During regular cosmetic repairs, it is most often necessary to remove the old wallpaper from the walls. But in order for the new wallpaper to stick beautifully, without any flaws, you need to know how to remove the old wallpaper without leaving even small fragments. Many people prefer to glue wallpapers directly on top of their old ones, but doing so is generally not recommended. And there are reasons for this:
- old wallpapers themselves make the surface of the walls imperfect, therefore, after pasting new ones, all irregularities will be visible;
- New wallpapers can peel off at any time along with previous ones;
- Under the old wallpaper, mold and various harmful bacteria often develop , which need to be disposed of.
If you are interested in how to remove wallpaper from the wall, then immediately tune in to the fact that this is not an easy task, and often it requires a lot of time and effort. Much depends on their type, and on the glue with which they are glued.
Training
Before you remove the old wallpaper, you need to take care of all the necessary tools in advance. So you will need:
- a special liquid intended for easy removal of wallpaper or, in the most extreme case, simple warm water;
- 2 spatulas: narrow and wide; it is desirable that they be very sharp, so that previously they can be sharpened with emery;
- if possible, take a steam mop or household steam generator, they will greatly facilitate the work;
- a device designed for perforation of wallpaper (wallpaper tiger or needle roller);
- masking tape;
- a simple plastic film;
- a special knife for drywall;
- a tray and a paint roller (a sponge with a bucket can replace this).
This toolbox may vary slightly depending on the type of wallpaper. But before you remove the old wallpaper, you still need to protect the flooring from dirt and wet pieces of old wallpaper. To do this, use a masking tape to glue a film of polyethylene to the lower baseboards around the perimeter of the room. It is important to pre-de-energize all electrical wiring, because liquid can get on the bare ends of the wires and cause a dangerous short circuit. All available switches and sockets are best sealed with masking tape so that no dirt gets inside. And only after that you can safely get to work.
How to easily remove vinyl wallpapers
These wallpapers are the easiest to peel off as they are a very durable vinyl film bonded to a thick paper base. Before you remove the old vinyl wallpaper, use a tiger or knife to scratch the wallpaper, moisten it with water (copiously) and leave it for a while so that the liquid penetrates well into the polymer layer and slightly dissolves the glue.
Then with a knife you need to make a neat horizontal cut and gently separate the wallpaper by pulling gently over the edge.
Polyvinyl chloride is a fairly durable material, therefore, such wallpaper is always separated by large solid strips and at the same time they are not torn to pieces. Of course, some fragments of the paper layer may remain on the wall, but they are wetted with water and easily removed with a thin spatula.
How to remove old wallpapers - washable and non-woven
Washable wallpapers in their composition have a thin waterproof layer, therefore, for liquid to get inside, special cuts or holes are made. Non-woven wallpaper consists of thin synthetic fibers. They are several times stronger than paper, but there is practically no difficulty removing them. Holes (cuts) are made in the same way, then the wall is moistened with water. After a while, the glue swells and the wallpaper leaves without problems.
Removal of glass and liquid wallpaper
The technology for removing varieties of glass wallpaper is no different from the removal of non-woven wall backgrounds or PVC wallpaper. Before you remove the old liquid-type wallpaper, they must be wetted with water, then they themselves will be removed, while 100% justifying their name.
It’s not so easy to take wallpapers - this is a laborious task that requires special care. But if it is important for you that the new wallpaper lasts as long as possible, and the walls look beautiful after the repair is done, you need to take care of a quality and reliable removal, without exception, of all glue and paper residues.