Wallpaper Removal |Products |Surface Preparation for Final Finish

Wallpaper Removal can be very tricky but with the right tools, and products you can achieve your desired goal. There are many tutorials on how to remove wallpaper, some our helpful and others not so helpful. I have been taking on wallpaper removal projects for many years and one thing I noticed is - there are different techniques implemented depending on how wallpaper was applied. More than likely if wallpaper was applied by a professional it's going to be rather difficult to remove. Self adhesive wallpaper is easier to remove than wallpaper applied with adhesive that has paste activator.

Before Photo of Wallpaper Area to be Serviced

To start you will need a bucket of hot water, block sponge, and a little elbow grease. Be sure to place plastic around the area your working to protect the floors. I saturate the sponge with hot water and blot the wallpaper. Let water stand for about 5 minutes and see if you can remove wallpaper by hand by grabbing a seam. If seams are firmly pressed to drywall then use all in one chisel tool to get underneath a section of soaked wallpaper and start scraping off paper. You may have to do some plastering in areas where scraper has caused indentations in drywall. Once you have removed wallpaper, you will need to clean the surface with tsp or warm water with a little detergent. In some instances you should be able to peel wallpaper off with just a little effort.

In the photo above - Wallpaper border was applied with glue activator so we were forced to skim coat, sand and prime (Zissiner Coverstain oil based) before applying topcoat. Very Tedious Work.

After removing wallpaper and cleaning surface we are ready to start priming. I use Zissiner Coverstain which is oil based. The reason being is oil resists water and will prevent any leftover glue from interacting with topcoat to prevent bubbling or cracking. Yes oil based primer is a little messy, and smelly but its very effective at sealing.. Apply one coat to cover area where wallpaper was applied. I usually allow at least 4 hours for primer to cure before sanding with 120 grit sandpaper to smooth walls. Once area is primed, you will be ready for your topcoat.

After Photo - Walls painted with Sherwin Williams Revere Pewter Satin Finish | Trim/Crown Molding Sherwin Williams White Dove and New Chandelier installed

Walls are smooth, properly sealed, and seamless.

This wallpaper removal project was completed by MW Custom Painters located in Arlington, Virginia. For more information or questions go to www.mwpainters.net or email us at mwcustompainters@gmail.com. Our contact information is 202.710.9502.