Removing wallpaper: it’s not the easiest job. Still, it is definitely worth doing before you stick new photo wallpaper on the wall. Why? Because the new wallpaper usually does not adhere well to the other type of wallpaper.
Wallpaper glue is partly made of water. You can also remove old wallpaper with water. So if you are going to put new wallpaper glue on an existing wallpaper, the old and new layer of wallpaper will react to each other. And the chance that the wallpaper will come off is high. Or bubbles (also called blisters) appear in the wallpaper. These can disappear again during drying, but that is not always the case. That was be such a waste of your new photo wallpaper of course. That is why we recommend that you always remove the old layer of wallpaper before applying a new photo wallpaper. We share some tips on how to do that.
The better prepared you are, the more successful you’ll be
You often don’t just peel off wallpaper. You need a lot of water for that. But a putty knife, wallpaper perforator, a stool and tarpaulin also come in handy when you are going to remove wallpaper. Protect the floor and furniture with a tarpaulin to prevent water damage. In addition, it is also convenient to disconnect the power. And if possible, it is also useful to remove the baseboards and sockets from the walls. So that you can also remove the remnants of wallpaper behind it. Then you are ready to go!
Wallpaper Removal Supplies
- Water (lukewarm)
- Plant sprayer or bucket, possibly with wallpaper soaking agent
- Sponge or old cloth
- Stool or household stairs, that’s how you get to the top corner
- Putty knife
- Wallpaper steamer and/or wallpaper perforator
- Tarpaulin to protect the floor and furniture from water damage
- Garbage bag for the wallpaper remnants
Soak wallpaper with water
Fill a bucket or plant sprayer with lukewarm water. Then wet the wall well with the plant sprayer, a sponge or old cloth. Leave it on for a few minutes before you start removing it. The easiest way is to cut off the wallpaper with a wide (and sharp) putty knife. Be careful with this, otherwise you risk damage to the wall. And that results in extra work, which you probably don’t feel like doing.
Remove wallpaper with fabric softener or Biotex
Add a dash of fabric softener, Biotex or other wallpaper soaking agent to the warm water and you make removing the wallpaper even easier. The rest speaks for itself (read the tip above).
Steam wallpaper with a steamer
Is lukewarm water with soaking agent not enough to soak your wallpaper? Or do you have to remove a very large area with wallpaper? Rent or buy a wallpaper steamer at a do-it-yourself store. This allows you to remove the wallpaper in a simple way. Fill the appliance with water and wait for the water to heat up. Then hold the steamer against the wallpaper for a few seconds, so that the wallpaper becomes soft. Then you can easily remove it with your putty knife.
Done? Then the repair can begin
If all the wallpaper has been removed from the walls, there are often still some glue residues on the walls. These must also be removed for the best result. You can often get these glue residues off with a hard brush and water. Did you encounter any cracks or other damage during the removal of the wallpaper? Then you have to repair it with wall filler. When the putty is dry, you have to sand it some more. This way you will no longer see imperfections through the new wallpaper.
These tips make removing wallpaper a piece of cake. And you can then apply your new photo wallpaper without any problems. You can read the manual for applying our photo wallpaper here .If you haven’t selected a new wallpaper yet, take a look at our wide collection of photo wallpaper. The wallpaper is produced within 24 hours, so that you can receive your photo wallpaper within 1 to 3 working days.
