Wallpaper Remov

[anglerdave]

Wallpaper RemovalAnyone hae any good ideas on how to remove wallpaper? I got some DIF AT lOWES but it will take forever to do job. Would like something a little faster. Is it worthwhile to rent a steamer?
Dave

[AIK68J]

I have removed paper with a steamer (helps some) and with DIF. Try using a Tiger Paw (round thing with scoring wheels underneath) score the wall up take a sprayer loaded with DIF soak the wall let it set and scrape it

[Clark W. Griswold]

Or you could do what I did. Pull the old sheetrock, insulate the walls and put up new sheetrock. Definitely not cheaper, but less headache than removing wallpaper.

[Spot77]

As pointed out, use the Paper Tiger to score the wallpaper first. Mix the DIF with HOT water and spray it on the walls generously. Let it soak for a few minutes, then spray it again. Wait another minute than pull what you can and scrape the rest.

Some people will use vinegar and hot water which works well usually too....but the smell can bother some people.

Steamers work pretty well but can be messy and some heat the water dangerously hot.

[f26tiger]

When you finally get what you can off the wall, depending how damaged the wall is, you may need to put a coat of sealer on the drywall b4 you attemp to mud the wall. If you do not apply the sealer you will have bubbling behind the joint compound. You may need a good finisher?

[Capt Bob]

I've used DIF very successfully as long as I scored the surface of the paper, it used a razor knife and ever so lightly dragged it back and forth and then sprayed with hot Dif solution...did a bathroom in about an hour and it had vinyl coated paper on it..good luck

[anglerdave]

Thanx for the info. I'll have to get a Pqper tiger at Lowes. I didn't heat the DIF so I guess iit would help also.
DIF

[mchar]

I remove wallpaper for a living. Here goes.
Tools: garden sprayer, (or 5 gal bucket and roller/screen) 6" spackling knife, Paper Tiger or 36 grit floor sandpaper, 2 gallon bucket, Scotch Brite pads (green), kitchen towels, lots of bath towels for the floor, ladder.
if you have plaster....it's easy. Try and peel the front of the paper off dry. If it won't go, use the Paper Tiger or some 36 grit floor sandpaper at Home Depot Rental or any place that rents floor sanders. Score the surface well - very well. Soak a small surface with hot water repeatedly. Use a garden sprayer or 5 gallon bucket and roller/screen to get plenty of water on the surface. If you have alot of layers or painted - over paper on plaster, you can shave it off with a 3 1/2" razor scraper. Then get the glue off.

Drywall is more delicate - same thing, try and remove the front layer of vinyl dry. DON'T PEEL THE TOP LAYER OF DRYWALL OFF!
Otherwise it's the paper tiger or better, the 36 grit floor sandpaper. After I sand all the walls I vacuum up the pieces of sandpaper so not to scratch the floor.
PLACE TOWELS along the baseboards, you will use alot of hot water.
Some papers are best removed by spraying hot water directly on top, repeatedly.

I will wet a wall many times untill the hot water gets to the glue....then the paper will release.
Work in smallish areas, remove the paper w/ a 6" spackling blade, then wash the glue off w/ a 3-M green scotchbrite rubbing in circles, then a kitchen towel and bucket so to rinse all the glue off. ALL the glue, or the paint will orange peel. If the glue is creamy (clay based, for older heavy wallpapers) I will use the 6" blade to scoop it off the wall into my mud pan. Most glue is clear though - it will dissolve easy.

It's best to finish a wall com[pletely before moving on..strip the paper, get the glue and rinse while the wall is wet...it's bad to let it dry, then re-wet it etc.

A steamer is a complete waste of time.
email me mchar@verizon.net if you want.
Mark

[anglerdave]

Thanx for the info.
I think I have ninyl coated paper over drywall. The paper sems to be in two layers so when I strip, usually only the top layer comes off, so I scrap some more to get the bottom layer off.
I hadm't heard of the 36 grit paper so I try to get some at home depot.
I got tied up this weekend so I haven't worked on for a while.
Dave

[mackaroni]

mchar is right the steamer is a waste of time and money but I like the dif w/hot water. we usually tape painters plastic to the baseboard w/blue tape. soak it good after scoring let it soak in/spray again. If its really tough do small area's at a time if you have to