Removing Tough Wallpaper (mrstjohnson)

I was taught the vinager and water method with a plastic scraper. Start at the seams and a bottom corner, let the solution soak in a bit before trying to remove.

Steaming is another method.

I believe that there are some "wallpaper remover" solutions available now, but I have never used them.

 If it's vinyl, sometimes you can separate the vinyl from the paper backing.  Then the paper comes off easily with soaking. 

Otherwise get one of those doohickies that make holes in the paper...make lots of holes...and soak it.  Make sure you allow lots of time for it all to get wet, or you'll have a mess.  I have used the removers and they do work, but vinegar or fabric softener works also.  

I used a steamer once, but it made more mess than it was worth. 

When I removed the the ugliest wallpaper ever created from our master bathroom, I first scored the walls and then sprayed Dif gel onto the paper.  It worked really well.  Scoring first allows the gel to permeate the paper and loosen the glue.  Don't use too much pressure or you will mark the walls underneath the paper.

Unfortunately, the wallpaper had been glued straight to the sheetrock, so the sheetrock paper ripped when I scraped the wallpaper off.  I then had to re-mud all the walls, which was a PITA!  But if your wallpaper was applied correctly, the Dif gel should work without damaging the walls.  In my bathroom, the areas where joint compound existed under the wallpaper, it came off very smoothly in big pieces. 

I got all the supplies I used at Home Depot. 

After you are done, you will need to prime the walls with a primer made for new drywall.  It will seal the walls so the paint doesn't get sucked in.  I guess if you discover painted walls under the wallpaper, you can use a normal primer.

Here are a couple links with good suggestions:

Link 1

Link 2 

I did this last year in my kitchen.  We had vinyl which I pulled off and then I just had to deal with the paper.  There was also regular wallpaper underneath it in a lot of the kitchen.  I used water with vinegar in a spray bottle on all of it and even heated it a little.  Soaked it with the mixture and used a little scraper thing.  It came right off with that.  I didn't even need the scraper on most of it.  Then I would use a towel to dry the wall a little.  It smelled bad while I was doing it but by the next day and especially once I painted it, you can't smell the vinegar anymore.  I had glue all over my hands as well but a shower took care of that. 

We have a pretty good sized kitchen and I stayed up really late one night getting it done so I wouldn't have to go back to it.  It took me a total of 8 hours by myself I think.  I just got some beer and a radio and was really motivated to get it done.  I actually painted the wall the next day. 

Good luck.  Be sure to take before and after pictures! 

Also, I actually hired a decorator to help me pick colors.  But she suggested that I pay a little more for a high quality paint and suggested I get Sherwin Williams paint.  For an older house like ours it covers really well.  I can't rave enough about it.  It seems thicker and it really did cover well with one coat, maybe two in most rooms.  I sort of think it is latex based maybe.  Also, with the method I used, I didn't damage my walls at all and didn't even need a primer. 

 One of the many things that sold me on my current house was the lack of wallpaper, which is unusual in houses of its age.  Only 2 rooms had a border.  I painted over the border in my daughter's room and you can't even see it and I steamed the border in the kitchen and it came off pretty easily.  You can rent the steamer pretty cheaply, just be careful and don't get burned.

boneyjean

Be sure to take before and after pictures! 

For sure!  I'd love to see the B/A pics!

When BF and I bought our house almost 4 years ago, it had the most hideous wallpaper in the bathrooms and kitchen.  All were different, but the common factor...they all had mauve in them .  They also left the draperies, which were hideous as well, and, yep, you guessed it, mauve.  The valance over the kitchen window was the best...it was striped mauve, teal, blue, and they even stuffed tissue paper inside it to make it poofy.  I took a bunch of pictures with a disposable camera, but never got the darned thing developed.  I wonder if the film is still good after 4 years...the camera's still in the junk drawer in the kitchen, lol.

Good luck with your wallpaper removal!  I'm crossing my fingers you don't crack a rib like I did when I re-did the master bath (long story).

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!!  I will definitely take lots of before and after pictures.  I think we are going to start with the vinegar and water solution and if needed move to the other stuff. 

Thankfully this was the only room with wallpaper.  The previous owner's said they took down the rest before they sold it (it was their parent's place) so that's why we know it is going to be a pain.  While house hunting you wouldn't believe the wallpaper we saw in some of these homes.  Do you remember when the foil paper was in style (back in the 70's)?  We looked at this one house that had it everywhere, ceiling and all.  Yeah, we passed on that one!