trying to remove the paper layer of the drywall without damaging the gypsum core. In either case, it makes more sense to leave it and paint over it. Be sure to use an oil primer. That's kind of important.
BTW, several layers of paint will NOT hide imperfections that remain behind as a result of stripping the paper. Use spackle/joint compound for that after priming. Then another coat of primer on the skim-coated areas.
I have painted over wallpaper on several occasions. With care, a very satisfactory job can be achieved.
Welcome to Beaktime.
If you click on your name a dialog box will appear.
That's called your profile.
Give as little or as much information as you want.
Geographic location is the most pertinent for people wanting to answer your questions.
Click on other people names and their profile will show up.
It's kind of like going to the mall and people watching.
Rich