Here are two easy methods to remove old wall paper from your walls. Old wall paper adhesive takes a lot of water or steam and a good scraping tool to get off your walls.
Soak and Cut Method
The Soak and Cut method of removing old wallpaper can be useful in getting that old wallpaper off your wall. On your wall you need to make horizontal cuts on the surface of the old wall paper with a sharp razor blade or similar wallpaper removing tool. Most hardware stores sale some sort of wallpaper remover tool that will help you get started. When cutting the surface of the old wallpaper make the cuts about twelve inches apart horizontally. After making the cuts apply warm soapy water via some type of spray bottle and allow the water to soak in on the old wallpaper, so that the adhesive on the wallpaper is damp. Once the old wallpaper is damp you can start to remove the old wallpaper by scraping one section at a time. Don’t get in a hurry because removing the old wallpaper will take some time.
The key with the soak and cut method is to allow the warm soapy water to loosen the old adhesive on the wallpaper so that when you start scrapping you can pull one corner of the wallpaper up and pull horizontal to remove each section of the wallpaper.
You should keep a few old rags handy when doing a large job of removing old wallpaper because once you start spraying your walls the water will run down the wall and get on your carpet or other type of flooring. Use the old rags to wipe up any excess water while spraying your wallpaper and waiting for it to become soaked.
Steam Method
This method is similar to the soak and cut method, but a little more efficient versus spraying your walls with soapy water. You can rent a steamer from rental companies to help you remove your old wallpaper. Also, if you have a clothes steamer in a floor model you can use that as well and its just as efficient versus renting a steamer for removing old wallpaper.
You will need to fill the machine with water and allow it to get hot. When the water is hot in the steamer you need to hold the handle face against the wall until you see the wallpaper become dark from the moisture of running the steamer down the wallpaper.
Once you got a piece wallpaper soaked from the steam you’ll need to lift a corner preferably a top corner with your hand or a sharp razor so you can pull the wallpaper down. Make sure that you take the wallpaper off in short pieces and that the whole area is soaked from the steamer. You may have to make several swipes of the steamer over the wallpaper to soak that old wallpaper that has been on your walls for years.
If you use any of these two methods to remove old wallpaper you need to wear gloves to keep from getting burnt by steam and to keep that old tacky adhesive from the wallpaper off your hands. Keep a trash bag handy for when you remove the old wallpaper you can put it in the bag and avoid a big messy area full of old wallpaper strung out across your room. As you pull off old wallpaper put it in a trash bag immediately so you don’t have to try to clean up any dried up removed wallpaper after completing a job.
