I’ve been working for a residential builder for about 6 months, and now have my first “on my own” remodeling job. Part of the job is to remove all of the wallpaper on one floor and paint the walls. The wallpaper is textured and so cannot be painted over.
The wallpaper itself comes off easily, but the “backing” and the glue is another matter. I’ve used a wallpaper removal gel, and it works well. The problem is that it will take forever to spread gel over the entire main floor and scrap the backing/glue off. Is there another way?
Some off the wall ideas: a drywall sander and a lot of disks? a wallpaper steamer (but I don’t think the glue is water permeable (sp) ?
Any and all advice would be most welcome.
ChrisA
Replies
To ChrisA
Try using FAST wall paper remover. It is a concentrated mix that you add to hot water. Follow the directions on the label and wear gloves so your hands dont end up looking like prunes and become slimy as this product disolves the glue. It takes a little patience, but the stuff works well.
Unfortunately, I have removed more paper than I care to remember. They all act a little different, and sometimes you get the face off easy, sometimes you stand there and just chip forever. But you have the hard part done. You're just dealing with the backing now. 90% of the time, hot water will do it for you. If it's a tile floor, that's even better. If you're on carpet, put down dropcloths and line the baseboards with old towels so you don't pucker each one of them right off the wall. Spray the paper until its wet, do the whole room, and just keep spritzing it until it puckers. If this is a huge area, use a garden sprayer, otherwise just a windex type bottle works fine. Once the glue has softened enough for the backing to come off, the backing will wrinkle, and you just slide it off with a putty knife. Then just sponge the residue off with more water or a cleaner, like DIF or you can even use white vinegar & water. Dont let the water sit there forever, especially if you've used something like a paper tiger to perforate the facing. You don't want to saturate the drywall. Times this doesn't work: they used non removable glue, or they laid it into wet drywall mud. Then life gets less enjoyable. You most likely will not encounter either of those in a house.
Thanks guys, I'll try your suggestions.
A pump style garden sprayer is the tool. The spray (windex) bottles won't handle the use and either will your hand. Think spraying for 20-40 min straight to do the whole room. Not me!
Also by using the garden sprayer you can wet every wall completely. Apply 1mil. plastic sheet and go have lunch while the DIF does the work. The plastic will adhere to the wall since it's wet and you will use less water so the floor will become less wet. Use a bit of tape to hold it up though.
DIF is a must. It will break down the glue so you can wipe it off first with a 4"-6" taping knife and then with a large sponge which you will find in the tile dept. The hotter the water the better.
Lay down some newspaper along the wall/ floor. If you lay the entire Sports Section it will not be as effective as laying it down page by page. Takes more time now but saves time cleaning at the end. Newspaper just won't absorb well if it does not have airspace between sheets. Lay down as much as you can so you don't have to apply more during the removal process.
Rinse the wall well when you are done.... then rinse it again. Changing the water frequently. Have a couple of sponges. The first two timesw I rinse I use DIF in the rinse. Buy it by the gallon.
The only thing I would add is try putting hot water in the sprayer. Not boiling, but pretty warm. This helped me.Tamara
When the glue is completely off, the dry wall (not drywall, but a wall that is no longer wet) will feel smooth when you run your hand over it. If there is still glue, you will feel it.
Rich Beckman
Another day, another tool.
Right. By "not a huge area", I'm talking a border or just a single short wall. If you're doing rooms, pump it. I guess I don't consider the DIF mandatory early on until you've got the paper off and you're at the glue. 6 to 1, half dozen the other.
I have had luck with hot water with about a cup of vinegar per gallon of water and a small amount of dish soap. I sprayed it on liberally with a pump up sprayer and let time do the work for me. Spray. Wait two hours and spray again. Repeat until the paper comes off easily.
If the wallpaper has a foil or plastic membrane it will need to be scarified to let the water get to the glue. There are devices, commonly available in the wallpaper department in your local paint store or big box, that are designed to do this job. Most look like a swivel massager designed by Desade. Lots of sharp toothed wheels on swivels that you run over the wallpaper.
There are commercial solutions that I have heard work but being cheap I made my own with stuff I had on hand. Saved about $5.
Follow the advice Frankie gave. It will work every time.
Good Luck!
Chris
What RW said! He has it down. I've removed more wallpaper then I wanna admit. I did forclosure houses for real estate companies years ago when everything was forclosing. I did one house after another of mega rooms of wallpaper/cork/mirrors etc etc. I always found DIF to be the best product with hot water in a garden sprayer. Bathrooms were the worst if not impossible. Serious spackeling after the wallpaper and sheetrock paper were off. Serious bummer. I never liked that Tiger tool or whatever its called. I spose one uses that for vinyl paper but you may as well just pull the vinyl off and soak down the backing. That Tiger tool only punctures the sheetrock then you have to deal with that. Thats one job I hate when it doesnt come off. I've done tons of paper that just fell off on its own just about after spritzing the paper over and over every twenty minutes. Gotta love that.
Have fun
Bring beer..lol
Namaste
Andy
It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
You all have been terrific. This reminds me of why I love this site so much!
ChrisA
Andy, Thanks. BTW, I like your Web site. Post more pictures of the work you do.
ChrisA
Nothing to add that hasnt already been said except its still labor intensive . I hate paper for that reason .
Tim Mooney
I HATE WALLPAPER! Our house had it under paneling. Under the wallpaper is bead board or is it b board haha. Anyway we are now looking at having to deal with wallpaper that wasn't completely taken off and was painted over! Lars says we will have to sand it now. If you only knew how much I HATE wallpaper. Plus this is wallpaper from many decades ago. It is that THICK wallpaper. Tamara
Tamara , I have primed the wall two thick coats with oil primer over such wall paper that was stuck better than the paper on drywall. I was able to spackle and finish paint. Still a big job just to get rid of stupid wall paper . I hate it !
Tim Mooney
thin some joint compound with water---skim it on wall--wait a while & all will come off easily with a wide trowel