What are the best products or tools you have used to strip old wallpaper?

Question

Any details from actual experiences appreciated!

Answer 1

There are steamers you can get (try the rent-a-center) that work well for stripping wallpaper. You will also need a wide-bladed putty knife (at least 6 incehes wide) to scrape the paper as it is loosened by the steam. Try not to saturate an area excessively with the steam as it could soften the wallboard underneath...just enough to loosen the paper. Also, use the blade of the putty knife a a low angle to the wall as not to dig into the wallboard underneath, otherwise you will have gouges you will need to fill in an sand before recovering.

Answer 2

Our first home had at least 3 layers of wallpaper...the good old tough stuff that dated back to the 1930s (at least that was around the time I think it was put up!).

Anyhow it was CEMENTED on. The only thing that worked at melting that mess was a rented steamer--the larger the surface it covers the faster you will go.

I just held it on one spot until everything was mushy enough to be able to be scraped off. It was a long, tedious process because anything left behind would be visible when you painted over. Use a metal scraper but be careful not to "dig" holes into the wall. Do SCORE the paper with the edges of the scraper to make sure the steam gets under it. If you have one layer a gentle scoring will do.

Hopefully you will just have one layer so either start at the bottom go across the width of what you think the wallpaper is and start scraping from there. With any luck you can just peel it all upwards and then work on removing the glue with the steamer.

It's probably going to take you a while so rent the unit when you can have a day or two to do the job right.

Another little trick is to get a huge sponge and hot water (and gloves) and after scoring the paper just soak it with water. This may help the process come along a little faster too.

Good luck!

Answer 3

As a son that is part of a contracting company for 100 years I have seen and taken part in this many times.
The key is to get the paper wet with warm water and a gel product you can buy from any lowes, home depot etc.
Once you have the wall wet, check it every 10 mins until visibily wet all the way through. Take a wide blade and lightly scrape. If you are having a hard time, it still needs more time to fester and the gel work its magic.
Dont not use one of those scouring pads. Many people like using that, but it ruins the walls too much. And a simple wallpaper removal job, now becomes that and also minor and major drywall repair.

Now once you have the paper going, do spray it again, keep it moist!!
When all the paper is removed, their may be a backing. You must do the same with that. Get it wet, walk away, check on it.

after all that is done. soap and warm water to wash the wall of residue from the gel and paper flecks.

Answer 4

we just bought our home a few months ago and well needless to say an old lady lived here before and in the bathroom she had 2 different kinds of flower wallpaper with a flower border across the top An ATROCIOUS MESS. We decided that it would be the first place we would start on and we used my dads steamer to steam the wallpaper off. It took us forever and the some pieces of front on the drywall came off so we had to re mud in those areas. I guess it did that because the paper had been on there so long it was harder to get off I am not sure but after we were finished our friend who is a painter said that we can get this stuff and that you spray on the wall and let it sit for a few minutes and it will come right off. you can get it at any paint store too little too late for us but it may be worth a try. If you want a challenge though go for the steamer!! Have Fun!

Answer 5

Honest to goodness the Downy Fabric Softener truly works like anything I've ever used before.
Take a gallon plastic milk carton, one cup of Downy Fabric Softener and slowly fill the rest of the carton with hot water. Lid on, then shake well so that it dissolves together. Now pour some in to a squirt bottle. Spritz areas of the wall really well, let it sit for 15 minutes. Using a wide putty knife begin to scrape the wallpaper, and it should come right off..
Depending on how many layers you have on, you may need to do it a few times more, but it will certainly do the trick.
After you get the wallpaper off, make sure you wash the walls down with nice warm water. You might want to add a freshly squeezed lemon to the water to combat the glue scum on the wall.
The most important thing is making sure that your walls are clean before painting. Other than that, you're ready to rock and roll!!!

Have fun and be creative :)

Answer 6

I have found that closing a steam atomizer in a room where you want to remove the wallpaper is most effective. It scrapes off easily with a putty knife type tool after the steam weakens the glue. If the glue is really stubborn, there are a number of good products that you can purchase at any hardware store...I prefer to use less chemicals as not to inhale them when working in close proximate! Good Luck!!

Answer 7

Get a plastic bottle and a plastic scraper. Fill bottle w/ 1/2 hot water & 1/2 Downy fabric softener. Shake Well. Spray on Wallpaper, then start scraping. Some will peel off in huge strips. It's fast, cheap, easy, and the house smells good too.

Answer 8

Curious#1 was right on the money. Use Downy fabric softener, (others don't work as fast or as well, don't know why) ratio of: 1/4 cup Downy to 1/2 gallon WARM TO HOT water, spray to saturate. If needed, use a razor blade to make nicks in the paper to let the solution soak through. Wait 10 to 15 minutes and start peeling. It takes off layers with minimum effort. The tricks are to make as few nicks as possible, saturate completely, and to peel slowly.

Answer 9

We did a lot of this in an old house with multiple layers of wallpaper. The best tool is a sharpened putty knife. Just be careful not to gouge the plaster. You can spray the paper with a detergent water solution first, wait 15 minutes, then start scraping.

Answer 10

Use vinegar, it works great!! Pour some in a bucket, put your rag in it, squeeze it out a little, rub it onto the wallpaper, let stand 15 minutes, and it will come right off.. Scrape the wallpaper first, getting the loose stuff off, before applying the vinegar. You should scrape it again, if some don't want to come off. The vinegar, dissolves the glue, and you just take off the wallpaper..Good Luck..