How to get rid of old wallpaper on the wall

Before redecorating, it is imperative to clean the walls of old wallpaper. This process is considered by many to be laborious, because they do not know the secrets that allow you to quickly remove old wallpapers. That is why some people prefer not to bother and glue new wallpaper on top of the old canvas. It is absolutely impossible to do this, because the surface of the wall will be uneven, as well as new paintings can at any time fall off along with old wallpaper.

Types of Wallpaper

There are many types of wallpaper, each of them should be removed in different ways. That is why before getting rid of old wallpapers, you need to decide on their appearance. Consider the most popular:

Paper. This type of wallpaper has been known for a very long time; it is made of thick paper. They can have a different texture.

Vinyl. Valued for moisture resistance, most suitable for the hallway and kitchen. They are two-layer, the basis can be both paper and non-woven, and foamed vinyl is applied on top.

Textile. They look expensive, the top layer is fabric, and paper, thick fabric or other materials can be used as a base.

Non-woven. They are two-layer, made of cellulosic material, the top layer is coated with a polymer coating.

How to quickly remove wallpaper from the wall

A universal method of getting rid of any wallpaper is to pre-wet the material with its subsequent removal. But before using water, you need to prepare the room. In the room, it is absolutely necessary to turn off the electricity in order to avoid a possible circuit. It is best to seal the switches and sockets with tape, preferably masking tape, when peeling, it will not leave any traces. In the room, lay a plastic film, and glue its edges to the baseboards, so as not to flood the neighbors.

You can wet the wallpaper with a sponge, do not pour too much water, it should not drain to the floor. Carefully process each section of the canvas with warm water, and preferably hot, and wait until it is saturated. After a few minutes, you can remove the wallpaper with a spatula.

If they are washable, then their top layer is waterproof, in which case it must be broken. You can try to remove it, and if it does not work, then cut it with a knife in several places so that water can penetrate to the base. Once they are saturated, you can remove them with a spatula.

How to get rid of paper wallpaper

It is difficult to remove them, because they are fragile, they have to be removed in pieces. In addition to the above-described universal method with water, we consider two more options on how to get rid of paper wallpaper:

1. Special fluids. A solution is applied to the wallpaper, which deeply penetrates into the material, the wallpaper is impregnated with it and removed. You can add wallpaper glue to it, the resulting mixture is applied to the entire surface, and when it dries, the wallpaper easily leaves.
2. Steam generator. Before removing the wallpaper, a special steam generator is used, after heat treatment, the wallpaper glue loses all its properties and the wallpaper is easily removed. This tool can be replaced with a damp cloth and a heated iron.

How to remove vinyl wallpaper from a wall

Vinyl wallpapers are considered waterproof, that is, they can be washed. They are two-layer, a non-woven or paper base is glued to the wall, and the top layer of such wallpapers consists of polyvinyl chloride. Canvases made of such material have one peculiarity, they can not be removed completely.It is enough to tear off the upper washable layer, and the base coating can be left, but provided that it is securely glued.

If there is a need for the complete removal of such wallpaper, then first you can tear off the top layer, and wet the base with warm water and clean it with a spatula. Problems can arise if this kind of wallpaper was pasted on a water-insoluble glue. To remove them in this case will be very difficult. The method using water does not work, because even if the paper layer swells, the remains of glue will still be visible on the wall.

In this case, mechanical cleaning is indispensable. First you need to try to tear off the wallpaper with a spatula, and small fragments of wallpaper and pieces of glue will have to be removed using a grinder. Instead, you can also use an electric drill with a special nozzle.

Removing non-woven wallpaper

Non-woven wallpaper is two-layer. The bottom layer usually consists of paper or fabric, and the top is covered with polyvinyl. As in the previous version, the top layer of these wallpapers is easily removed, but the bottom remains. If it is not damaged and firmly glued, then new wallpaper can be glued to it. Thus, you can achieve a good result, the new canvas will stick evenly and without defects.

But if you still need to completely clean the wall of old wallpaper, then you can remove them with water. First, cuts are made over the entire surface of the wall, and then the old paintings are wetted with warm water, it can be replaced with a primer. After the wallpaper is soaked, it can be easily removed with a spatula.

If the first time it was not possible to completely remove part of the canvas, then the remaining fragments should be moistened again with water or a solution, wait until it is absorbed, and then scraped off with a spatula. The method with water can only be used if the walls do not absorb moisture.

How to remove wallpaper from drywall

Drywall does not tolerate moisture well, so you can not moisten it abundantly. If you tear off the wallpaper with force, then drywall can also fall off. What to do in this case? Here are a few ways to help get rid of the wallpaper glued to drywall.

1. Solutions. Special products are available that dissolve glue. You can use them and then there will be no problems with removing old wallpaper from drywall.
2. Type of wallpaper. You need to understand what wallpaper is glued to drywall, if they are non-woven or vinyl, then there should be no problems. It is only necessary to tear off the top layer, it usually leaves easily, and new cloths can be glued to the base base, but only if it is firmly glued.
3. Primer. If the wallpaper turned out to be paper, then you need to see how securely they are glued. In the event that it is impossible to remove them on a dry basis, it is possible to grind the old canvases, wait until they are saturated, and then carefully remove them with a spatula.
4. Water. It is impossible to wet the drywall, but you can try to wipe the wallpaper with a damp cloth and if they are not washable, and besides they are poorly glued, that is, there is every chance of getting rid of them.

A hopeless option is when the vinyl wallpaper is glued to drywall using PVA glue. In this case, it will be very difficult to tear them off, it is easier to replace the entire element at once and not to suffer.

From the foregoing, it becomes clear that if you know some tricks, as well as the look of old wallpapers, you can get rid of them much easier and faster. Of course, it is impossible to know in advance how the work of removing wallpaper will go, because in this business a certain skill is needed. But in order for the new wallpapers to last a long time, you need to carefully remove the old ones, in this matter it is not speed that matters, but the quality of the work done.

Video: how to easily take off old wallpaper