5 essential steps for stripping wallpaper

Somewhat surprisingly, stripping wallpaper is a pretty straightforward DIY job — as long as you follow the proper procedure. Keep these five essential steps in mind and you'll be more than ready for the task.

• Safety goggles (if using chemicals)
• Drop sheets and masking tape
• Wetting agent (either chemical wallpaper stripper or hot water and dishwashing detergent)
• Stiff filling knife
• 20 litre garden sprayer
• 15 cm broad knife
• Scoring tool
• Bucket and sponges
• Acrylic primer
• Commercial wallpaper stripper
  (if required)
• Bleach (optional)

• Modern, strippable wallpaper can be removed entirely in one piece.
• Old-style peelable wallpaper comes off in two layers: first the top vinyl coating, then the paper backing.
• To remove strippable wallpaper or the vinyl coating of peelable wallpaper, pry under a lower corner with a stiff blade, then peel gently upwards until the entire layer is removed.

• Under the vinyl coating of peelable wallpaper, the paper backing will still be fixed to the wall.
• Cover the floor with drop sheets, turn off the power and tape over electrical and telephone fixtures first.
• Spray the wall with your wetting agent to remove this paper.
• Apply your wetting agent with a garden sprayer (wear safety goggles if you're working with chemicals).

• Continue spraying the walls until the paper bubbles or begins to separate from the surface.
• Once that happens, start scraping the paper off with your 15 centimetre (6 inch) broad knife.
• Take care not to gouge plasterboard walls.
• If your scraper isn't doing the job, consider a commercial wallpaper stripper.

• After all the material has been scraped off, wash the walls with the stripper of your choice.
• Use a chemical wallpaper stripper for stubborn glue reside.
• Use a mix of hot water and dishwashing detergent for a gentler solution.
• Or use a mix of 50 millilitres (1/4 cup) of bleach in seven litres (one gallon) of water if the walls you've revealed looks like they could use a good cleaning as well as stripping.
• Continue washing until all glue residue has been removed.
• Before painting or hanging new wallpaper, coat your walls with acrylic primer.

• Some types of wallpaper will resist the wetting solution.
• To help your wetting solution penetrate, score the wallpaper's surface in a criss-cross pattern with a scoring tool and then spray it with the wetting solution as before.
• Then, let it soak in.
• You'll know that your solution is working when the paper starts to bubble up or separate.
• Then scrape the surface with a scraper or wallpaper stripper.

Follow these five essential steps and you'll be more than ready for stripping wallpaper from your walls.