Remove Wallpaper Like a Pro

It looks great for the first couple of years. You have received all kinds of complements from your friends and family. When you posted a Pic on Facebook you received 500+ likes. Now years later, you want that fresh look and possibly to change the decor. You saw a picture online that you want to replicate. There's one problem though! You have wallpaper or a border that needs to be removed. This creates a hesitation. It's holding you back from changing your room because you have heard all the horror stories of removing wallpaper. Not to Worry!

You can hire a professional and we strip a ton of wallpaper, but its not that hard to remove it yourself. It is tedious work. Some wallpaper comes off easier than others. Using the right products is key to the removal of wallpaper. Follow these steps to ensure a professional job/Look.

You will need: 1. Bucket 2. Green scotch-Brite pad 3. Microfiber rag or small hand towel 4. Paint Scraper 2 or 3inch 5. Pump sprayer or old windex bottel would work 6. DIF wallpaper removal 1 gallon* 7. Trash bags All of these products can be purchased at Home Depot. DO NOT scar thewallpaper with any tool. This will make the wallpaper come off in little strips and we want the full sheets of wallpaper from ceiling to floor if possible.

Fill your spray bottle with 30% DIF and 70% Hot water. Line your floor with drop cloths or plastic. The DIF will clean your tile floors very well without harming them.

Start at the Top of the Ceiling spraying your 30/70 mix of DIF on the entire wall. Only one wall at a time. Start at either corner and find the seam of the wallpaper. Wallpaper is hung from top to bottom or ceiling to floor. It comes in different widths, most common is 3 foot wide. Once found, soak this entire area with DIF. Starting from the seam opposite of the corner from the ceiling start pulling the wallpaper off in this section only. The longer the DIF sits the better, about 10 minutes. The wallpaper is going to come off in sections. First, the print side or first layer is going to peel off. Keep reapplying the DEF to keep the wallpaper wet. This is a critical step! You will notice that there is a second layer underneath the print side. Make sure to remove the first layer completely before moving on. As you can see below, most of the print side or first layer has been removed.

Second, you're going to work on the second layer. Which is the backing or adhesive/Glue which created the bond to adhere to your wall. Again, soak this layer with DIF. You will notice that this layer will start to peel away from the wall by its self. Use your scraper and remove the backing. Work in sections again.

Third, the glue that remains on your wall. Start by scrubbing the wall with the Scotch-Brite pads from the top and working your way down to the floor. It's a good idea to apply more DIF to the wall to ensure you are removing all the glue that will be stuck to your drywall or plaster. Now, take a damp microfiber cloth and remove all excess glue from the wall. Using your 5 gallon bucket of water rinse out and repeat offend. You will be able to notice when the glue has been removed. If you find some rough areas then you want to use your Scotch-Brite pad and scrub that area again. When your finished let the wall completely dry before moving on to paint.

Primer and Paint

Yes, you will have to use a Primer and a oil base primer as well. The purpose of the Oil base primer is for adhesion. You are prepping the wall for the paint to adhere to the wall in a uniform manner. If any glue is let on the wall the paint will not adhere to the wall in all areas. So, use oil base primer.

Before