Removing wallpaper

Q: The dining room and kitchen of the house we recently purchased have dingy, faded wallpaper in place. What’s the best way to remove this so that we can paint the walls? — Kara G., Portland, Maine

A: Wallpaper removal, even at the best of times, is a time-consuming, exhausting, dusty, dirty job. It can also be somewhat exhilarating as you rip paper from the walls, but this comes in small doses. I’m just preparing you for the job — because removing the old wallpaper and repainting the walls is ultimately worth the effort.

You’ll need a putty knife, wallpaper scraper, wallpaper scorer, a spray bottle filled with mild soapy water, dropcloths, sponges, a scouring pad and coarse sandpaper. A dust mask, hat and gloves should be worn. Depending on the difficulty involved in removing the wallpaper and glue beneath, you may need to rent a wallpaper steamer. Wallpaper-removing solution is also available, but this is a somewhat caustic product that generates lots of fumes, requiring a respirator mask, eye and skin protection, so consider it a worst-case-scenario item.

After clearing out furniture and putting down dropcloths, test the wallpaper by selecting a loose corner and gently pulling away from the wall. Encourage the paper along by running the putty knife or scraper between the paper and wall.

Older paper tends to peel away and leave the backing and glue behind. And such glue is often practically petrified. To make removal easier, spray soap-and-water solution on the surface of the wallpaper and let it soak for a few minutes before peeling. If the wet spray doesn’t work, use the rental steamer (careful, as it’s very hot) to soften the backing and glue. Scrape away softened material with the putty knife; attack stubborn backing blobs with coarse sandpaper.

As I said, wallpaper removal is a tough job. Do the work in batches, allotting a certain amount of time to the job each day. If you’re tired or hurried, the walls may not be cleaned properly, and that will show up under the paint.

Home Tip: Before painting a wall, sand the surface with fine-grit sandpaper to create a slightly rough surface to which the paint will adhere.