How do i get off wallpaper and the paste mess underneath?

Question

when i moved into my house, the wallpaper in my room was put on very poorly, so it was easy to just rip most of it off, which i did. now there are still a few semi-large patches as well as several small strips still stuck on the wall. what is the easiest way for an uncoordinated fool like myslef to get the rest off? also, bonus points if you have any painting suggestions too! thank you in advance.

did i mention i am poor/cheap? cheap methods are best for me!

Answer 1

Hey, wallpaper is no big deal. Get a sponge or rag and a bucket of water, you'll really want to soak whats left on the wall and it should come off no problem. Also, painting isn't too bad either. You should use a roller for the surfaces and a brush for edges. If your ceiling is going to be a different color than your walls, you can buy a brush that has a diagonol brush on it, instead of a straight one. Hold this brush diagonolly to paint all the way up on the wall.

Answer 2

Borrow a carpet steamer or a wall paper steamer or get an old iron and steam the wall a little bit at a time, the longer you hold the steam on the wall the easier it gets, but it only takes a few seconds, then when you get the scraper under it, it just falls off. Also for tips on painting, obviously it depends on the surface. If you are going over a large surface a big roller is quickest, but if you are painting over anigliptor or blown vynal as opposed to a flat surface you are better with a brush and one of the little rollers you can buy. For painting the celing I strongly suggest you use a different colour or colour changing paint (b&q have one that goes on pink and dries white) otherwise you get white blindness and end up with a patchy celing. Also try to use a small roller, you will get better coverage and make less mess and finally if you are up a ladder to paint the celing, have someone on the ground to tell you where you have missed coz they will be able to see alot better. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I had some old wallpaper that I wanted off. A bit messy, but I sprayed with a spray bottle and let the water soak in for about an hour, re-spraying every so often, then I scraped off with a paint scraper. I was going to put up more paper so I didn't care if I nicked the wall a bit. If you're going to paint, be careful that you don't damage the surface of the wall or you may need to re-plaster.

You might want to do some faux finish on your walls. I did a leather look in my living room and it was very nice. You can do marble look and lots of others. More work than straight paint, but well worth the effort. And if you're unhappy, just paint over it.

I also painted a stainglass window on one of my walls.

Happy painting.

Answer 4

First off... God, I hate wallpaper. We just bought a home with wallpaper in almost every room and my wife's first statement about the house was, "all this wallpaper has got to go".

I went to Lowe's and bought one of every kind of wallpaper remover in the store and the easiest to use was not any of these, it was the old way; mix fabric softener, about half and half, with hot water, spray it on and let it soak for about 15 to 30 minutes.

Carefully (do not gouge the Sheetrock) use a wide scraper and remove the paper and glue. Have a sponge and warm water to wash off the residue as you go.

It sounds like you have the hard part done, but if you have to take off any vinyl paper you need to perforate the surface to soften the glue, Lowe's and Home Depot have an inexpensive tool for this.

Just take your time... it will come off, but it is a tedious job.

As for the painting, just buy a high quality paint and good rollers and brushes. Rather than try to give all painting details here, my best suggestion is that you go to Lowe's or Home Depot or the equivalent in your area... they will give you step by step help at the store, plus both have a wealth of information on line.
homedepot. com and lowes.com

Good luck. I almost forgot, try a wallpaper and removal party for your friends, beer, chips and a group of buddies may work too.

Answer 5

We tried the vinegar idea and it didn't work for us. So we used a wallpaper remover. It's a steamer, and you can rent one. It steams the wallpaper paste under the paper and you follow behind with a scraper (putty knife). It really works great, just be WAY careful, steam burns hurt like heck! (Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.)

As far as painting suggestions, that's hard to do. It depends on the size of the room, the "look" you're going for, and how much natural light comes into the room. Look through some decorating magazines for ideas.

Answer 6

You can totally remove wallpaper buy mixing 1/2 fabric softener and water in a spray bottle. Spray wallpaper and let sit. You can use a perforation wheel and also let soak in. This should take off the wallpaper in layered strips. Then using a mild soap solution you can remove any leftover glue. Let wall completly dry before painting or applying new wallpaper.

Answer 7

I just finished doing my mother's house--what a job! OK, the paper tiger is a great thing--except--don't push too hard or you will wind up with little holes in the drywall that will have to be filled before you can paint!!!!! My sister and I created a huge problem with that and it made our job much harder! Once you have the paper down, really clean the wall with TSP(trisodium phosphate) to get all of the excess glue off. When the walls are finally clean--and have air dried for a couple of days, PRIME the walls with KILZ or the like. I know it seems like an extra step and expense, but it is soooo worth it. If you don't do it, your colored paint will keep soaking into the walls because they are dry(like a sponge).That just causes it to look bad an require another coat.
Use blue painters tape to mask off the ceiling and around the trim and floors--yet another time consumer, but it really makes it easier to paint and it looks neater and more professional in the end. And ALWAYS remove the tape BEFORE the paint dries or it will pull the paint off!!!! Trust me, that looks bad and is hard to fix! I normally use a satin finish paint--they are easier to clean if need be. After painting approximately 20 rooms in my home and my mothers, I have to say that the best paint ever is Lowe's American Traditions Paint. It is more expensive, but it goes on better, shows fewer brush and roller marks because it is "self-leveling". You will also need fewer coats to cover. Good luck--it is a very rewarding project.

Answer 8

It was necessary for us to use a wide blade putty knife to remove the stubborn patches on ours. As for removing the glue, I've been told numerous "remedies", few of which actually worked. The only solution we found was to go to the store and purchase something called wall "sizing." This is usually a product applied over a painted wall to prepare it for the wallpaper glue. We learned that it also seals in the wallpaper glue and creates a smooth surface to apply paint to. It's important to let the wall dry completely (24 hrs) before painting. Should you wish to apply a primer under the paint for durability, just have it tinted in the same color as the wall color you've chosen. This will eliminate at least one coat of paint and help defray costs. Be sure to tape off any areas you do not want to paint and apply petroleum jelly to hinges and other door and drawer hardware for easy clean up. Good luck to you. As far as painting suggestions, short of color schemes, I'm not sure what you're asking.

Answer 9

They make this thing that puts holes in wall paper, not sure what it's called, but it's just a roller that has little spikes in it that puts holes in the wallpaper. The more holes you put in it, the easier it is to get off. Then there's this stuff used to dissolve the glue, probably similar to the spray stuff your dad bought. You spread it all over the wall. It makes it a LOT easier to get it off. And you will have to scrape it. But that's the way we did it in my bathroom at my parents' house.. there was this really gross wallpaper from the 80s and it did take about a week to get most of it off, but we did have to hire somebody to come in and get what we couldn't get.. and paint. So maybe it would just be easier for you guys to hire somebody. haha. Hope I helped!! :)

Answer 10

A spray bottle with very warm water and dish washing soap has worked many times for me in removing the last little bit of paste and paper. The soap seems to make it "slick" and just rub right off. Good luck. Also, it's not really "painting" but a cheap and cool wall technique is using joint compound and spreading it on the walls in a thin coat. You can get a five gallon bucket at a home improvement store for about $10-15 and for a really cheap way to spread it just use a metal spatula. You can also paint over it if you wanted to finish it off that way. Adds a neat texture to boring smooth walls for not alot of money.