Removing Wallpaper

We have placed and offer on a house that has some pretty horrible wallpaper in the kitchen. DH and I were discussing removing it ourselves, but are not sure how difficult it is.

I would love some advice...
Have any of you done this yourself? Was it hard? What is the best way? Should we rent a steamer? Are we better off just hiring someone to do this? If you have hired someone how expensive was it?

Thanks for your help!

Re: Removing Wallpaper

In all honesty the 2x's I did it we wound up replacing the sheetrock anyway.

I've had "success" just ripping it off but sometimes you only get the top layer and then it's harder to get the thin bottom layer off.

I've also used the stuff they sell in home depot. You use a special tool to poke holes in the paper then spray on the solvent stuff. I actually found it comes off but in little rips & pieces. It's also kind of thick and messy.

The longer it's been up the better. It comes of easier.

In the end if it's not coming off easy and you have a large area your time & money may be better spent on new sheetrock.

Re: Removing Wallpaper

Couldn't agree with the above poster more. You just really have to try to tear it down and see where your at. However, your time and money may be better spent on new sheetrock.

Message edited 3/19/2007 7:59:04 PM.

Re: Removing Wallpaper

I had to remove buttloads of country wallpaper in my house and although it was annoying and tedious, it came off easily when soaked thoroughly. I also used a mixture of vinegar and water and it worked wonders. I sprayed, wiped it down with a sponge and let it soak in for a few min, and then peeled away. I didnt need a steamer. I had to remove 4 rooms of it and one room of border.

Re: Removing Wallpaper

I am so glad you posted this. I have 5 rooms with wallpaper that I can't stand and I have been dying to remove it. DH keeps telling me how difficult it is going to be but I am very insistant that I at least want the kitchen done! The kitchen has 3 different types of wallpaper and not one of them match. The kitchen was just redone and it is gorgeous, but this wallpaper is so gross!!! What are people thinking when they throw up wallpaper

Re: Removing Wallpaper

I had to remove A LOT of wallpaper in my house. While I agree with the poster that said you should resheetrock, we didnt have the money to resheetrock our entire house.

First we attempted to use water and the DIF, that was very difficult. Then we rented the steamer from Home Depot and it made worlds of difference, especially since the walls were not primed in the kitchen before the wallpaper was put up. Where the walls were primed it came off easier and without much damage.
HOpe this helps!

Re: Removing Wallpaper

We removed 3 rooms worth of wallpaper - each room was different (the first room, the paper was relatively new so spraying some vinegar and using some elbow grease sufficed - then we washed the walls with DIF. The 2nd room we needed to use DIF gel, not the liquid...and the 3rd room had 3 layers of wallpaper - one of which was 50+ years old - and that took the most work. We scored the walls with the Tiger and used both the gel and the liquid DIF and a lot of scrubbing - we tried a steamer also and all it did was make a mess).

That said, we have plaster walls and I have read (and have been told) that removal is easier with plaster than sheetrock (b/c sheetrock is paper essentially, and will crumble if it gets too wet).

The trick is to peel the top layer off as much as you can without using chemicals. Then you're left with the paper/glue layer and you need to get creative - see which solution works best for you.

Message edited 3/20/2007 9:33:27 AM.

Re: Removing Wallpaper

not that hard as long as it is not from, lets say the 40's or the metallic paper that was popular in the 80s. I just got a perforating tool & a steamer. It is tedious but not difficult.

Re: Removing Wallpaper

We had 3 layers of wallpaper in our house. We removed the 2 but couldn't get off the last layer. We sanded it painted over it with an oil based primer. Then we called in the professionals to skim coat the walls and that make them smooth again. It was a NIGHTMARE!!

Re: Removing Wallpaper

Not to hijack, but how long did the skim coating take and how messy was it really. The reason I ask is because I have a textured paint treatment in a room and I'm afraid this is what I'm going to have to do. I wonder how less involved/less costly this is than new sheetrock.

Re: Removing Wallpaper

oh my goodness i'm sitting here laughing.

wallpaper=torture.

we have been trying to remove 4 layers of wall paper in our dining room for the last 3 weeks. between our arms killing us and how little u get done in an hour..
oh boy.
we only have time to work on it an hour after work and a little on the weekends.

i will agree with the above poster in saying that removing as much of the top layer is key and then using hot water and dif in a spray bottle helps a lot too with the glue and what not.

we are going to hopefully finally put a skim coat on it this weekend and paint next week. the skim coat is going to be very dusty!

good luck to you! if u have patience, u can do it all urself!