Remove Old Vinyl Wallpaper

Typically this vinyl layer will come off in strips rather than as an entire sheet.

Remove old vinyl wallpaper. Rent a steamer instead of purchasing one since this is not a job you will do very often. The point is to remove the top layer of paper and leave the backing on the wall. Wallpaper of this vintage is probably vinyl on a paper backing the vinyl prevents the spray you bought from penetrating the wallpaper to the glue. Next spray liquid wallpaper remover onto the remaining paper then use a trowel to spread the liquid over the paper so it soaks in thoroughly.

Older wallpaper that has been up for a decade or more will be hardest to remove but scoring it with a putty knife can help you lift off a new section. Removing it to paint or repaper however is not so easy. A steamer uses boiling water to soften the glue between the wallpaper and the wall. Some types of wallpaper are more soluble than others.

It s not hard but be prepared for a mess. Vinyl papers like the ones used in bathrooms and kitchens may even repel water. Don rubber gloves then soak wallpaper removing fabric in the bucket of stripper solution. Vinyl wallpaper will often create a big mess when you try and remove it from the wall using conventional methods.

For the majority of wallpaper removal projects you ll need to apply a hot water solution to the paper and adhesive backing in order to reactivate the adhesive and allow the paper to come off of the wall. Remove old wallpaper in 9 steps. Run a scoring tool in overlapping circles over the entire wallpapered surface. Hgtv expert steve watson shows how to remove vinyl wallpaper.

Washable vinyl wallpaper is a durable and easy to clean wall covering found in many homes. Pull off the facing. If you are removing vinyl coated wallpaper with a steamer you still have to use a scoring tool to punch holes in the paper so the steam can reach the glue. We assume the little holes in the wall are.

Pour two gallons of warm water into a bucket and add about 2 ounces of wallpaper stripper solution. That way the backing will easily soak up water making the rest of the wallpaper removal faster and easier. Do this step without using any water to begin the old wallpaper removal process. Removing washable vinyl wallpaper.

Only when all of the vinyl is removed can you begin to tackle the rest of the wallpaper layers. Start by peeling off the vinyl from the paper backing.