No matter how much you are looking forward to hanging that high quality wallpaper in your lounge, bedroom or even your dining room, you will be up against it from the start unless you remove the original wallpaper in the correct fashion. They say that preparation is the key to any renovation project and that is certainly the case as far as upgrading your wallpaper is concerned. Here we take a quick look at the best way to remove your old wallpaper in a timely and effective way. Before you start So we’re back to preparation again, 'pre-preparation' if you like! Safety is one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of home renovation and you should really take it seriously. So with that in mind, always wear protective goggles when preparing wall surfaces. You should also take precautions to look after your carpet and furniture with the appropriate covers. It also goes without saying that you should remove any pictures or posters that currently adorn the walls. Strip away Modern wallpaper can be removed without the need to apply any type of solvent based spray so once you are ready to go, check if the paper in question is strippable. This can be done effectively by using a putty knife to peel away one of the corners of the wallpaper. If it comes away easily, then you are onto a winner. Just peel slowly and steadily and use both hands and try to remove each strip without leaving any debris behind. Stubborn wallpaper Unfortunately, you may come across some very old wallpaper that simply refuses to play ball when applying the above methods. You can find a variety of liquid stripper products at your DIY store and this will do the trick, albeit in a slightly more labour intensive manner. Follow the instructions and let the old paper soak for at least 30-45 minutes before using a suitable scraper to remove.
The last resort If the wallpaper is still not coming away from the wall, you will need to bring in the heavy brigade. You can rent a steamer from any decent tool hiring company and these will use boiling water to soften whatever glue is holding the old wallpaper in place. Just remember to allow enough time for whichever of the above processes are required and the good news is that once the new wallpaper is hung, you will still be saving time compared to painting and the results will be so much more worthwhile!