What's the best and CHEAPEST way to strip wallpaper from a wall?

Question

We need to get it off and get the wall re-painted, but we don't have much money, and we're really not sure how. It's coated (shiney) wallpaper...

Answer 1

I am a 35 year wallpaper hanger/ remover. Downy, vinegar, etc will not penetrate through "shiny" wallpaper,That shine is a vinyl, or plastic finish. Any liquid will start to loosen the paper, but only at the seams. What you need to do is get Dif chemical wallpaper remover., and a pump style tank sprayer at your local DIY store. Yeah, get the gallon size bottle or you will be running back to get more in the middle of the project! Mix as directed, then spray, let sit, and spray a while. The trick is to be patient and let the product do it's job before you go scraping!Using a putty knife start at a top corner scraping under the paper and work one sheet at a time. Te paper will have two layers a front and a backing sheet . The top layer will want to come off first leave the backing,then spray the backing again and move onto the next strip.continue this same method,each stop , . keep going back an checking those second layers to see when they have become vulnerable for removal. You Will start getting the hang of it as you move along!Warning! Do not use a steamer as it will warp the wallboard and cause the anchors that are securing it to come loose!. When you get an entire piece removed, down to the bare wall use a wet terrycloth rag to wash off the remaining adhesive while it is still soft. Avoid scraping hard and gouging the wall surface. If you run into a difficult spot just keep re soaking and going back to it. Make sure to Tape and plastic off your floors etc., topped with a drop cloth , arm yourself with a bucket of warm water and plenty of rags. You will definitely need to apply a wall primer before applying any new paint. Remember, patience on the soaking time!If someone happened to use a proper wallpaper primer before they hung this paper, you may get lucky and it will come off easy, that rarely happens! Good luck.

Answer 2

Start by stripping the outer face off of the wallpaper. **Since you have a gloss on the wallpaper, I suggest you use a very fine piece of sandpaper to lightly go over the gloss so water will penetrate.**

This should leave only the backing material and glue. Make a wallpaper stripping solution consisting of warm water and a little dishwashing detergent or fabric softener. I use about one capfull to a gallon bucket of water and fill an inexpensive spray bottle from the bucket. Spray solution on the backing material and allow to soak (re-wetting as necessary) for at least 10 minutes. HUGE TIP: A cheap garden-type sprayer will tremendously speed up the soaking process. Don't forget to lay old towels or sheets at the bottom of the walls to catch water drippings and paper. (Easy clean up -- just pick up -- stuff in garbage bag and dispose of properly.)

Once you get most of the wallpaper off, if there is backing material, lightly re-wet and pull as much off manually. Scrape (GENTLY) what is left of the backing paper with a wide, flat-blade putty knife. Be careful to not gouge the drywall! TRUST ME on this one. :)

If the soap/fabric softener solution is not working well enough, you may also try a solution of 2 parts water to 1 part white vinegar and use the same technique. ANOTHER HINT -- This stripping solution is only effective against wallpaper installed using wheat or starch-based wallpaper glue.

If you have really stubborn wallpaper you can order some Safe and Simple online, or bop over to Lowe's or Home Depot and pick up some DIF.

Make sure you get all the glue off the wall since you're going to paint it. Wet the wall and run your hands over it, if it's slimy, mix 2 tablespoons of liquid fabric softener into a gallon of water, gently spray/scrub.

DON'T FORGET to meticulously rinse the entire wall surface so there are no traces of paste or wallpaper stripper remaining behind, before you paint.

Seems like a lot of hard work; actually it's time consuming, but not hard labor.

Good Luck! No water fights please!!

Answer 3

Fill a spray bottle filled with hot water and then spray sections of your walls and allow the water to soak in. Then, pull the old wallpaper off or use a plastic putty knife. You may have to keep rewetting the wallpaper and letting it soak in until all the wallpaper and glue are removed from your walls. Be sure to wipe down the walls with soap and water after the paper is removed to make sure all the glue is gone before you paint. Good luck!

Answer 4

fill a bucket with hot water and a sponge. this is a little time consuming ans messy but it works. your gonna wet (soak,drench) the wallpaper with the sponge as if you are cleaning it (sponge connot be squeeded dry). the wallpaper wiil lift then you peel right off keep in mind that after the wallpaper is removed you must clean the wall with clean soapy water to remove the glue the wallpaper left behind b 4 painting it good luck

Answer 5

If you were willing to spend about $5-10 you would buy a bottle of spray on glue remover and a scratch tool ("tiger claw"). Then you would scratch through the shiny coating with tool (looks like hacksaw bent into a circle with a handle) and then spray on that stuff to loosen the glue. After that it's scraping off the loosened paper.

If that is too costly mix some laundry detergent with hot water in a bucket and get one of those Scotch Brite cleansing pads (rough surface glued onto one side of a sponge). Then scratch the surface with the Scotch Brite rough side. Slop on detergent water with the sponge side. Let it sink in and start scraping the loose stuff off.

Answer 6

If it is the "strippable" type of wall paper, it's very easy to do. All you need is a spray bottle filled with hot water (straight from the faucet). Just start gently tearing the wall paper off and then spray the paper left on the wall with the water and pull it off. If it is strippable, it will peel from the wall easily and then you just wipe off the glue (get it all off) before you paint.

Answer 7

Take a putty knife and pull the paper off best you can. Then just take a sponge and hot water and soak a section and scrape and keep at it till its all off. You may want to take some joint compound and put a thin skim coat on and sand that then put a coat of StainKilz before you put your final coat on.

Answer 8

The easiest way to get rid of wallpaper is to steam it. The pros got this iron that blows steam and then they scrape it off with a spatula. What you can use is a blow dyer. Just get one of those squirting bottles and then use you hair dryer for just a little bit. The glue will get moist and with the spatula you can lift a little corner off and if it isn't too old, it'll peel right off.

Answer 9

soapy water, a large sponge and a scraper. thats all you need. dampen the wallpaper, it will bubble when wet enough to come off. peel and thats it. you may have the odd small piece that needs scraping but nothing major. and its really quick this way too.

Answer 10

I remember before they came out with all these new strippers for walls. We used hot water and vinegar to loosen it and a larger scraper, make sure it is saturated. its work , but also the cheapest.