How to remove old wallpaper from the walls with your own hands: selected methods and tools

Preparing for the removal of wallpaper

Before starting dismantling, it is important to prepare the workplace. Not always the old coating leaves easily - tools should be at hand. No less important is safety.

Safety precautions

It will not work to remove the old coating in absolute cleanliness. Stucco, old paint, dust can go along with the wallpaper. For the safety of furniture or floors, you need to prepare the room.

Room preparation:

• Turn off the electricity in the room completely.
• Seal sockets and switches with masking tape or stationery tape.
• Take out the furniture.
• Lay a film or newspaper on the floor.
• Seal the skirting board.
• If there is furniture left, move it to the center and cover.
• Leave a wet rag at the entrance - it traps the dust.

What tools are needed for dismantling?

Different equipment is used to remove old coatings. The material matters - some wallpapers are easy to remove, others need to be wetted or treated with a special compound. But there is a list of basic tools.

You will need:

• Gloves.
• Putty knife.
• A bucket of warm water.
• Dishwashing liquid.
• Roller.
• Sponge.
• brush with a metal pile.
• Washing the wallpaper.
• Iron.

Basic methods and tools for removing old wallpaper

Each material has its own characteristics. How to shoot - depends on the type of old paintings.

Using water

The simplest and most obvious method. By wetting, you can easily remove old self-adhesive, non-woven, paper and even vinyl wallpapers.

Instruments:

• Bucket of water at room temperature.
• Roller.
• Construction spatula.
• Stationery knife.

Algorithm of actions:

1. To drop the utensils for the dishes, stir.
2. Moisten the roller, run in several stripes of wallpaper.
   

   

3. Wait - the material should soften. Pry off the canvas with a spatula at the junction, remove.
4. Use a knife to clean the wall of small pieces.
   

   

Video

A full process can be seen in the video.

Mechanical method (steam and needle roller)

Using this method, you can easily remove almost any old coating. The presence of a steam generator is an excellent bonus in operation. An alternative to it is an iron, but you will need a sheet or a piece of cotton cloth.

What kind of wallpaper is better to use?

Suitable for paper, non-woven, vinyl wallpaper.

Inventory:

• Steam generator or iron with a sheet.
• Capacity with water.
• Wallpaper tiger (aka needle roller), but a clerical knife is also suitable.
• Putty knife.

How to take a steam wallpaper:

1. Go through the canvases with a needle roller.
   

   

2. Dampen a sheet, squeeze and lean against the wall.
3. Set the maximum temperature on the iron.
4. Iron the sheet several times.
   

   

5. Pry off with a spatula and quickly remove.

Video

Life hack to remove wallpaper using a steam generator, as well as comments can be seen on the video.

Special chemicals

If the wallpaper is sitting tight, removing them in traditional ways is difficult. To save time and achieve the best result, special chemical solutions are often used. They are sold in construction supermarkets, help to quickly remove old paintings.

What kind of wallpaper is better to use?

It is used for non-woven, paper, washable, textile wallpapers.

Required Inventory:

• Roller.
• Rubberized gloves.
• A basin of water.
• Wallpaper tiger (if not, then you can knife).
• Putty knife.

Step-by-step instruction

1. Dilute the substance with water according to the instructions.
2. Wall roll in wallpaper tiger or poke with a knife.
3. Apply the composition to the walls using a roller.
4. Leave the wallpaper soaked (the exact time is on the package).
5. It is enough to pry off the canvas with a spatula and tear off.

Video

Details can be seen in the video.

Removing old Soviet wallpaper takes effort. Often they are pasted on a layer of newspapers, under which there is old plaster. For starters, you can try the traditional method - soak with water and peel. If it doesn’t work, use a liquid.

Features of removal depending on the base and material

Different coverage has its own characteristics. This must be taken into account when choosing a removal method.

• Vinyl. Depart easily. It is enough to soak them with water and remove after 20-30 minutes.
• Paper. They depart easily if glued to high-quality glue (universal "Methylan"). They are removed with a knife or spatula. If they do not come off, soak with water or steam with an iron.
• Non-woven. They have two layers, the top layer is removed. Ideally, it is better to steam old canvases or apply a composition to remove wallpaper.
• Liquid. They are afraid of moisture. To “peel” them, it is enough to soak the wall, after a while the coating will begin to lag behind the walls.
• Washable. Processed with a moisture-proof protective compound. You need to roll in the walls with a needle roller, apply liquid to remove the wallpaper, and after a while remove it.
• Cullet. Removed easily. It is necessary to tear the sheets, fill the space under them with water. After 45 minutes, they will begin to lag. Or immediately pour a special liquid and peel off without difficulty.
• Self adhesive. Old sheets come off easily, to speed up the process, you can moisten them with boiling water or use a building hair dryer.

How to tear off the wallpaper depending on the type of surface?

To remove the old coating from the walls, it is worth considering the type of surface. This will simplify the work and save you from additional manipulations after.

Drywall

The material is not resistant to moisture. It will not work to use water or chemical composition, as it will lead to deformation of drywall. You can remove the old coating with steam (iron) or peel off manually, helping with a knife. Work carefully so that the knife does not scratch the drywall.

Concrete walls

Concrete is not afraid of water and heat. You can remove the old coating in any way, you need to build on the material of the paintings. Paper can easily be removed with water, washable, textile, vinyl and others - removed mechanically or by chemical composition.

Wooden surface (plywood, particleboard, fiberboard, gvl)

Wood and plywood are afraid of moisture, and if the surface has not been additionally treated before wallpapering, it will not be possible to remove the canvas by soaking. Steam can be removed from painted walls. A win-win option is a composition for removing old wallpapers. It does not deform the wooden surface and will help remove the coating with a minimum investment of time. Or gently peel the wallpaper with a knife or spatula.

The best way to quickly and easily take off at home

To remove the coating quickly and without unnecessary efforts, it is recommended to use a composition to remove wallpaper. Chemicals are a convenient option for the home - they are harmless to health, suitable for all surfaces (wood, drywall), a minimum of dirt and dust during operation. You can remove old canvases and steam - the result is good, but if there is no steam generator, laborious work awaits.

How to remove old ceiling wallpaper?

Removing old wallpaper from the ceiling is material dependent. It is inconvenient to work with the iron on the ceiling, there remains the option of soaking with water or a chemical solution.

You will need:

• Stepladder or table.
• Capacity for water.
• Putty knife.
• Roller.
• Masking tape.
• Film.

From equipment, prepare glasses, gloves, a hat, old clothes.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Take out the furniture.
2. Turn off the electricity, remove the chandelier (preferably).
3. Use adhesive tape to glue sockets, baseboards.
4. Cover the floor.
5. Moisten the roller in water or a special water-based solution.
6. Blot the ceiling.
7. Wait 25-40 minutes until the sheets are saturated.
8. Carefully pry off the sheet with a spatula, remove.
9. Do not turn on electricity, wait for the ceiling to dry.

What to do if the wallpaper is glued to PVA glue or bustilate?

If the old coating is glued to PVA glue, it cannot be torn off with a spatula or scraper. Ideally, you need a device - a grinding machine or a grinder with nozzles made of sandpaper. The process is dusty, but the result is worth it.

If there are no such devices in the arsenal, a needle roller will help out. It takes a long time to scratch the old wallpaper. At the end, treat the walls with a composition for removing wallpaper, cut them off.

To remove the old wallpaper glued to the bustilate, you need to work for a long time with a scraper, a metal brush, sandpaper.

• If putty is under the wallpaper, this method is not recommended, so that you do not have to finish the walls again.
• For paper sheets, a steaming method is suitable.
• Washable, vinyl and textile wallpapers are best treated with a chemical composition, and then calmly removed.

How to tear off in problem areas?

It will take more time and patience to work. This applies to the peeling of old wallpaper in a room with a stretch ceiling and behind the batteries.

From under a stretch ceiling

You will need:

• Sharp knife.
• Wide spatula (preferred).
• Water or glue solvent.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Attach a spatula to the ceiling vertically.
2. Cut the blade with a knife along the edge of the spatula.
3. Reattach the spatula by displacing it.
4. In this order, cut the wallpaper on the border with the ceiling around the perimeter.
5. Moisten the wallpaper with water or solution, remove.

Behind the battery

If the radiator can be dismantled, there will be no problems. For a stationary battery, you will have to wield a small spatula or knife. The result depends on the size of the radiator and how far the arm reaches.

To remove old wallpaper with your own hands without the involvement of masters should not cause difficulties. Manufacturers offer special chemical compounds that cope even with tightly glued old sheets. The main thing is to pre-determine the method of removal, prepare the inventory and room.