Do you have wallpaper in your home that you would like to remove? This is a job that many homeowners often tackle themselves and if you decide to undertake this project, here are a few things that may help you before you start.
First of all, if the wall behind the paper was primed or painted prior to the wallpaper being hung it will make it much easier to remove the wallpaper. If the wallpaper was hung on bare, unprimed drywall, which is oftentimes the case in newer homes, you can easily damage the drywall trying to remove the wallpaper, so take extra precaution if this is the case.
To begin, you will need wallpaper removal solution, a wallpaper scorer, a small garden sprayer or squirt bottle, a putty knife and sandpaper. You can purchase wallpaper removal solution and a wallpaper scorer at most paint or hardware stores. I use and recommend a solution called DIF, which is also commonly sold at most paint stores.
Start by gently peeling back a corner of the wallpaper away from the wall. Sometimes, you can easily peel all of the wallpaper off and then all you have to do is remove the remaining glue residue, which makes the job much easier. Remove as much of the wallpaper as you can without damaging the drywall before applying your solution. Once you have removed as much wallpaper as you can, score the wallpaper using the wallpaper scorer and then apply your solution by saturating the wall, starting at the top and working your way down in about five foot sections. Allow the solution time to soak on the wall and then using your putty knife, gently begin to scrape away the wallpaper from the wall. The wall will be wet so be careful not to gouge the wall with your scraper. Repeat these steps until you have removed all of the wallpaper and glue residue. In most cases, once the wall has thoroughly dried, you will need to gently sand any remaining glue residue before you paint the walls.
Removing wallpaper requires time and patience however if this is a job that you would rather not undertake, I suggest calling a local Hoover AL house painting company to complete the job. Most professional Hoover AL painting contractors have had a great deal of experience in properly removing wallpaper.