You’ve chosen a beautiful paint colour and the painting team is coming. But before they can start, there’s wallpaper to remove! How do you make your walls painter-ready? Breeze through wallpaper stripping with a few easy steps.
Gather Tools. You’ll need latex gloves, putty knife, stepladder, screwdriver, wallpaper scorer, painter’s tape, drop cloths, wallpaper removal solvent, and a spray bottle or broad paintbrush.
Prepare the Room. Take everything off the walls, including electrical face plates, phone jacks and picture hangers. Cover the outlets and switches with tape to protect them from moisture. Move furniture to make a clear path where you can work. Drape dust sheets or old sheets over furniture to protect it and lay plastic drop cloths on the floor, using painter’s tape to secure them to the baseboard. This will make cleanup easier.
Strip the Paper. Some wallpaper – especially the water-resistant type – comes off easily. Pry up an edge of the wallpaper near the baseboard at a room corner. If it peels away from the wall easily and continues to loosen as you pull, you’re in luck. Continue to release the lower edge, then hold with both hands and pull upward, removing the whole strip from the wall. Repeat for all the paper around the room. If any remnants are left, use the putty knife to scrape them off.
If the paper is more resistant, use a liquid stripper. Mix according to manufacturer’s directions and apply with a broad paintbrush or a sprayer. Let the paper soak for a few minutes, then scrape with the putty knife, being careful not to gouge the wall beneath. If the paper doesn’t soak up the stripper readily, use a wallpaper scorer. This tool has rollers with tiny spikes that poke small holes in the paper, allowing the liquid to penetrate better. Press only hard enough to score the paper – and not the wall beneath.
Finish the Walls. After all the paper is removed, wipe down the walls to clean off any leftover adhesive. Towel dry. Clean up the wallpaper scraps on the floor, but leave the furniture away from the walls to give the painters access.
Because smooth walls are essential to a beautiful finish, a professional painting contractor includes filling cracks, sanding and painting with a primer as part of his bid. After he completes this all-important preparation, the painter applies the final coats and your walls are bright and new!
The Boland Painting team provides the best quality preparation and painting products to make your home or office perfect for years to come. We can even remove your wallpaper and save you all the hassle! Contact us today for your painting needs.
