Wallpaper makes a statement, but not always a welcome one. And, frankly, not all wallpapers are beautiful. For every wall decorated with a gorgeous chinoiserie, there's a nightmare-inducing phalanx of clowns frolicking across a child's old bedroom.
The fear of having to remove the wallpaper someday is just one thing that keeps some people from putting it up in the first place.
There are wallpaper professionals, like Lorita Herring, who will take it down, of course, but removing wallpaper is something that can be a do-it-yourself project. Provided, of course, the homeowners know what they're doing.
When it comes to removing wallpaper the worst mistake people make is to just start peeling off the paper, Herring says.
"They think they don't have to put anything on there and they just try to pull it off dry," Herring explains. "That's the biggest problem. That tears the Sheetrock and that makes a big mess."
If the Sheetrock gets torn, then homeowners try using water. But the water will get down into the Sheetrock and cause a lot of damage.
Something has to be used to loosen the glue. Fancy chemicals, though, aren't always necessary.
"It's not that they don't work," Herring says. "It's just that they don't work any better than water does."
Homeowners can use a steamer if they want, but Herring has found that water and sponges work well on their own.
There are many videos and instructions online, but generally, the process involves scoring the wallpaper (being careful not to also poke holes in the wall underneath), soaking the walls with water or solution, stripping the paper with a scraper and then cleaning the walls.
Different types of paper may require special consideration when working, so a little research, and perhaps some professional advice, is necessary.
Of course, it may be possible to paper over existing wallpaper, but only if that paper is in good condition and well-applied with no bubbles or buckles.
-- Jennifer Nixon
HomeStyle on 07/02/2016