What is the easiest way to remove a wallpaper border from a painted wall?

Question

I am redoing my daughters bedroom, and I'm having a hard time getting the border off of the wall. I thought that it would peal off easily if I just wet it, but that's not working well at all. Does anyone have any tips that will make it come off easier and cleaner? I am repainting the walls, so I need it to come off well. Thanks.

Answer 1

Go to home depot or lowes and purcase a perferator very inexpencive. You can use just hot water. But i prefer a product called dif. Use it with hot water too. Be sure it is free of all glue as the paint may crack.

Answer 2

It sounds like the border may have been put on the wall with vinyl on vinyl glue. That will mean that you will have to do some extra "muscle" work on trying to remove the border. Seeing how you will be painting the wall afterward you are right about wanting to make sure that you have all paper and glue off the wall. I would still go about taking it off with water. If you have a steamer that would be great but if not use VERY hot water. Fill up a spray bottle ( you may want to hold the bottle with a potholder or a towel or heavy work gloves because it will be hot. Spray your area very generously and take a putty knife and scrape the paper and glue off. You will probably have to repeat this process a few times. After you get most of it off Take a wet cloth and wipe your wall down good. You will want all residue off the wall because when you go to paint if you have some of the glue still on the wall it will look as though you have a crackle effect going on under the new paint. I don't use any of the new over the counter chemicles to strip my paper because they seem to leave a real big mess to have to scrub off the wall and it just makes it harder to get a clean surface. You can try using vinegar water to clean your wall after you have scraped the glue and paper off. Good luck. I know it sounds like alot of work but once you start going it should go a little better for you. Look on the bright side. At least it is only the border not the whole room done in wall paper that is stubborn with many layers. I have had to strip that kind of thing many times. I usually would use a 1.5 gallon garden sprayer for that kind of job.

Answer 3

A steam cleaner is what I use. It's basically a directed kettlespout which traps the steam in a (eg) 20x12cm enclosure between a baking-tray style thing and the wall.

They're cheap, though 2/3ish the size of a small microwave. You can hire them, but your job should not take long now.

Make a few cross-hatches with a Stanley knife first, to allow the steam to penetrate, then go over the border slowly, following with a clean scraper. Repeat as needed.

Answer 4

I have had to ask this question before too and someone told me vinegar and hot water in a spray bottle. Spray on the boarder and let it soak and then peel and pick off. It worked amazing!!!!!I peeled off large pieces and then used a dry hand towel and rubbed the rest off.... stinky, but works grerat with out damaging the walls.

Answer 5

Just wetting won't help. You have to get the water down to the glue. A perforater and Dif will help. Keep wetting and Let the water work it should easily scrape off.

Answer 6

spray bottle, REALLY HOT water, and some fabric softener, spray on the wallpaper and let it soak in. you probably will have to do this twice because you will end up peeling off the top layer of paper then there will be another layer underneath it, spray it again, let it soak and scrap with a scraper

Answer 7

the truth is you don't have to bye anything expensive scrath the paper with sandpaper and then soak it with warm water it will off with a puty knife then wash the area with a miled detergent