SERVPRO DIY Wallpaper Removal Hack

1/12/2023 (Permalink)

The trick is- hot water cleans better than cold water. When you use the hottest water possible on walls with wallpaper it will cause almost a steam effect to the paper. The paper will “wilt”- get soft, allow the water and moisture to get in the wallpaper, then work into the wallpaper adhesive which will force the paper to be peeled away from the wall.What are the steps to removing wallpaper with water?1. Get a clean bucket, have access to hot water, have access to a toilet to flush down dirt water, and have a good sponge that you can get walls wet and clean with.2. Make sure that you have a work light in darker rooms; be careful when working around traditional light bulbs- water to hot light bulbs may cause the bulbs to shatter.3. Use a putty knife or a 5-in-1 multi-tool, and try to scrape or peel away as much wallpaper as you can- with no water.***Wallpaper is typically made in layers.***Most residential wallpapers have two layers, the top one will more times than not peel away from the wall.The wallpaper backing, which has the adhesive portion, is what we need to get wet.4. Place the hottest water you can stand in the bucket.5. Add a heaping tablespoon of salt.6. Place your sponge in the bucket and allow it to soak.***Sea sponges work best. But you can also use the sponges you see at a home improvement store by the ceramic tile supplies.7. Clean the sponge, some sponges have dye in them, some still stink from the ocean, and others have been in storage and just get dirty.8. Use your multi-tool to "score" the wallpaper in different sections.9. Apply the hot salty water solution to the wallpaper. Allow it to sit for approximately 10 mins and then use your putty knife or multitool to find a corner that is coming loose.10. Slowly start peeling away the wallpaper from the wall. Apply more water when needed generously.11. Once the wallpaper is removed you will need to wash the glue from the walls. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REMOVE ALL OF THE GLUE; otherwise, you will have issues with your paint sticking to the wall and the paint will crackle!!