HOW TO GUIDES
How to Remove Wallpaper
Everyone at some point in their life will experience the trauma of having to remove wallpaper and we can think of few things worse for the budding DIYer to deal with. Let’s turn that trauma into triumph with our how to remove wallpaper guide!
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Step 1. Protect the room.
This should always be your first step in any decorating activity. Use a Seriously Good Dust Sheet to protect your floor or carpet from water, paste and mess caused by wallpaper stripping. Use some Masking Tape to fix the dust sheet in place. Have some bin bags ready to clean up as you go, it’s a lot less stressful when you get to the end.
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Step 2. Score the wallpaper.
Use the Seriously Good Snap Knife to lightly score your wallpaper. If you have a laminated wallpaper this scoring might allow you to peel the laminated plastic off. Work on one roll of paper at a time. Trust us, this methodical approach will pay off massively later on.
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Step 3. Soak the wallpaper.
Once the wallpaper has been scored use some Seriously Good Masking Tape and cover up any plug sockets to prevent water from getting into them. Now use a sponge to soak the paper with warm water. The warm water seeps into the paper and melts the adhesive paste holding the paper to the wall. This is what a wallpaper steamer does, but while this method is slower, it is kinder to the wall. After several soakings the paper should be almost falling off.
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Step 4. Remove the wallpaper.
Use the Premier Stripping Knife to peel the wallpaper off. If it does not come away easily soak the wallpaper and try again. You may find just the front of the paper peels off. If this happens just return to step 3 and soak the area again.
As you progress stop periodically to clean up the paper you have already removed. This will save a big clear up at the end and help you finish the task faster because there will be less mess to fight through.
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Step 5. Finishing touches.
With the wallpaper removed and cleaned away into plastic bags, you can quickly finish the wall ready for painting. Use your hand to feel for any spots where the adhesive is still on the wall and clean them away with sugar soap and a Seriously Good Microfibre Cloth.
Use a Seriously Good Fine Sanding Block and sand smooth any areas where the Premier Stripping Knife might have caused some damage. If any serious damage has been revealed by the removal of the wallpaper don’t worry, we have guides on how to fix a crack and how to fix a hole.
Protection & Preparation
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