Stripping old wallpaper is, without a doubt, a chore.
It’s messy and frustrating, even to the professionals. If you've ever
tried stripping wallpaper using a homemade solution - or a heavy commercial
steamer - you know what a tedious, unpleasant and time-consuming task it can
be.
Most wallpaper is manufactured one of two ways: peelable or
strippable. Peelable wallpaper comes off leaving its paper backing still
adhering to the wall. Strippable wallpaper comes off the wall right down to the
paste. The trouble with wallpaper removal is re-wetting the paste so it will
soften to the point where everything comes off relatively easily.
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Step #1: Scoring the paper The top surface of peelable
paper usually comes off easily to expose the absorbent under paper. Sometimes
though, it refuses to come off as a sheet and will only rip and shed into
little bitty pieces. Strippable paper can be similar in that it either comes
off without a lot of fuss or it stubbornly refuses to let go of the wall. If
the paper is unrelenting then its waterproof surface must be punctured in a
process called scoring. This allows the wallpaper stripper to penetrate and
loosen the glue underneath. Zinsser's PaperTiger is a small handtool with spur
like cutting wheels that perforate the wallpaper without damaging the wall,
There are two models, one with 6 cutting heads and the other has two |
Step #2: Apply paste remover. There are any number of
homemade concoctions that are reputed to soften wallpaper paste. There are
equally numerous commercial formulations that are much better suited for the
task. O-Gee carries several brands including Zinsser’s DIF and DIF Gel,
Savogran’s FAST and one from the Jomapps company. In all instances it is
recommended to protect the floor from runoff and from loose paper by taping
down plastic sheets.
Jomapps’ offering comes in a quart trigger
spray that once applied to the scored wallpaper surface allows the paper to be
removed in about 2 minutes.
Zinsser’s DIF and Savogran’s FAST wallpaper
removers are concentrates made to be mixed with hot water. These are applied to
the scored paper or directly to glued surfaces to soften the paste. They
contain special ingredients to enhance wetting into the surface and retard
drying. DIF has a patented enzyme that helps speed softening.
Liquid
strippers are not only messy because excess solution runs down the wall and
onto the floor but they also tend to dry quickly in arid environments and
solution needs to be reapplied often, For especially stubborn paste, two
methods have been devised to keep the wall wet longer: gels and absorbent
mats.
Zinsser DIF GEL is a thick blue liquid made to be used right out
of the jug. Apply it with a roller or brush and it adheres to the wall without
running. DIF Gel’s lightly tinted color helps you to see where you put it
and whether it is applied too heavy or too thin.
The other way to keep
the wall wet is to use an absorbent mat. Warner’s WalWik is just this.
WalWik comes in 100 square foot rolls that can be cut to any length and is
reusable. It is designed to absorb wallpaper remover solution and cling to the
wall. Once there it keeps the wet solution on the wall where it can soak the
old paste to soften it. |
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Steamers are another way to soften wallpaper paste. Steamers
are an assembly of an electric boiler, a hose and a transfer plate. Clean water
is put into the boiler reservoir and the unit is turned on. About an hour
later, the steam is really jetting out of the plate and, as it is held against
the wall, steam and water vapor penetrate the paste to soften it quickly and
effectively. Steamers will often work where other methods won’t, but their
downside is that they can only affect an area as large as their steamer plate
-which is usually rigid and only about a three quarters of a square foot or so.
Steamers are hot and humid with no way to control the flow of steam and once it
gets going, it doesn’t turn off quickly. Steamers are used less frequently
than in the past because of improvements in remover formulations. If you need
to use one, O-Gee has a steamer for rent.
| Step #3: Scrape off the loose wallpaper. Any way
you do it, there will be wet pieces of paper that will share their wet paste
with whatever gets touched. Be sure to have a garbage bin with a plastic liner
to for your scraps. Move furniture out of the room or protect it with plastic
sheeting. If you can, try to roll off the paper pieces with the glue inside. If
you were lucky, the wallpaper hanger used an appropriate primer which sealed
the wall and prevented the wallpaper paste from permanently fusing the paper to
the surface. Most people tend to use a putty knife or spatula to scrape away
softened glue and paper. Zinsser's Paper Scraper helps get the wallpaper peeled
away with minimum damage to the wall. Its blade is configured to a set angle of
attack that maximizes scraping force and minimizes gouging. If any glue
remains, simply reapply the stripper to the area, wait 15-20 minutes, remove it
with Paper Scraper or a sponge and rinse with clean water. After the bulk of
the old glue is removed from the surface, finish by scrubbing with a nylon pad
to clean away any remaining residue. |
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If you are one of the growing number of unfortunate
persons whose wallpaper was hung without the recommended preparation then
removing wallpaper is more like shredding the wall. Often times, the drywall
facing paper is torn from the surface and must be repaired before painting or
re-papering can be done. In instances where drywall facing has been badly
damaged a sealer must be applied and the rough areas mudded over with joint
compound. When the joint compound has thoroughly dried these areas are then
sanded smooth and re-sealed. Zinsser’s GARDZ is a clear water-based
drywall sealer made specifically for repairing damaged drywall.
At this
point the wallpaper removal process is complete and the walls are clean, bare,
and ready for your next decorating project. If you decide to paint, an oil base
primer is recommended. This will lock down any light glue residues that may
remain and block bleeding stains. Otherwise, if you decided to hang a different
wallpaper pattern then there are a number of specialized wallpaper primers from
which to choose.
Wallpaper removal is a messy, wet business. Having a
plan of action along with the proper tools and solutions can make the chore
less unpleasant. The key to working smarter is to saturate the glue so that it
becomes soft enough to easily lift the paper then scrape or scrub the wet paste
off. Protection of adjacent surfaces is important to keep damage and clean up
to a minimum. |
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