Repair in an apartment or house brings with it a huge number of different problems and troubles. No wonder it is believed that the repair is equal to three fires and two floods. Colossal efforts and resources are being invested in repairs. In order to get rid of unnecessary troubles and problems, so that the funds are not wasted, and the efforts are not wasted, preparatory operations should be carried out correctly. Regardless of what the final coating of the walls will be - wallpaper, painting, decorative plaster, the wall should be as even as possible. But first you need to clean it. Let's learn how to remove vinyl wallpapers from the walls. This is a very popular type of wall decoration. This material has some features that should be considered.
Features of vinyl wallpaper
This wallpaper consists of two layers of materials. Often the first is a paper or fabric base. The second layer is a polyvinyl chloride coating. Due to the presence of a paper base, these wallpapers are easily pasted. The polymer topcoat provides these materials with high resistance to moisture, and also makes the coating durable.
Vinyl top can be treated in different ways. There are so-called washable wallpapers, foamed, with silk threads. Such surfaces are easy to clean. Some can be washed with water. Others are alcohol and even solvent. That is why you need to know
how to remove vinyl wallpaper from the walls quickly and without problems. The fact is that traditional paper wallpapers are easily removed with plain water. But here she will not help.
The method for removing wallpaper also depends on what glue was used during installation. If a professional composition was used, then these are water-soluble mixtures. In this case, the old finish is easily removed. Also, these wallpapers are glued using water-insoluble adhesives - these are PVA, bustilate and others. Then it will take more effort. Home craftsmen advise how to remove vinyl wallpaper from the walls. There are two ways: in the first case they act on the glue, and in the second - directly on the wallpaper itself.
Preparatory stage
Before you begin work on removing the vinyl coating on the walls, you need to prepare a room. It is best to free the room from furniture. In the process, it can get dirty and just get in the way. Interior elements that cannot be removed are covered with foil or sheets. Floors are also better covered with film. Lay sheets of cardboard or fairly thick paper on top of it. On the doorstep lay a damp rag. She will collect dust and trash on herself.
To avoid accidents with electricity, experts recommend that you disconnect the wiring. To reduce the risk of moisture entering the sockets, they are recommended to cover with a film.
Materials and Tools
Before you remove vinyl wallpaper from the walls, you should prepare devices, materials and tools. The first step is to prepare a wallpaper tiger - this is a roller with spikes. Then you need a knife, putty knife , metal scrapers. Sponges of different sizes, as well as foam rollers, rags and rags will come in handy. Prepare basins and containers for water and solutions, a stepladder, garbage bags. Work is best done with gloves on.
How to remove vinyl wallpapers: ways to remove wallpaper from vinyl using water
First of all, the vinyl surface is carefully treated with a spike roller. This is done so that holes form in the moisture resistant vinyl coating. This is not such a simple process. It will require a lot of effort and time. Wallpaper tiger or roller easily breaks through the layer without damaging the wall.
Then the surface is abundantly moistened with a warm solution of water, vinegar and fabric softener. It must be remembered that this method is suitable for paper-based coating. In the area of outlets and switches, the solution is applied very carefully. Fast is not always good. Water will enter holes and cuts, causing the glue to swell. Within 15 minutes, the wallpaper can be easily removed from the wall. The thicker the glue layer, the more intense the moisture should be.
Professionals advise how to remove vinyl wallpapers from walls: it is better to start shooting from below. To do this, edge the edge with a spatula and remove. The remaining small fragments can be removed with the same spatula or sandpaper with large grain.
Method number 2 dismantling wallpaper using water
Here, the vinyl coating is also first treated with a roller or tiger. Then moisturize. The peculiarity is that instead of water, special formulations are used. They are mixed with warm water and applied to the surface. This tool does not work on a paper base, but on glue. Wallpaper itself will remain unscathed and without damage. The composition will dry after 2-3 hours - this is indicated by the manufacturers in the instructions. Then the canvas can be easily removed almost entirely.
If the coating is poorly removed, in such cases, wallpaper glue is added to the water with a special solution . This compound covers the wall and leaves for several hours. Then the wallpaper is easily separated from the wall by a single strip without gaps. Some give other recommendations on how to remove old wallpapers. We will talk about them below.
We use a steam generator
Here is another effective way to remove old vinyl wallpapers from walls. It is good because it allows you to quickly remove the old finish. Under the influence of hot steam, the glue will swell and dissolve much faster than in the second method. If there is no such generator, then a steam iron is suitable.
This method is also good because it eliminates the appearance of dirt.
Mechanical methods
Professionals know that waterproof adhesives are able to provide the best adhesion of vinyl wallpaper to the wall. This is the advantage of this method. But to dismantle the wallpaper glued in this way is very difficult. This is not an easy or fast process. In this case, you can only separate the wallpaper mechanically. So, take a sharp spatula and pry them the edge of the sheet - at the junction, near the outlets, below. Next, you just need to peel off the coating. Watering the surface is useless. If the bottom layer begins to swell, then this is paper, not glue.
Dismantling the wallpaper with a spatula is a long process. How to remove vinyl wallpaper? Removing vinyl wallpaper mechanically will be faster if you use a power tool. You can use a grinder, electric drills with special nozzles. But use the tools properly. So remove small pieces and traces of glue, but not completely canvas.
We work with plasterboard walls
If there are no special problems with an ordinary wall, then problems with plasterboard can arise. This material does not survive moisture, and even less water. The method of dismantling with copious wetting is not suitable here. Experts recommend as the best option to apply special compounds that dissolve the glue. If the wallpaper was applied to drywall with adhesives such as PVA, then removing them will not work. You need to change the whole element.
Recommendations on how to properly peel a vinyl wallcovering on a drywall
As noted above, vinyl wallpapers can be made on paper or non-woven backing. How to remove old vinyl wallpapers from the walls? The methods are the same as with a conventional wall. Wallpaper is sprayed with special solution, and non-woven must first be treated with a wallpaper tiger. Only after that it is allowed to moisten them. After only half an hour, you can begin to dismantle the vinyl wall decoration.
Some types of wallpaper will require the use of special tools. But you need to work very carefully, as you can easily damage the wall. It is very difficult to remove washable wallpapers. Their coating is made in such a way that they are not afraid of moisture. It is best to use irons or steam generators. Removing the coating in small pieces, you can get a good result yourself.
Especially easy to remove paper wallpaper, as well as liquid. The latter can not be removed at all - with the help of special paints you can simply change the color scheme and change the picture to your taste. However, if the task is to apply a different coating to the wall, then in order to remove the liquid type wallpaper, an aqueous solution or a grinding machine is suitable. But there is one drawback - after mechanical removal, you will have to re-grind the wall. This is an additional waste of time. Have to re-clean the room from the trash.
Conclusion
So that new wallpapers can please the eye and serve for a long time, you need to have a lot of patience. Now you know how to remove vinyl wallpaper from the wall. It will be easy to unstick old ones using these recommendations. After the wall is cleaned, do not rush. Let it dry. Then you can safely apply the primer.