{"id":5525,"date":"2024-11-18T07:33:23","date_gmt":"2024-11-18T12:33:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/?post_type=community&#038;p=5525"},"modified":"2025-11-09T18:18:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T23:18:57","slug":"wallpaper-removal-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"community","link":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/community\/wallpaper-removal-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Wallpaper Removal &#8211; What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Key Takeaways:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Essential Tools for Wallpaper Removal:<\/strong> Useful tools include a scoring tool, steamer (available for rent), adhesive remover, joint compound for skim coating, and TSP (trisodium phosphate) for cleaning walls post-removal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Determine Wallpaper Type:<\/strong> Identifying if the wallpaper is paper, vinyl, or fabric is crucial for selecting the right removal technique. Vinyl is water-resistant and may require scoring and steaming, while paper and fabric types often involve peeling and scraping.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Preparation and Testing:<\/strong> Protect floors and furniture with drop cloths and painter\u2019s tape, and test a small section of the wallpaper for ease of removal to decide if additional tools like steamers or chemical solutions are necessary.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Post-Removal Steps:<\/strong> Clean walls thoroughly with TSP to remove adhesive residue, and skim coat any damaged areas to ensure a smooth surface for painting or new wallpaper installation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Wallpaper has made a strong comeback in interior design in New England lately. However, the process of removing \u00a0wallpaper can be messy and tricky.<\/p>\n<h2>Removing Wallpaper: Start with Preparation<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Here are some useful tools that are useful in wallpaper removal:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3V3pQ8O\">Scoring Tool<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3CNSuUQ\">Steamer <\/a>(you also may be able to rent a steamer at a place like Lowes or Home Depot)<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YVwVte\">Adhesive Remover<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4hVVmzf\">Joint compound<\/a> to skim coat the walls (professionals also sometimes use plaster).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4fG3hiQ\">TSP (trisodium phosphate) to clean the walls after the wallpaper is removed.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Determine what the wallpaper is made of.\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\nThe first step is to determine if the wallpaper is traditional paper, vinyl, or fabric. Knowing the type helps you choose the proper removal technique. Some wallpapers peel off easily, while others require (much) more effort. \u00a0For example:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fabric wallpaper<\/strong> is typically made from a textile material that has adhesive backing. \u00a0Most times, it&#8217;s removed by peeling the fabric layer off and then using a sponge and scraper to gently nudge it off the wall.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paper wallpaper<\/strong> is thinner and tears easily. \u00a0Most times, you&#8217;ll be able to score the wallpaper, dampen it with water or <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YVwVte\">adhesive remover<\/a>,\u00a0and gently scrape it away.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5532\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5532\" style=\"width: 267px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5532 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/pub-9fc1f065f07e441b8f35365c774f09ae.r2.dev\/uploads\/sites\/1237\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-7.30.56\u202fPM.png\" alt=\"Hand removing wallpaper from wall.\" width=\"267\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pub-9fc1f065f07e441b8f35365c774f09ae.r2.dev\/uploads\/sites\/1237\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-7.30.56\u202fPM-267x300.png 267w, https:\/\/pub-9fc1f065f07e441b8f35365c774f09ae.r2.dev\/uploads\/sites\/1237\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-7.30.56\u202fPM-480x540.png 480w, https:\/\/pub-9fc1f065f07e441b8f35365c774f09ae.r2.dev\/uploads\/sites\/1237\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-7.30.56\u202fPM-360x405.png 360w, https:\/\/pub-9fc1f065f07e441b8f35365c774f09ae.r2.dev\/uploads\/sites\/1237\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-7.30.56\u202fPM-240x270.png 240w, https:\/\/pub-9fc1f065f07e441b8f35365c774f09ae.r2.dev\/uploads\/sites\/1237\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-7.30.56\u202fPM.png 574w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 267px) 100vw, 267px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5532\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Sometimes you get lucky and the wallpaper practically removes itself&#8230;but this is not that common.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Vinyl wallpaper is water resistant<\/strong>. \u00a0Most times you&#8217;ll be able to remove it by peeling the vinyl layer. \u00a0If the vinyl is hard to peel, use a scoring tool. \u00a0Then wet the wallpaper along the score lines to loosen the adhesive and gently scrape it. \u00a0If it&#8217;s not budging a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3CNSuUQ\">steamer<\/a> might be needed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Old wallpaper<\/strong> is often stubborn and might need to be steamed off. \u00a0Steamers also work for multiple layers of wallpaper found in old homes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Test for Adhesion<\/strong><br \/>\nTest a small section to see how easily the wallpaper comes off. If the wallpaper resists, additional tools such as <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3CNSuUQ\">steamers<\/a> or chemical solutions, may be required (see above).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Protect the floors<\/strong><br \/>\nUse drop cloths and painter&#8217;s tape to protect floors, furniture, and baseboards. If the project will last several days (and it might if you are taking your time), tape rosin paper to the floor so you can leave it in place and work on removing the wallpaper at your own pace.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clean the Walls: \u00a0<\/strong>After the wallpaper is removed, the walls need to be cleaned with <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4fG3hiQ\">TSP (trisodium phosphate) <\/a>to remove any leftover adhesive and dirt.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Skim Coat the Walls: <\/strong><span style=\"letter-spacing: 0.02em; font-size: 0.9375rem;\">If the wallpaper removal has caused gouges in the walls, you or the professional may need to apply a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4hVVmzf\">skim coat<\/a> to smooth the surface prior to painting or installing new wallpaper.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>If hiring a professional, the cost of wallpaper removal can be difficult to estimate<\/strong> because the type of adhesive used to apply the wallpaper is often unknown. In some cases, removal is quicker than anticipated, but more often, it requires extra effort to remove stubborn wallpaper thoroughly. To address this, our estimators provide an initial quote with the understanding that additional time and costs may be necessary if the wallpaper proves more challenging than average to remove.<\/p>\n<p>Interested in a quote to either remove wallpaper or install wallpaper (or both!)? <strong>Click here to <a href=\"#estimate\">schedule a free estimate<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways: Essential Tools for Wallpaper Removal: Useful tools include a scoring tool, steamer (available for rent), adhesive remover, joint compound for skim coating, and TSP (trisodium phosphate) for cleaning walls post-removal. Determine Wallpaper Type: Identifying if the wallpaper is paper, vinyl, or fabric is crucial for selecting the right removal technique. Vinyl is water-resistant<a class=\"read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/community\/wallpaper-removal-what-you-need-to-know\/\">Read the full article <em class=\"fa fa-angle-double-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","categories":[64],"tags":[289,132],"class_list":["post-5525","community","type-community","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-residential-services","tag-edited","tag-wallpaper-removal"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/community\/5525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/community"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/community"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5525"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/community\/5525\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}