Hello Yvonne...how is our resident Do-It-Yourselfer? I need to remove wallpaper from a room. As far as I can tell, it is a cheap paper wallpaper, not a thick vinyl or textured type wallpaper. It was purchased at a Home Depot type store and I believe it was the type you immerse in water to activate the sticky back and then you slap it up there. No paste was used or needed. I have no idea what is under the paper....I am guessing just painted walls.

So, any ideas on how I go about removing this easily?? And then what do I do, just prime the walls and paint them? I'm not interested in more paper, but I may be interested in ragging the walls which will, of course, necessitate another post to you provided I get thru this first step. Thank you!!

By Yjja123 on Saturday, January 26, 2008 - 11:44 am:

The "resident Do-It-Yourselfer" is in the middle of gutting a bathroom

The easiest method I have used for removing wallpaper is using a hot water and white vinegar mixture in a spray bottle (half/half combination). Pull off outer layer of wallpaper, if possible. Soak the walls with spray. Let it sit for a few minutes. It should peel off fairly easy.

You will need to see the condition of the walls first. I always recommend using a good primer before painting.

By Kate on Saturday, January 26, 2008 - 12:15 pm:

Ooooh, when you are done, I have three bathrooms of my own straight from 1969 that could use a LOT of work....come on up!

If I peel the outer layer off first, and then soak with your spray suggestion, what exactly will I be 'peeling' off afterward? Will the adhesive left behind PEEL off nicely, or will it just wad up and be a mess? Is it better to spray the outer wallpaper so that the whole thing peels? Or will that not get thru deep enough to the sticky parts?

By Yjja123 on Saturday, January 26, 2008 - 12:21 pm:

The bottom layer is what has the sticky back.
It can go either way. If it is not peeling off in large pieces, keep wetting it until it does. This is not a clean project. It can be messy. My kids love doing it! Maybe round up your kids and let them do it.
If you spray the outer layer it will not penetrate and will be harder to get off. It is far easier to pull the top layer off and then spray it.

By Brandy on Saturday, January 26, 2008 - 12:44 pm:

can you show us pictures of your home = ) i would love to see them ...

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, January 26, 2008 - 01:18 pm:

How about a bathroom from 1956? The fixtures in the bathtub really need replacing, but I think we are going to have to wreck the existing tile, to do that! It just seems expensive and like a lot of work and we are not do-it-yourselfers! LOL!

By Yjja123 on Saturday, January 26, 2008 - 01:27 pm:

Some fixtures can be replaced without needing to go into the wall. You need to use replacement parts (as opposed to completely switching to an entirely different set-up).
We did this in the kids bath. Home Depot had a kit to replace everything. It was around $100.00

I understand expensive tile. I am in over $2000 in tile alone for a T-I-N-Y bathroom (I am using slate and marble so that is why).

By Tarable on Saturday, January 26, 2008 - 01:43 pm:

Okay you say to use a "good primer" can you give me a suggestion of what you consider a good primer? I have a bathroom that I am about to do too..

By Yjja123 on Saturday, January 26, 2008 - 01:49 pm:

I prefer KILZ.

By Brandy on Saturday, January 26, 2008 - 01:53 pm:

on all rooms would you paint or leave a ceiling alone?

By Yjja123 on Saturday, January 26, 2008 - 02:08 pm:

I have used primer on all the rooms I have painted. This includes the ceiling.
Ceilings can look dingy so I repaint them when I paint a room.

By Reds9298 on Saturday, January 26, 2008 - 05:56 pm:

We removed TONS of wallpaper when we moved in. KILZ is the best primer by far. The condition of our walls underneath was utterly TERRIBLE and it was a nightmare to get paint to stick to the walls. We're talking 3 coats of primer and 3 coats of paint. We tried the soaking method on ours, after doing the top layer. It didn't go as well as we planned. We ended up having a 4 member team of people, with 2 steamers and 2 coming behind peeling off layers. It took hours and was such a giant pain! Ours was the cheapo wallpaper as well, along with a border. It was so much work and I never want to do it again!! I hope it goes easier for you. The condition of the walls underneath was as big of a project as getting the wallpaper down itself. I contacted several 'experts' in the area because nothing was working. If you look even now you can see that the walls underneath are bubbled in many places. Ultimately we probably could have hung new drywall. No one could figure out why the walls were that way - after washing, after priming, etc. KILZ had the best effect on them though. Good luck!!

By Yjja123 on Saturday, January 26, 2008 - 08:25 pm:

The walls likely bubbled from your use of a steamer. It can cause the paint and wallboard to bubble.

By Reds9298 on Sunday, January 27, 2008 - 09:12 pm:

I've never heard that! I called 3 professional paint stores in town BEFORE we took it down and they all recommended steaming which is why we went that route. Then AFTER the fact when the walls were a mess, I called those places again plus a few MORE places, and none of them could give me solutions or reasons. It was like this huge mystery that never really got solved but got a band-aid instead. Thank you and I'll definitely keep that in mind if we need to do wallpaper removal again.

By Yjja123 on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 - 11:10 am:

I cannot believe no one realized it could be the steamer.


Kate---have you removed your wallpaper?

By Kate on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 - 11:22 am:

No, I've been looking over decorator books to see what I want to do with the walls and what kind of couch to buy. I thought about peeling off a spot in the least viewed area, just to see what I am up against...it's scary and the thought of getting in over my head, and in to a huge project, is daunting. I'm very lazy, you see...

I'll let you know what I find when I gather up my courage to pick at it.