Tips on Stripping Walls to Paint or Paper

Some modern wall coverings, including most vinyls, are termed 'easy strip' which means that the surface of the covering can be pulled away leaving a backing paper. Well, if you are lucky they will!

If you have to strip wallpaper, try lifting one corner of a length to see if it will pull away. If it will and the under paper remains in good condition leave the under paper on the wall as a lining paper. But if the under paper is damaged or creased, soak it with water and remove it with a scraper. Again this can be more tricky than it sounds but there are ways and means......

If the wall covering will not pull away, give it a good soaking. First of all put newspaper on the floor to absorb spilled water, then fill a bucket with warn water, add a little liquid detergent and a handful of cellulose paste and mix well. The reason for the detergent and cellulose paste is the detergent acts as a wetting agent and the paste holds the warm moisture in place while it softens the adhesive.

You then apply this mix to the wall with a wide brush or paint roller. Or you may find it easier and quicker to apply with a garden spray. You must then allow plenty of soaking time, until the paper comes away easily with a scraper.

If the paper had a wipe-clean finish that the water cannot penetrate, these are usually found in bathrooms and kitchens, use a coarse sanding block to break up the surface before wetting. Do not use a wire brush as small pieces of metal tend to embed themselves in the wall plaster, then rust, leading to rust spots on the surface of the new wall coverings.

Where there are many layers of paper on the wall, simplify stripping by renting a steam wallpaper stripper from a tool hire shop.

With a steam wallpaper stripper you hold the plate close to the wall and the combination of heat and steam will quickly soften the paste. This will then allow many layers of wall coverings to be pulled off in sheets.

Where there are electric sockets and switches turn off the current at the main switch and remove the circuit fuse. Then unscrew and ease the fittings away from the wall and this will enable you to remove any paper tucked behind them.