Some people decide to skip the process of removing old wallpaper and stick new ones on top of them, but this should not be done. There are a number of reasons for this:
If you leave old wallpaper on the walls, then, subsequently, the surface for gluing may be uneven, and appearance new wallpaper unsatisfactory
New wallpapers glued on top of old ones may come off due to their heavy weight.
Over time, mold can form under old wallpaper, so it is best to remove them to get rid of bacteria.
Preparatory work
Before you start removing wallpaper, you need to prepare the room. To begin with, the room in which the work will take place should be covered plastic wrap and attach it masking tape to the skirting boards.
In addition, it is imperative to turn off the power supply in the room so that a short circuit does not occur. We also advise you to tape all sockets and switches with tape.
Ways to remove old wallpaper from walls
There are three ways to strip old wallpaper from wall surfaces.
To begin with, small cuts should be made on the surface of the wallpaper so that the liquid completely soaks the wallpaper. Then the surface of the wallpaper is moistened with water and left for a while. After that, the old coating is removed with a spatula.
Instead of water, you can use special liquids to remove wallpaper. Note that such funds are absolutely harmless to humans. First, you need to dilute the wallpaper remover with water, and then apply it to the old coating (you do not need to make any cuts). After a few minutes, you can easily remove the old wallpaper with a spatula.
If you are lucky enough to have a steam generator on your farm, then this method is perfect for you. You can also use a steaming iron. When treating old wallpaper with steam, the glue under them swells, and the canvas can be easily removed from the wall.
If the glue that was used does not dissolve with water or special liquids, then the wallpaper will have to be scraped off with a spatula or grinder. Note that the spatula must be sharpened.
Important! When removing wallpaper in this way, take care of respiratory protection and cover the furniture in the room.
How to quickly strip old wallpaper
Since there is a wide variety, the methods for removing them are slightly different.
Removing paper wallpaper
To just moisten them with water or a special liquid will be enough. First, apply the liquid to the surface of the wallpaper using a sponge or spray. Repeat the process twice with an interval of 15-20 minutes.
Then, using a spatula, lift the wallpaper strip, starting from the seams. If in some places the wallpaper does not detach well from the wall, repeat the wetting procedure.
Since they consist of two layers, horizontal cuts must be made on the surface before wetting them. After upper layer vinyl wallpaper gets wet enough, it can be easily separated from the backing. This requires uniform movement pull the wallpaper away from the wall, starting at the bottom corners of the wallpaper strip.
If the bottom layer of vinyl wallpaper remains in good condition and is firmly glued to the wall, then it can be left as a backing for new wallpaper. Otherwise, this layer is also moistened with water and scraped off with a spatula.
Since they are composed of synthetic fibers, they are a more durable material than paper wallpaper, and take longer to soak. As in the case of vinyl wallpaper, you also need to make cuts in them first, and then do the same steps as with ordinary paper wallpaper.
Since washable wallpaper consists of two layers, it is first necessary to break the integrity of the upper waterproof. This can be done with a wire brush or a toothed roller. You just need to walk the appropriate tool over the surface, and then proceed to wetting with water.
The procedure for exposure to water may have to be repeated several times, and after that, using a spatula, you can remove the wallpaper from the wall. You can also use a steam generator instead of water.
To begin with, we note that they can be used several times after they are removed from the wall.
To remove such wallpaper from the surface of the walls, they should also be moistened abundantly with warm water, and then cleaned off with a scraper or metal spatula.
How to remove wallpaper from drywall
The process presents some difficulties, since this material is covered with a paper layer. If the surface of the drywall has been covered, we advise you to use a special liquid for removing the wallpaper to remove the wallpaper.
Important! If the drywall was not covered with a primer before pasting the old wallpaper, then it is almost impossible to remove the wallpaper from it without damaging the paper layer.
The easiest way to remove old wallpaper from drywall is to use wallpaper glue. You just need to apply it to the surface of the wallpaper and wait until it swells. After that, the wallpaper can be easily removed from the wall with a spatula. You can also steam old wallpaper on drywall.
Important! If PVA glue was used to glue the old wallpaper, then the drywall sheets will need to be replaced or try to remove the wallpaper along with a layer of cardboard. This process must be carried out with a paint knife, and plasterboard sheets, subsequently, should be putty and primed.
When planning to make repairs in an apartment, you should first think about how to remove wallpaper from the walls and quickly prepare the surface for new ones. This procedure is simple and will not take much time if you take the process patiently and prepare all the necessary tools.
Why remove old coating
Many people wonder why remove the old coating from the wall, if the new one can be glued directly to them. In order for the new coating to lay down well and look aesthetically pleasing, the walls should be prepared accordingly. There is whole line reasons why removing old wallpaper from the walls is mandatory:
- If you do not peel off the old coating, then the new one will make the walls too heavy, and over time they can move away from them and crack, spoiling the appearance.
- When glue is applied to both layers, they are soaked, and the pattern of the old coating can appear on the new one.
- For hygienic reasons, it is necessary to clean the surface from various layers present on the wall (from fungus, mold, etc.), and also level it, if necessary.
How to quickly remove old wallpaper without debris and dust (video)
Preparatory work and tools
So that in the process of work you do not have to look for certain tools, spreading dirt around the apartment, it is better to prepare everything you need in advance:
- a stepladder or stable table;
- a bucket of warm water;
- spatulas, scrapers and stationery knife;
- paint roller;
- plastic wrap and masking tape;
- sponges and rags;
- plastic waste bag.
How to clean the boiler yourself
Prepare, if necessary:
- special liquid for removing wallpaper;
- roller with needles;
- steam generator.
To peel off old wallpaper easily and without dirt, you should first prepare the room. Remove all unnecessary furniture from the room and cover the floor with plastic wrap, securing it around the perimeter with tape. De-energize and wrap with tape and tape all power sources so that accidental water ingress on them does not cause a short circuit.
Wall cleaning methods
To remove old wallpaper without extra effort, you need to know what type they are: paper, vinyl or non-woven. Depending on the texture of the old coating and the glue used to apply it, the method for cleaning the walls is selected.
There is no problem in how to quickly strip the paper wallpaper. They are easy to remove, especially if they were glued for a long time and move away from the wall in many places. It happens that they were glued directly onto concrete or cement base... Such a coating can be torn off by hand, picking up with a spatula. Anything that could not be torn off easily comes off when moistened with warm water. If the glue that was used during the previous repair remains, it is better to add it a little to the water, then it will be even easier to dismantle the old coating, and there will be almost no traces of it.
After 5-10 minutes, when the paper is well wet, you can simply peel it off by picking it up with a spatula and pulling it down. The remaining traces are removed with a scraper and a hard sponge.
When double-layer paper wallpaper is to be removed, more abundant wetting is required and the waiting time is increased to 10-15 minutes. To properly remove washable wallpaper, the top layer of which does not allow moisture to pass through, you need to pre-treat their entire surface with a needle roller, then wet and peel off.
How to get rid of rust quickly
Removing the old vinyl wallpaper from the walls is easy: it consists of two layers: paper and vinyl film, and can be easily removed from the wall using cuts made with a clerical knife in several places. After that, you just need to remove them from the wall by pulling the incision from top to bottom.
If the vinyl covering is highly durable and does not easily peel off the walls, it is recommended to treat with a “tiger” wallpaper, wet and then remove the wallpaper.
You can remove non-woven wallpaper consisting of synthetic fibers by soaking and notching. The swollen coating can be easily removed from the wall, you just have to pull it by the cuts from top to bottom.
Difficult cases
Antique wallpaper pasted many years ago must be removed in parts. Pre-process small area walls with warm water and let it swell for 5-10 minutes. Then work on the next similar area. After that, begin to remove the wallpaper from the first section, removing the remains with a narrow spatula or knife. Spray the third area with water and proceed to cleanse the second. Clean the entire area consistently, and at the end of the work, walk over its surface with a wide spatula, eliminating the remaining marks. It is best to add a little vinegar to the water to be more effective.
To speed up the process of removing old coatings from walls, you can use a special wallpaper remover. This option is especially suitable when removing wallpaper from the ceiling, when you have to work for a long time in an uncomfortable position. A special solution has higher penetrating properties and quickly destroys the structure of the old coating, after which it remains only to remove the remnants with a sponge.
In addition to effective action, such funds are absolutely harmless.
If any part of the wall is difficult to clean, it is worth resorting to using a regular household iron with a steamer, since the effect of steam is much stronger than water. But the iron will only cope with a small problem area; you can remove old wallpaper from the entire area using a household steam generator.
Pre-treat a small section of the wall with warm water and let it swell for 5-10 minutes. Then work on the next similar area. After that, start to remove the wallpaper from the first section, removing the remnants with a narrow spatula or knife
Most people do not rack their brains over this at all, but glue new canvases directly onto the old wallpaper, which absolutely should not be done.
Firstly, if you have old wallpaper or the slightest fragments of it, the surface of the wall will never be perfect. In other words - immediately after pasting the new wallpaper, there will be, as they say, all the bumps and bumps.
Secondly, the old wallpaper can go away along with the new one at the most inopportune moment - and all your work will go down the drain.
Thirdly, under old wallpaper, harmful bacteria and mold fungi, from which you should get rid of, and this is additional trouble.
If you are planning a long-term effect and want the new wallpaper to last a long time, and the walls look good after the renovation, you should remove absolutely all old layer wallpaper and glue, without leaving the slightest fragments.
Materials and preparations
How right and easy to remove old paper wallpaper? In order to easily and quickly remove old canvases from the walls, you need to prepare in advance all the necessary instruments.
You will need:
- spatulas - narrow and wide;
- ordinary warm water or a special wallpaper remover;
- steam mop, which can greatly speed up and facilitate work;
- a device for perforating the surface of the wallpaper (the so-called wallpaper tiger, or a roller with needles);
- polyethylene film;
- masking tape;
- wallpaper and drywall knife;
- paint tray and roller (you can do with a bucket with a rag or sponge).
Before starting work, you need to cover the floor with film or newspapers, turn off the electrician, as liquid can get on the ends of the wires and eventually lead to a short circuit. Therefore, it is advisable to seal the sockets and switches with masking tape. Having secured yourself, you can embark on an important mission.
Removing paper backed vinyl wallpaper
Removing this wallpaper is a piece of cake, as it is just a vinyl film that is glued to a paper backing.
Before removing, you need to scratch the wallpaper with a knife or roller with needles, then wet it well with liquid or water and leave for several hours so that moisture seeps under the polymer layer and destroys the glue.
A horizontal cut is made with a knife at the top - and the wallpaper is peeled off in whole strips when you pull them over the edge. However, pieces of the paper layer may remain on the wall. They also need to be moistened with water and removed with a spatula.
Removing washable and non-woven wallpaper
Since the former have a waterproof layer, in order for moisture to get inside, it is necessary to make cuts or holes. The same applies to the latter, which consist of synthetic fibers that are more durable than paper. After that, the wall is moistened with liquid.
After some time, the glue disintegrates - and the wallpaper itself comes off.
Removing classic paper canvases
But this is already a rather complicated and time-consuming procedure. This is due to the fact that this wallpaper immediately torn, as a result, they need to be removed in small pieces. Especially the work is complicated by the presence of several layers of wallpaper.
How can you remove the old wallpaper? How to peel old paper wallpaper safely for walls, and what is the best and easier way to do it?
Exists four ways to remove paper wallpaper:
Removing paper wallpaper from plasterboard walls
The difficulty lies in the fact that the drywall is covered with a paper layer at the top, which must be left intact.
In such a situation, the most optimal way- this is not the use of water, but special means dissolving exclusively wallpaper glue.
Particular care should be taken when working with a spatula. It should be noted that if the wallpaper is glued on PVA, then most likely you will not be able to remove it without damaging the drywall. So it’s better not to waste precious time, but just change the drywall slabs.
For those who doubt their abilities, we suggest watching a video clip about a quick and easy removal old paper wallpaper from the walls:
That, in fact, is all the wisdom that you need to know when removing old wallpaper that has lost its former attractiveness. And then it all depends on your diligence, scrupulousness and speed of work. As they say, patience and work will grind everything!
Instructions
The least problems are caused by two-layer non-woven wallpaper- just remove their upper part, and only the thin one remains paper base... It is not difficult to remove it, but you can leave it on walls e, pasting on top of others wallpaper.
Much more work has to be invested in removing the paper ones. Experienced repairmen advise first to thoroughly wet them with warm water using a rag, sponge or spray (do not forget to turn off the sockets and switches) and leave them alone for 15-20 minutes, and then remove. During this time, the paper will swell, the glue will dissolve, and wallpaper begin to peel off by themselves walls.
To facilitate the access of moisture, the surface of the wallpaper can be cut or scratched with a knife, a spatula, and also use a roller with nails or a wallpaper tiger for this. And only then moisten them. By the way, the most effective in this case is the wallpaper tiger, with the help of which you can easily scratch any area and not leave it on walls e damage. Another way to increase the "availability" of old wallpaper is to steam it with an iron through a wet rag.
But to remove too "entrenched" on walls ke wallpaper (as a rule, they were smeared with PVA glue or wood glue), you will have to make every effort. Such materials cannot be taken with sandpaper (it clogs up almost immediately), or wetting with water, or steaming (the glue will only get stronger). The choice is small: it is boring to scrape and scrape, remembering the unkind authors of the last repair. You can, of course, use a drill or grinder with a small attachment, but then you have to walls primer and putty again. What if wallpaper fixed with PVA glue and even on drywall, then you will have to tear them off along with the cardboard.
And in conclusion, about the facts that should be addressed Special attention... Taking off the old wallpaper, do not wet right away large area, because by the time you reach the edge, it will have time to dry. And also do not overdo it with the amount of water - excess moisture can harm not only the putty or plaster under the wallpaper (and there will be much more work), but also the neighbors below.
If you decide to make an apartment redecorating and stick on new wallpaper, then the first thing you have to face is to remove old wallpaper... And sometimes it turns out to be not at all easy.
Instructions
To rip off wallpaper it was easier, you must first moisten them - soaked wallpaper move away from without difficulty. Dampen a sponge or foam roller with hot water(-50-60 degrees) and moisten the walls well. You can also use a spray bottle for this purpose. Do not try to moisturize everything at once - otherwise, while you tear off wallpaper from one part of the wall, the other will have time to dry.
If pasted or washable wallpaper or wallpaper under - simply "soak" them will not succeed - their outer layer does not allow water to pass through. In such cases, the outer, waterproof layer must be broken before soaking. This can be done with a knife or spatula, "scratching" wallpaper, or use special devices- a roller with nails, loops or the so-called "wallpaper tiger".
Take off old finish, planted on ordinary wallpaper glue, from a plastered surface is easy. It is more difficult to cope with thin paper wallpaper glued to PVA or paste. So that removing old wallpaper from the walls does not give you any trouble, we will consider options for dismantling the main types of finishes on a paper, non-woven, liquid base, as well as with a vinyl coating.
Getting rid of Soviet wallpaper - water and special tools
The most difficult thing is to remove old wallpaper from Soviet-style walls, and everyone who has tried to do this at least once will agree with this statement. There are several reasons for this. The structure of the wallpaper, the use of durable CMC, Bustilat, PVA wood glue, which "tightly" glue the rolls. It is impossible to tear off the wallpaper in a single layer, they peel off in small areas. The dismantling process is complicated by old wallpaper glued to each other in several layers and to the newspaper. This finish has to be removed in layers.
To quickly remove old wallpaper from the walls, prepare the following set of materials and tools:
- dishwashing detergent or liquid soap;
- sprayer or bucket of water;
- foam sponges;
- wallpaper tiger;
- needle roller;
- a spatula with a sharp blade;
- masking tape;
- polyethylene film.
Before you remove the wallpaper, take care of the safety rules. Turn off the electricity in the apartment, cover the sockets and switches with masking tape to prevent water from entering. Insulate the protruding wires as well. To make it easier for you to clean, glue along the baseboard plastic bags at least 0.5 m wide, which are usually used for packing things and furniture. Cleaning after dismantling will be faster, the floor will not be splashed with water.
Take a sprayer or a bucket of water and add a few drops of dish soap or dish soap. Dampen a small section of the wall and wait 10–20 minutes for the water and degreaser to soak into the substrate and soften the adhesive. To make the wallpaper swell faster, it is better to use hot rather than cold water... Soak the area gradually. Repeat wetting as it dries, do not try to abundantly wet the wall at once. For better penetration of water into the layer, use a knife. Make some longitudinal cuts.
V hard-to-reach places and on the ceiling, use a needle roller to make the slits. Alternative option for making scratches will be a wallpaper tiger. This tool allows you to process a large layer of wallpaper without damaging concrete pavement and plaster thanks to the soft rollers.
We begin to tear off the wallpaper from the corner of the room, from top to bottom. We clean the finish with a sharp spatula, preferably with long handle... We act carefully around sockets, switches and other electronic devices using a narrow spatula.
Washes and steaming - fighting tricky wallpapers
Modern manufacturers have come up with tools that make it easy to remove old wallpaper - chemical removers. Among the well-known brands on the market, QUELYD DISSOUCOL, Zinsser, ATLAS ALPAN are popular. They penetrate deeply into the structure of the wallpaper and destroy the adhesive layer. The use of a wash is straightforward. We dilute the composition according to the manufacturer's recommendations, distribute the liquid evenly with a sponge or through a spray bottle. After the finish has swollen, it can be easily removed along with all residues from the wall.
Another effective option struggle with difficult wallpaper - steaming. For these purposes, you can use a steam mop or steam cleaner, and if they are not at hand, a regular iron and wet cloth will do. We turn on the steaming mode, lean the wet cloth against the problem area of the wall and direct steam from the iron through it. The steam will break the glue and you can quickly peel old wallpaper off the walls. You just need to do this while they are still hot. We clean off small pieces left after steaming with sandpaper, a metal scraper or a grinder.
Non-woven finish - how to deal with it?
The main advantage of non-woven wallpaper is the backing, which can be kept on the wall by dismantling only the top layer. It strengthens the wall and ensures a good fit for the new finish. If you still want to completely clean the walls of old wallpaper, follow the instructions below.
We take a wide, sharp spatula, pry off the edge of the canvas and pull it from top to bottom. Remove the remaining pieces in hard-to-reach places with a narrow spatula. If the canvas does not fit well, we tear off the wallpaper, wetting the area with warm water. To make the water penetrate deeper into the base, we use a wallpaper tiger. The non-woven wallpaper will swell in 15–20 minutes. The soaked finish is simply removed with a scraper or trowel. If that's not enough, add a few drops of dish soap to the water and re-wet the non-dripping area with water.
Features of dismantling a washable coating
Vinyl or washable two-layer wallpaper. They consist of a paper or non-woven base, which is attached to the wall covering, and covered with vinyl on top. It prevents moisture from getting under the wallpaper, allows washing the finish when it gets dirty. It is not necessary to completely remove the washable non-woven wallpaper, it is enough to remove only the outer vinyl layer. However, if the base begins to lag behind, be on the safe side and remove the entire trim.
It will not work to remove washable wallpaper by only wetting the surface with water. Vinyl cover resistant to moisture, and to remove it, you need to make notches on the surface of the material using a needle roller or scraper. Only after that do we wet the area. When the water has penetrated well into the base, the finish will begin to bubble and it will not be difficult to remove the washable wallpaper from the wall. If some area is badly peeled off, use a steam mop or iron. After steaming one area, we move on to another, prying off the remnants of the finish with a spatula until they have cooled down.
Remove liquid wallpaper and reuse
It's easy from the walls. They quickly soak under the influence of moisture, leaving no marks on the surface. If you are not paint and varnish and others decorative coatings, after dismantling, dry them and use them for decoration in another room. Liquid wallpaper with varnish and paint impurities is completely recyclable and not reused. Depending on the final finish, this coating can be removed in several ways. If you covered the surface liquid wallpaper varnish or paint, then to remove from the surface, use a construction hairdryer or grinder with a nozzle. Without construction hair dryer use a regular household hair dryer. True, work with him will be delayed. Steam iron will also be effective when removed.
Standard uncoated liquid wallpaper is removed in a familiar manner using warm water, a metal scraper and a sharp trowel. To increase the efficiency of work, we recommend adding a couple of Ceresit CT-17 primer caps to the water. After wetting the surface, leave the composition to soak in for 10 minutes, open windows and doors to create a draft in the room and speed up the process. The layer is swollen and softened, we rip it off. We clean off small residues of liquid wallpaper with a scraper, grind the surface with sandpaper.
Removing the plasterboard trim
Plasterboard partitions are increasingly found on construction sites and residential buildings... The peculiarity of removing the old coating from drywall is the careful handling of the coating. If the top paper layer is damaged, drywall loses its quality characteristics. To easily peel off the wallpaper, we recommend chemical removers, which penetrate deeply into the structure of the glue, allowing the base of the finish to quickly come off the surface. This method is especially advisable if the drywall is putty and you do not want to damage the leveling layer with sharp movements of the trowel. In the absence of a primer on the walls, the use of a chemical remover is also the best option... To quickly peel old wallpaper from drywall, scratch the surface with a needle roller or wallpaper tiger before applying chemistry.
Alternative and a budget option removing wallpaper from plasterboard partitions- application of cheap wallpaper glue to the decoration. Due to the fact that such glue dries for a long time, the wallpaper swells, begins to bubble, stretch and lag behind the surface. Gently pry the torn off layer with a sharp spatula, use a paint knife to work in hard-to-reach places.
A primer is also suitable for impregnating wallpaper. Compared to water, it evaporates more slowly, therefore, it acts on the material for a longer time and penetrates deeper into the structure. After soaking, remove the finish with a metal scraper or spatula. Having finished dismantling, we check the walls for irregularities. If necessary, remove small residues with sandpaper, putty and prime the surface.