Even cosmetic repairs are not complete without wallpaper replacement, so it’s better to find out in advance how to tear off old wallpaper from the walls quickly and efficiently. Gluing a new roll on an old coating is not an option, and we want to tell you how best to tear off old wallpaper from the walls.
Wallpaper removal
What is it for
Often people buy wallpapers and glue them on top of the old ones, arguing that, they say, the old ones held up well.
- Firstly, old wallpaper can only look like it's holding up well, but if it's loaded with a new layer of sticker, it will quickly begin to peel off. In general, the assessments of the state of building structures or finishing coatings given by housewives, programmers, philologists, athletes and other "experts" in the field of construction are surprising;
- Secondly, wallpaper glue is afraid of moisture, and when gluing a new layer, you will inevitably wet the old one, which may begin to fall off the surface after the dried glue dissolves in the water on which the new glue is mixed.
- Thirdly, wallpaper glue is designed for a certain load, and no one included two or more layers in this value. Of course, calculations are made with a margin, but focusing on "maybe" is not the best approach to the production of work;
- Finally, dismantling the old coating layer is not at all difficult, especially since we will tell you how easy it is to tear off old wallpaper.
Important!
Before applying any top coats, the surface should be carefully prepared, including cleaning it of dust, dirt and old coatings.
Wallpaper is no exception.
Paper
The easiest way to deal with the removal of paper coatings. Paper perfectly absorbs moisture, and as we have already said, water dissolves wallpaper paste.
Therefore, in this case, the instruction will be simple and straightforward:
- We draw warm water into the basin, into which we add a couple of spoons of the Fairy-type cleaning agent. We remove everything superfluous from the walls, carpets, paintings, posters, etc. We move the furniture away, lay a plastic film on the floor;
- We are trying to remove the coating in a dry way. We pry the edge of the strip with a spatula and carefully remove it from the wall, you should not pull and tear it. We shoot everything that is being filmed;
- We dip an ordinary sponge or foam rubber liquid into the water onto the surface of the coating. It is not necessary to wet the walls strongly, it is enough that the paper is saturated with moisture. We are waiting for 10 - 15 minutes;
- Using a spatula, we pry off pieces of the coating and remove them from the surface, the most durable sections can be scraped off with a knife or chisel;
- If there are areas that could not be torn off, they can be steamed with an iron or a special steamer. You can also buy a special liquid for removing wallpaper.
Important! In no case do not overdo it with moisture, especially if you are peeling off the coating from drywall or other material that is afraid of moisture. Even concrete and stone walls are covered with plaster and putty, which will not be useful for water.
washable
An attentive reader could already notice that not all types of finishes can be soaked with water. After all, there are vinyl, non-woven, fiberglass and other moisture-resistant varieties of it. There is nothing to argue here, but you can suggest a way that will solve the problem.
Almost all types of moisture-resistant coatings have a paper backing, since paper has good adhesion and absorbs glue better. On the front side, such material is covered with a waterproof film that is easily torn. Our task is to make as many holes and gaps in this film as possible, through which moisture will still get onto the substrate.
Even if the coating does not have a paper backing, it can also be perforated and glue is wetted through the perforations. For processing, you can use various methods:
- Needle roller. It is necessary to find a tool with metal spikes and roll the wall with it. This is the most convenient and fastest processing method, the price of the roller is low, and you can find it in any major hardware store;
- Hard bristled metal brush. With such a brush, you can pick up the surface by swiping it with strong pressure. After such exposure, the water-repellent layer is guaranteed to be damaged, and water will gain access to the adhesive layer;
- A special peeling tool, which is called "wallpaper tiger" or "paper tiger". Buying it for the sake of one sticking is not entirely rational, on the other hand, it will come in handy in the future, and it can also be useful to your friends or acquaintances;
- Finally, you can damage the film with any sharp object at hand: a knife, a screwdriver, etc. The main thing is not to damage the plaster.
Important!
Remember that your goal is to damage the top film on the floor, not the wall.
You should not hit it, cut it especially hard, scrape it with an ax or poke it with a screwdriver, because it is more difficult and more expensive than gluing wallpaper.
Conclusion
Before pasting the walls, be sure to remove the old coatings. This can be done in many ways, which we have described in sufficient detail. If you do not understand something, watch the video in this article.
Some choose to skip the process of removing old wallpaper and sticking new wallpaper over it, but this should not be done. There are a number of reasons for this:
If you leave old wallpaper on the walls, then, subsequently, the surface for gluing may be uneven, and the appearance of the new wallpaper is unsatisfactory.
New wallpaper pasted on top of old ones may peel off due to the heavy weight.
Over time, mold can form under old wallpaper, so it's best to remove them to get rid of bacteria.
Preparatory work
Before proceeding with the removal of wallpaper, it is necessary to prepare the room. To begin with, the room in which the work will take place should be covered with plastic wrap and attached with masking tape to the baseboards.
In addition, be sure to turn off the power in the room so that a short circuit does not occur. We also advise you to tape all sockets and switches with adhesive tape.
Ways to remove old wallpaper from walls
There are three ways to peel off old wallpaper from the surface of the walls.
To begin with, small cuts should be made on the surface of the wallpaper so that the liquid completely soaks the wallpaper. Then the surface of the wallpaper is wetted with water and left for a while. After that, the old coating is removed with a spatula.
Instead of water, you can use special liquids to remove wallpaper. Note that such funds are absolutely harmless to humans. Wallpaper remover must first be diluted with water, and then applied to the old coating (no cuts are necessary). After a few minutes, you can easily remove the old wallpaper with a spatula.
If you are lucky enough to have a steam generator on the farm, then this method is perfect for you. You can also use a steam iron. When processing old wallpaper with steam, the glue under them swells, and the canvas can be easily removed from the wall.
If the glue that was used does not dissolve with water or special liquids, then the wallpaper will have to be scraped off with a spatula or grinder. Note that the spatula must be sharply sharpened.
Important! When removing wallpaper in this way, take care of respiratory protection, and also cover the furniture that is in the room.
How to quickly peel off old wallpaper
Since there is a wide variety, the methods for removing them are slightly different.
Removing paper wallpaper
So that it will be enough just to moisten them with water or a special liquid. First, apply liquid to the surface of the wallpaper with a sponge or spray. Repeat the process twice with an interval of 15-20 minutes.
Then, using a spatula, lift the sheet of wallpaper, starting at the seams. If in some places the wallpaper does not move well from the wall, repeat the wetting procedure.
Since they consist of two layers, before wetting them, it is necessary to make horizontal cuts on the surface. Once the top layer of vinyl wallpaper is sufficiently wet, it can be easily peeled off from the backing. To do this, you need to pull the wallpaper away from the wall with a uniform movement, starting from the bottom corners of the wallpaper strip.
If the bottom layer of vinyl wallpaper has remained in good condition and firmly glued to the wall, then it can be left as a lining for new wallpaper. Otherwise, this layer is also wetted with water and scraped off with a spatula.
Since they are made of synthetic fibers, they are more durable than paper wallpapers and require more time to soak. As in the case of vinyl wallpaper, you also need to make cuts in them first, and then follow the same steps as with ordinary paper wallpaper.
Since washable wallpaper consists of two layers, first you need to break the integrity of the top waterproof one. This can be done with a wire brush or a toothed roller. You will just need to walk with the appropriate tool on the surface, and then proceed to wetting with water.
The procedure for exposure to water may have to be repeated several times, and after that, using a spatula, you can remove the wallpaper from the wall. Instead of water, you can also use a steam generator.
To begin with, we note that they can be used several times after they are removed from the wall.
To remove such wallpaper from the surface of the walls, they should also be moistened with plenty of warm water, and then cleaned with a scraper or a metal spatula.
How to remove wallpaper from drywall
The process presents some difficulties, since this material is covered with a paper layer. If the surface of the drywall has been coated, then we advise you to use a special stripper to remove the wallpaper.
Important! If the drywall was not coated with a primer before pasting the old wallpaper, then it is almost impossible to remove the wallpaper from it without damaging the paper layer.
The easiest way to remove old wallpaper from drywall is to use wallpaper paste. It just needs to be applied to the surface of the wallpaper and wait until they swell. After that, the wallpaper can be easily removed from the wall with a spatula. Also, old wallpaper on drywall can be steamed.
Important! If PVA glue was used to stick old wallpaper, then the drywall sheets will need to be replaced or you can try to remove the wallpaper along with a layer of cardboard. This process must be carried out with a paint knife, and drywall sheets, subsequently, should be puttied and primed.
Repair is accompanied by a change of wall covering, and you have to decide how to remove the old wallpaper. The process requires effort and differs depending on the type of substrate and the quality of the canvas. The old coating is removed in various ways.
Preparing to remove wallpaper
Before starting dismantling, it is important to prepare the workplace. The old coating does not always come off easily - tools should be at hand. Equally important is safety.
Precautions
It will not be possible to remove the old coating in absolute purity. Along with the wallpaper, plaster, old paint, dust can leave. For the safety of furniture or floors, you need to prepare the room.
Room preparation:
- Completely turn off the electricity in the room.
- Seal sockets and switches with masking tape or stationery tape.
- Take out the furniture.
- Lay a film or newspaper on the floor.
- Glue the plinth.
- If there is furniture left, move it to the center and cover.
- Leave a wet rag at the entrance - it traps dust.
What tools are needed for dismantling?
To remove the old coating, different inventory is used. The material matters - some wallpapers are easily removed, others need to be wetted or treated with a special composition. But there is a list of basic tools.
You will need:
- Gloves.
- Putty knife.
- Bucket of warm water.
- Dishwashing liquid.
- roller.
- Sponge.
- brush with metal bristles.
- Wallpaper wash.
- Iron.
Basic Methods and Tools for Removing Old Wallpapers
Each material has its own characteristics. How to shoot - depends on the type of old paintings.
With the help of water
The simplest and most obvious method. By wetting, you can easily remove old self-adhesive, non-woven, paper and even vinyl wallpapers.
Tools:
- A bucket of water at room temperature.
- roller.
- Construction spatula.
- Stationery knife.
Action algorithm:
Video
The full process can be seen in the video.
Mechanical method (steam and spiked roller)
Using this method, you can easily remove almost any old coating. The presence of a steam generator is a great bonus in work. An alternative to it is an iron, but you will need a sheet or a piece of cotton.
Suitable for paper, non-woven, vinyl wallpaper.
Inventory:
- Steam generator or iron with sheet.
- Water container.
- A wallpaper tiger (aka a needle roller), but a clerical knife will do.
- Putty knife.
How to remove steam wallpaper:
Video
Lifehack on removing wallpaper using a steam generator, as well as comments can be viewed on the video.
Special chemicals
If the wallpaper sits tightly, it is difficult to remove it using traditional methods. To save time and achieve the best result, special chemical solutions are often used. They are sold in construction supermarkets, they help to quickly remove old canvases.
What kind of wallpaper is better to use?
It is used for non-woven, paper, washable, textile wallpapers.
Required inventory:
- roller.
- Rubberized gloves.
- Basin with water.
- Wallpaper tiger (if not, then you can use a knife).
- Putty knife.
Step-by-step instruction
- Dilute the substance with water according to the instructions.
- Roll the walls with a wallpaper tiger or poke with a knife.
- Apply the composition to the walls with a roller.
- Leave the wallpaper to soak (the exact time is on the package).
- It is enough to pry the canvas with a spatula and tear it off.
Video
Details can be seen on the video.
Removing old Soviet wallpaper takes effort. Often they are pasted on a layer of newspapers, under which there is old plaster. To begin with, you can try the traditional method - soak with water and tear off. If not, use liquid.
Removal features depending on the base and material
Different coatings have their own characteristics. This must be taken into account when choosing a removal method.
- Vinyl. They come off easily. It is enough to soak them in water and remove them after 20-30 minutes.
- Paper. They come off easily if they are glued to high-quality glue (universal "Metilan"). Removed with a knife or spatula. If they do not come off, soak with water or steam with an iron.
- Non-woven. They have two layers, the top layer is removed. Ideally, it is better to steam old canvases or apply a wallpaper remover.
- Liquid . They are afraid of moisture. To “unstick” them, it is enough to soak the wall, after a while the coating will begin to lag behind the walls.
- Washable . Treated with a protective composition that does not allow moisture to pass through. It is necessary to run the walls with a spiked roller, apply wallpaper remover, remove after a while.
- Glass fiber. Take off easily. It is necessary to tear the sheets, fill the space under them with water. After 45 minutes, they will start to fall behind. Or immediately fill with a special liquid and easily tear off.
- Self-adhesive. Old sheets come off easily; to speed up the process, you can moisten them with boiling water or use a building hair dryer.
How to tear off the wallpaper depending on the type of surface?
To remove the old coating from the walls, it is worth considering the type of surface. This will simplify the work and save you from additional manipulations after.
Drywall
The material is not resistant to moisture. It will not work to use water or a chemical composition, as it will lead to deformation of the drywall. You can remove the old coating with a steam (iron) or rip it off manually, helping with a knife. Work carefully so that the knife does not scratch the drywall.
concrete walls
Concrete is not afraid of water and high temperature. You can remove the old coating in any way, you need to build on the material of the canvases. Paper can be easily removed with water, washable, textile, vinyl and others can be removed mechanically or by chemical composition.
Wooden surface (plywood, chipboard, fiberboard, gypsum board)
Wood and plywood are afraid of moisture, and if the surface was not additionally processed before wallpapering, it will not work to remove the canvases by soaking. Steam can be used to remove the coating from painted walls. A win-win option is a composition for removing old wallpapers. It does not deform the wooden surface and will help to remove the coating with a minimum of time. Or gently peel off the wallpaper with a knife or spatula.
The best way to quickly and easily take off at home
To remove the coating quickly and without any extra effort, it is recommended to use a composition for removing wallpaper. Chemical products are a convenient option for the home - they are harmless to health, suitable for all surfaces (wood, drywall), a minimum of dirt and dust in the process. You can remove old canvases and steam - the result is good, but if there is no steam generator, laborious work awaits.
How to remove old ceiling wallpaper?
Removing old wallpaper from the ceiling depends on the material. It is inconvenient to work with an iron on the ceiling, soaking with water or a chemical solution remains.
You will need:
- Stepladder or table.
- Water tank.
- Putty knife.
- roller.
- Masking tape.
- Film.
From the equipment, prepare glasses, gloves, a hat, old clothes.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Take out the furniture.
- Turn off the electricity, remove the chandelier (preferably).
- Seal sockets, skirting boards with adhesive tape.
- Cover the floor.
- Moisten the roller with water or a special water-based solution.
- Wet the ceiling.
- Wait 25-40 minutes until the canvases are saturated.
- Gently pry the sheet with a spatula, remove.
- Do not turn on the electricity, wait for the ceiling to dry.
What to do if the wallpaper is glued to PVA glue or bustilat?
If the old coating is glued to PVA glue, it will not work to tear it off with a spatula or scraper. Ideally, you need a device - a grinder or a grinder with sandpaper nozzles. The process is dusty, but the result is worth it.
If there are no such devices in the arsenal, a needle roller will help out. It takes a long time to scratch the old wallpaper. At the end, treat the walls with a wallpaper remover, cut them off.
To remove the old wallpaper pasted on bustilat, you need to work for a long time with a scraper, a metal brush, sandpaper.
- If there is putty under the wallpaper - this method is not recommended, so that you do not have to re-finish the walls.
- For paper sheets, the steaming method is suitable.
- Washable, vinyl and textile wallpapers are best treated with a chemical composition, and then safely removed.
How to tear off in problem areas?
It will take more time and patience to work. This applies to stripping old wallpaper in a room with a stretch ceiling and behind the batteries.
From under the stretch ceiling
You will need:
- Sharp knife.
- Wide spatula (preferably).
- Water or adhesive thinner.
Action algorithm:
- Attach the spatula to the ceiling vertically.
- With a knife, cut the canvas along the edge of the spatula.
- Attach the spatula again, moving it.
- In this order, cut the wallpaper on the border with the ceiling around the entire perimeter.
- Moisten wallpaper with water or mortar, remove.
Behind the battery
If the radiator can be dismantled, there will be no problems. Behind a stationary battery, you will have to wield a small spatula or knife. The result depends on the size of the radiator and how far the hand reaches.
Removing old wallpaper with your own hands without the involvement of craftsmen should not be difficult. Manufacturers offer special chemical compounds that can even cope with tightly glued old sheets. The main thing is to decide in advance on the method of removal, prepare inventory and a room.
If a person decides to change the old wallpaper for a new one, this is a great solution. By changing the color scheme, texture and pattern on the walls of the apartment, the interior has changed and the mood has improved. Sometimes it is not easy to remove old wallpaper from the walls, but there are ways to help you do this without investing special material resources and without wasting your nerves.
However, in order to fulfill the plan, as well as to ensure that the new wallpaper adheres well to the wall, does not bubble or peel off, careful and proper preparation of the surface of the walls is necessary.
Removing old wallpaper from the wall
Preparation for removing old wallpaper consists of the following operations:
- Removing old wallpaper from the walls;
- putty cracks;
- Wall surface primers.
Before updating the wallpaper, you must first remove the old wallpaper from the walls. If the walls are plastered with cement mortar, puttied and primed, and ordinary wallpaper glue was used to stick the wallpaper, your wallpaper, which has lost its original appearance, but has not lost its strength (it is difficult to remove them with bare hands), you will not have to spend a lot of time to remove such wallpaper.
But it may turn out that the wallpaper is very thin - they will tear easily, and if they were glued with PVA glue, then it will be easier to sheathe the walls with plasterboard sheets than to get rid of the old wallpaper that has eaten into the walls. However, for skillful hands there are no impossible things. It turns out that you can remove wallpaper glued to the eyelid.
There is a huge variety of wallpapers, but the most difficult thing is to cope with the removal of old paper wallpapers that were made back in Soviet times, for two reasons:
The first reason lies in the features of the wallpaper itself.
The second is in the quality characteristics of the adhesives used at that time (it is better if it was CMC glue, and much worse if old wallpapers were glued with bustilate, PVA or carpentry glue).
The process of removing old wallpaper from the wall with your own hands.
Soviet wallpapers do not come off as whole canvases, so any novice builder is wondering if there are ways to rid the walls of the remnants of this coating. Usually they are scraped off with great effort, a lot of time has to be spent on a small area. It's very tiring.
But it turns out that there are ways, and not even one, that will help get rid of old wallpaper relatively easily and quickly.
In Soviet times, before gluing wallpaper on the walls, they were first pasted over with newspapers. The walls, which already had a layer of wallpaper before, were not cleaned of them, but simply pasted new wallpaper on the old ones. Therefore, over several repairs, more than one layer of wallpaper accumulated on the walls, which are tightly glued to one another. Leaving this disgrace on the walls is contrary to hygiene: multi-layer wallpaper provokes the breeding of mold and various insects. Because of this, unpleasant odors arise in the apartment.
This is most dangerous in cases where small children live in such apartments, because mold and fungi that affect walls are the main cause of allergic manifestations that most quickly affect a fragile infant body.
In order to free the walls of your home from a relic of the past, you can use one of several methods that are given below.
Preparation of the necessary tools and materials
Before performing work, stock up on the following tools and materials:
- A bucket of warm water with the addition of dishwashing detergent;
- paint roller;
- Foam sponge or sprayer;
- Metal spatula or scraper;
- Stepladder;
- masking tape;
- polyethylene film;
- Chemical wash for wallpaper;
- Metal brush;
- Knife;
- iron;
- A piece of cotton fabric.
For convenience, the wallpaper is removed from top to bottom. First, they pry off their upper edge with a spatula, and pull it down, continuing to pry off places that are not lagging behind. If the wallpaper was glued to ordinary glue, this will be enough. In the case when the wallpaper does not want to leave, it is necessary to additionally moisten them - this will soften the old glue.
In what order to do the work
There is a certain procedure for removing old wallpaper, which is best followed.
Due to the presence of electrical outlets and switches on the walls, follow basic technical safety rules before removing wallpaper. This work is carried out using water or other conductive liquids. Therefore, before removing the wallpaper, turn off the electricity. Then you need to seal the sockets, wires and switches with masking tape.
Using the same masking tape, attach one side of the plastic film, which is more than 50 cm wide, to the baseboards. The second side of the film is attached to the floor. This procedure facilitates subsequent garbage collection.
Then thoroughly soak the old wallpaper using warm water, adding dishwashing detergent or liquid soap to it. After 10-15 minutes, wet the wall with wallpaper again. Do not process large areas at the same time, because, scraping the wall in one place, you will not notice how the old wallpaper will dry on another.
In order for the wetting liquid to penetrate better into the wallpaper, it is recommended to scratch their surface with a knife or scraper. When the paper of the old wallpaper swells, clean the walls using a spatula.
We independently remove the old wallpaper from the wall.
It is possible to use special chemical washes for wallpaper. Following the instructions, a solution is prepared and applied to old wallpaper with a sponge or sprayer. Such flushing solutions have high permeability. They are good at destroying the old layer of glue, so after treating the surface with them, the wallpaper is removed easily and quickly.
What to do if the wallpaper is not removed in the usual way
In cases where the expected result does not appear after soaking (if the old wallpaper was pasted over with PVA glue or bustilate), steam off the wallpaper using a piece of wet cotton cloth and an iron. Scraping must be done while the wallpaper has not cooled down after ironing.
Residues of glue remaining on the wall after using all the methods to remove them, you can use an emery cloth and a grinder. After that, the irregularities remaining on the wall are puttied.
Non-standard ways to remove old wallpaper.
In practice, it becomes clear that old wallpapers are much harder to remove than modern ones. This happens for two reasons:
The first - modern wallpapers, basically, are two-layer - this provides for their delamination. This means that you can only remove one top decorative layer, which does not have the original appearance. At the same time, new wallpaper can be glued onto the substrate remaining on the wall, as if it were a base.
The second is that modern types of wallpaper adhesives have excellent adhesive properties, but these adhesives dissolve quickly if warm water or special washes are used. This greatly simplifies the removal of wallpaper.
There are varieties of wallpaper that can be:
- Paper - single and multilayer, textured or smooth;
- Moisture resistant, having a non-woven base;
- Glass fiber.
Removing moisture-resistant wallpaper from plastered surfaces is not difficult if you use a spatula for this. These wallpapers are durable compared to paper ones, and almost do not tear. The method of removal is selected, taking into account the type of wallpaper and the nature of the surface on which they were pasted. The walls can have a durable moisture-resistant surface, or they are made of drywall.
Secrets for quickly removing vinyl wallpaper from walls
Two-layer washable wallpapers are called vinyl. Their first layer is the base, glued to the surface of the walls. It is paper or non-woven. The second layer is vinyl (polyvinyl chloride). It is thanks to him that these wallpapers have increased moisture resistance and decorative effect.
You should not try hard to completely remove the washing wallpaper from the walls, since they are specially adapted to remove only the outer PVC layer. If the base (first layer) has been securely glued, then you can leave it on the wall.
The base material gave the name to the varieties of washable wallpaper. They can be:
- Vinyl;
- paper;
- Non-woven.
If it became necessary to remove completely paper vinyl wallpaper, at first their outer layer is easily torn off, and the base is soaked with water and scraped off with a metal spatula.
Removing old interlining from the walls
If it is necessary to remove the old interlining from the walls, then it is recommended to remove only the outer layer, since the second layer, the interlining itself, strengthens the wall and is an excellent base on which new wallpapers can be glued.
How to remove flesilin from the walls yourself.
When it becomes necessary to completely remove the interlining, the base is easier to remove, because it has greater strength than the paper of the second layer. The base is hooked with the edge of a metal spatula and gently torn off the wall, doing it from top to bottom. Along the way, using the same spatula, tear off the wallpaper in places where it is difficult to lag behind. If the inner layer is poorly cleaned from the wall, pre-moisten it with warm soapy water using a spray bottle or sponge.
When removing wallpaper from surfaces that are plastered with cement plaster, puttied and primed before pasting the previous wallpaper, do not be afraid to remove them - you will not damage the wall if moisture is strong, since such walls have a durable surface that is not afraid of moisture.
Removing wallpaper from drywall
Abundant wetting of the surface is not recommended, since moisture can adversely affect drywall - you can remove the wallpaper along with the cardboard. And if the drywall was not primed before sticking wallpaper on it, then it is generally impossible to carefully, without damaging the cardboard, remove old wallpaper from it.
Therefore, in this case it is better to use special washes. To increase the effectiveness of the wash, scratch or cut the surface of the old wallpaper. This can be done with a knife, spatula, notched roller or a special wallpaper tiger.
Particularly difficult cases should not be ruled out, which can occur if the old wallpaper was glued on with wallpaper glue, and with PVA glue - they will be removed with cardboard. As you know, cardboard is a material that is thin sheets of paper glued together. therefore, there will be nothing to worry about if, instead of with old wallpaper, a thin outer leaflet also peels off.
You just need to work diligently and carefully, carefully peeling it off with a sharp paint knife. When removing wallpaper from drywall in this way, before gluing new wallpaper, be sure to putty and prime the surface of the walls.
Removing liquid wallpaper from walls
Liquid wallpaper is called decorative and finishing coatings applied to walls and ceilings. They consist of cellulose or cotton flakes, dyes and other components. Wall-paper adheres firmly to surfaces thanks to the water-soluble adhesive, which is also included in their composition.
Liquid wallpaper is a relatively new coating that is easy to apply and remove. The glue is easy to dissolve with water even after it dries completely.
To remove liquid wallpaper, it is necessary to thoroughly moisten them with warm water in advance. Use a sprayer, foam sponge or cloth. It is better to wet the surface abundantly and several times. After the wallpaper swells, they are easily peeled off from the surface of the walls or ceiling with a metal scraper or spatula.
Do not rush to throw away the mass removed from the surfaces - it can be used again.
There are some ways that can come in handy in case you need to remove old wallpaper as soon as possible. To do this, use special professional tools, for example, a steam puller. This tool is very convenient, because it simultaneously heats up and moistens the surface of the wallpaper. Superheated steam will help you quickly and easily remove not only old wallpaper, but also dried glue from the walls. And this is with minimal impact on the surface of the walls.
Creative solutions often come as a result of painstaking work. Usually, repairs begin with preparatory work, which takes quite a long time, but is necessary. As it turned out, removing old wallpaper from the walls is not an impossible procedure, given the individual characteristics of each material used.
Wall decoration always requires proper preparation, which includes the removal of old wallpaper. If this stage is performed poorly and the old coating is partially or completely left, then the new wallpaper will not hold well. To easily and quickly remove old wallpaper, you can read the article below.
Necessary materials
Removing old wallpaper requires a minimum amount of materials. If the coating is paper, then it can lag behind without the use of additional funds. But there are such sections of the walls on which the paper is held very firmly. Therefore, for this type of battles, it will be required warm water.
Vinyl wallpaper will not be easy to remove with water. After all, this type of coating has protection against moisture, so a more aggressive agent is required - special liquid which easily dissolves wallpaper paste.
According to the instructions, this substance is diluted with water and applied to the wall. Such a liquid is able to penetrate under the base of the wallpaper, and its components react with the adhesive, destroying it. Thus, the old wallpaper will easily fall behind the surface.
In addition to such funds, additional protection of the premises will be required - masking tape and plastic wrap. Tape will need to seal all the switches and sockets. This will protect them from water and dirt. The film is needed to protect the floor from debris. Due to this, the time for cleaning after completion of work will be significantly reduced.
Tools
Of the tools you need to have:
- Bucket.
- Putty knife.
- Roller with spikes.
- Sponge and clean rag.
- Spray.
- Scissors.
- Stepladder.
Do not forget about personal protective equipment - glasses, gloves, bandage, headgear and clothing that tightly covers all parts of the body.
How to remove wallpaper from concrete walls
Work begins with the fact that all furniture is taken out of the room so that it does not interfere. After that, masking tape is taken, with which all sockets and switches in the room are isolated. The floor is covered with a plastic film so that it does not get dirty. After that, the plinths are removed. When everything is ready, you can begin to tear off the first page.
You need to tear off the old wallpaper from the bottom up. Those places that do not move well should be cleaned with a spatula.
Depending on the type of wallpaper, the type of glue and the method of gluing wallpaper, their removal from the walls depends. If the surface was uneven and rough, then the wallpaper will move away quickly. But with perfectly smooth walls, everything will be more difficult - the wallpaper will hold on very tightly.
But if wallpaper is removed from a concrete wall, then any removal methods can be used, because such a surface is not afraid of moisture and mechanical damage. One of the common methods is to remove wallpaper with water, which will be described below.
With drywall
If you can wet a concrete wall with water as much as you like (the main thing is that water does not flow onto the floor), then it will be more difficult with drywall. This material is afraid of moisture, so you can not overdo it.
When removing paper wallpaper, you need to lightly spray them with a spray gun and wait. After a while, the wallpaper will fall behind.
If more durable ones are removed (vinyl or non-woven), then you must first remove the top layer of the canvas, and then remove the bottom one, while wetting it with water. Do not make strong squeezing movements with a spatula when tearing off the wallpaper, otherwise the drywall may be damaged.
If vinyl wallpapers were glued with special glue, they can be easily removed. But if non-special adhesive compositions were used for these purposes (for example, PVA glue), then the wallpaper will lag behind along with the top layer of drywall.
The ideal option is to remove wallpaper from a plastered plasterboard wall. Such surfaces are not threatened with damage to the top layer.
paper wallpaper
Paper wallpapers can be easily removed from the wall using ordinary water. Wallpaper soaked with water can be easily removed with a spatula. You can even pick up a piece by the edge and pull, and then it will easily fall behind the wall.
To perform this method, you need:
- Take warm water in a bucket.
- Dip a sponge or rag into it, wring it out.
- Moisten a small section of the wall with it.
- Wait 15 minutes.
- Remove wet wallpaper.
But before executing this method, you need to try to remove those parts of the wallpaper that can be removed without using additional methods. And already those pieces of old wallpaper that remained on the wall can be moistened with water. If you need to moisten small areas of the surface, you can use a spray bottle.
If it is difficult to remove a whole paper sheet from the wall, then it must be completely wetted with water. You just need to wring the rag well so that water does not flow from it to the floor.
Vinyl wallpapers
Paper wallpapers, unlike vinyl, are completely waterproof, so they are easy to soak with liquid and remove. But with vinyl, the task will be more difficult. This type of wallpaper has a protective layer on top that does not soak under the influence of water. Therefore, this layer will need to be broken through.
To destroy the top layer of vinyl wallpaper, a special roller with spikes is used, which must be carried over the wallpaper.
Scratches are made on the surface of the canvas. After that, the canvas can be moistened with water. The liquid will penetrate through the holes made, due to which the lower paper base is soaked. After a certain period of time (15-20 minutes), you can try to shoot the first page. To do this, pull the edge of the canvas from the bottom up, while making serifs with a spatula.
If such wallpapers do not swell under the influence of ordinary water, then you can purchase special composition to remove wallpaper. It is diluted according to the instructions and applied to the surface.
If there is no such special tool, then you can use adhesive solution. The glue with which these wallpapers were glued is taken, then it is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. The liquid with a roller will need to be applied to the old wallpaper and left for 10 minutes. This solution acts on the adhesive under the wallpaper and dissolves it. Due to this, the wallpaper will easily lag behind the wall.
How easy it is to remove the wallpaper with your own hands. Step-by-step instruction
Based on the above methods for removing old wallpaper, the general removal instructions consist of their stages:
- Preparing the premises (cleaning the workspace from things and furniture, sealing switches and sockets).
- Removing large pieces that are being removed or removing the top layer of wallpaper.
- Wetting sections of the walls on which small pieces of wallpaper remained with water.
- Cleaning the remaining shreds with a spatula.
It must be remembered that those sections of the walls on which it is difficult to remove even the top layer of wallpaper need to be additionally prepared.
Vinyl wallpapers are processed with a spiked roller that pierces the top layer of the canvas.
Paper wallpapers can also be processed with such a roller. If there is no such tool, then you can take an ordinary knife, which makes longitudinal and transverse stripes on the wall.
Then the area is abundantly wetted with water. Due to previously made incisions, water penetrates faster to the lower layer and contributes to faster soaking.
The final step is to clean the soaked pieces with a spatula. If some areas are still poorly cleaned, then they will need to be moistened again with water and re-cleaned. As a result, you need to get a clean wall without the remaining shreds.
In this video you can see the process of removing old wallpaper from concrete walls. The instruction contains all the steps for removing the coating.
When removing old wallpaper, professionals advise you to follow these rules:
- Work carefully with a spatula. This tool can leave deep scratches on the puttied surface. In addition, a piece of metal may remain in the scratches from the spatula, which, after gluing new wallpaper, may soon appear as a rusty spot.
- If the wallpaper is very poorly removed, then you can use the following method: apply a wet cloth to the wallpaper and iron it with a heated iron. After that, the wallpaper can be easily removed.
- When removing 2-layer wallpaper, first the top layer is removed dry, and then the bottom one (after wetting).
- It is impossible to moisten the wallpaper abundantly with water, otherwise the plaster may be damaged, to which it will be difficult to glue new wallpapers.
- Around the sockets you need to very carefully peel off the wallpaper. It is also impossible to splash water around them, even though they are sealed with tape. The places around the sockets should be moistened with a barely damp sponge, and then with light movements, clean off the remnants of the wallpaper.
In order for the new wallpaper to stay on the walls firmly and for a long time, it is necessary to remove the old coating with high quality. If any piece of old wallpaper remains on the wall, then after gluing a new coating on it, it may peel off. This will lead to the formation of a tubercle and to peeling off new wallpaper. After the walls are completely cleaned of old wallpaper, you can not immediately start pasting new canvases. The surface must dry, otherwise the new wallpaper will not adhere firmly to the wall.
The process of removing old wallpaper is quite laborious, but not difficult. If everything is done correctly, then the wallpaper will easily lag behind the surface, and it will be possible to proceed to the next stage of preparing the walls before pasting. This technology is the key to quality repair.
