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Is that ghastly wallpaper in the guest bedroom becoming too much to look at? Maybe the 1970s Flower-Power wallpaper needs to go, or you’ve come across some wallpaper inspiration you want to try. Well, we have good news as removing wallpaper yourself is a simple task when you use the right tools. Our guide to removing wallpaper easily will take you through all the steps involved; from prepping the walls, through to the beautifully bare walls you’ll be left with at the end.
So, keep reading for the best way to remove wallpaper, Hirepool style!
If you’re wanting to redecorate the walls, you’ve most likely questioned whether you can simply paint over the old wallpaper or just stick the new wallpaper on top. Sure, that could technically be done, but if you want great results it’s best to remove the old wallpaper first. New paint and wallpaper tend to adhere better to stripped-down surfaces. Sticking new wallpaper on top of old can also cause peeling down the track due to the moisture in the adhesives.
Stubborn wallpaper can be difficult to remove cleanly with just a scrapper, and this can also result in damage to the drywall underneath. You can hire all the gear you need from Hirepool to get the job done safely and effectively.
Some of the tools you might want to hire are:
A wallpaper steamer (trust us, this is going to be your new best friend)
A tarpaulin or drop sheets to protect the flooring and/or furniture
If you’re working in a large area, you may want to hire extension cords, a ladder or even a scaffolding tower to get to those hard to reach places.
Then, some tools you’ll want on hand are a scraper tool, safety equipment (eye goggles and gloves), tape and a perforating tool - a perforating tool makes tiny little holes in the wallpaper, which helps the steam penetrate it further. You should be able to find one at your local hardware store.
We’ve broken down the process of removing wallpaper down into six easy steps!
Before you get stuck in, getting the walls and surrounding area prepped is a key step!
To begin, have a good look around the walls you’ll be working with and remove any pictures, hooks and obstructions from the walls. Once you’re happy everything’s gone, you should tape over any power sockets, light switches or telephone jacks to protect them from liquid. If you have any furniture or items in the room that you want to be careful of, it’s probably best to remove them from the working space, too.
Next you should lay out the tarpaulin to cover the flooring and catch wet wallpaper as you remove it. We have a lot of different sized tarpaulins available for hire if you don’t have one on hand. If you’re going to be removing a lot of wallpaper and want to keep mess to the minimum, having a large container or rubbish bin on hand to throw the wallpaper waste in could be useful.
Now that your workspace is ready, make sure you’re familiar with the equipment you’ll be using to do the job. Working with heat and steam (if you’re using a wallpaper steamer), can be dangerous. Make sure you read the equipment manual and instructions for use, which are provided upon hiring, and follow the safety guidelines. Keeping children and pets away from the workspace is important, too.
And finally, make sure the area where you’re working is well ventilated to release the moisture produced during the removal process. If it’s a relatively small room simply opening the windows should do the trick. Working in larger spaces or during cooler months? Hire a dehumidifier from Hirepool.
So, you’re now all prepped to get the wallpaper ready to be stripped. As we mentioned before, as eager as you might be, don’t launch straight into stripping the walls.
The next step helps to prep the wallpaper so it will come off much more easily:
Once you’ve done the above, it is safe to plug in the steamer. We recommend you use an extension cord and plug the plate into the power supply outside of the room you’ll be working in. This ensures no water can get into the outlets while you’re working.
The steamer will turn on automatically and start to heat the water. It will take approximately 10-30 minutes to start producing steam.
While the steamer is heating up, take your perforator tool, also known as a wallpaper scorer, and press it against the wall, rolling it in circular motions. You should see little holes appearing, which will help the steam penetrate the adhesive. Make sure you don’t press too hard or you may damage the drywall’s paper surface below, which can mean more work later if you’re removing the wallpaper to paint after. If you do happen to reach the drywall, you’ll need to use filler putty or paste to repair it.
When the wallpaper steamer is producing steady streams of steam, you’re ready to begin steaming the walls. Be sure to pop your safety goggles, gloves and protective clothing/footwear on if you haven’t already done so. The steamer can release droplets of hot water and obviously produces steam, which can cause burns, so this is very important. If you do happen to burn yourself, make sure you treat the burn properly and seek medical help if you need.
To start steaming, lift the steam plate above the steamer to allow water in the pipe to run back into the tank. We recommend starting at the top of the wall, and working across and downwards as you go. Place the steam plate against the wall and wait about 15 seconds before moving across the wall to the next area, slightly overlapping with the area you just steamed. To check it’s having the desired effect, test it by removing the edge of the paper with a stripping knife or scraper. If it’s still a bit difficult to remove, then you should steam it for a little longer. You’ll get the idea of how long it needs fairly quickly.
This can be a bit tedious, but the better the steaming job, the easier it will be to strip the wallpaper, so it will be worth it!
Now for the fun part - stripping the wallpaper!
Angle your stripping knife or scraper at 45 degrees to the wall, pointing the edge sidewards. Apply a bit of pressure to the tool and scrape from the top of the wall, downwards and across - stripping the wallpaper as you go. Some people choose to multitask - holding the steamer in one hand and scraper tool in the other and moving the steamer ahead of the area just stripped. That can work, but if you’d prefer to focus on one job at a time, you can rest the steamer plate in a bucket on the ground/surface - just be careful to not stand on it! Or, if you’re lucky enough to have a DIY-buddy, one of you could steam while the other scrapes.
Hirepool top tip: Don’t steam an entire wall before you start scraping, apply the paddle a few times and scrape the wallpaper when its wet. Don’t let the paper dry out!
Move around the walls, steaming and stripping the wallpaper as you go. Be careful not to apply too much pressure to the scraping tool as you may gouge the drywall underneath. If you come across any stubborn areas, just keep steaming that section until the glue loosens and you can scrape away.
Once the steamer is ready, it should continue to run for up to an hour and a half before switching off automatically when it reaches a low water level (although this will depend on the model you are using). Take care to not let the steamer get empty as it can cause burnout. If your steamer shuts off during the process or looks to be running low switch it off at the wall, wait a few minutes for it to cool down or stop steaming and then refill the tank with water again. Use hot water if you want to get started again swiftly. The beauty of this happening automatically is that you don’t have to keep checking the water level, the tool will do that for you!
If you’d like some advice on the next steps from here, we have some useful painting and decorating tips you can browse.
Now that you’re all clued up on removing wallpaper easily, it’s time to get started! Make your next weekend a DIY extravaganza with Hirepool. We have a variety of tools and equipment to help you strip wallpaper around your home - and much more. You can easily book online or get in touch with your local Hirepool brand to talk about hiring the right gear for your project.
Low Stock Call First
High Demand Product: We suggest making a booking for this item in advance.
Low Stock Call First
High Demand Product: We suggest making a booking for this item in advance.
Low Stock Call First
High Demand Product: We suggest making a booking for this item in advance.
Low Stock Call First
High Demand Product: We suggest making a booking for this item in advance.