How to quickly remove old wallpaper: expert advice

Repair - business everyday. In order for the result of this process to be of the highest quality and aesthetically attractive, the first thing to do is to get rid of the old decorative coatings. Therefore, in this article, we will look at how quickly to remove old wallpaper and not leave a single piece of paper or glue on the walls. This will allow the new layer of paint or other coatings to lie more evenly, which will positively affect not only the aesthetic data of the room, but also the lifetime of the coating. Now consider the basic ways of dismantling the old decorative coating, which experts recommend in the field of repair.

Is it really necessary to remove the old layer?

Before we talk about how easy it is to take off old wallpaper, we'll take a closer look at why we need to do this at all. So, with the aesthetic side of the issue, we sorted it out. And how are things from a purely technical point of view? Firstly, it is an additional layer and no one needs it. Glueing on the old paper wallpaper new (no matter whether they are paper they have, cloth or even bamboo), you are weighing the walls. Sooner or later, from this weighting, the paper will begin to crack, move away from the wall, and the appearance of the coating will be completely ruined. The second aspect is that, by applying new wallpaper to wallpaper and, consequently, old ones, you impose different pictures on each other. Just imagine how ugly the result will turn out. Well, we will not lose sight of the issue of hygiene. It is important not only to know how to properly remove old wallpaper, but also be able to disinfect the walls. With the help of a primer and antiseptics, the walls need to be cleaned of fungi (they are very fond of accumulating under paper covers) and mold, as well as from other unnecessary "additives".

Preparing a set of tools

Before you remove old paper wallpaper from all the walls that will be subjected to new repairs, you need to prepare everything you need. First we prepare two spatulas - wide and narrow. Both must be sharp, so grind them in advance and test them. The next thing you will need is a tool for removing paper wallpapers (it's called that). If there is no opportunity to buy one, then just warm up the water or use a steam generator. Do not forget to prepare buckets - for waste, for water and other materials, as well as a sponge, which will be needed at the beginning and at the end. Additional tools are a roller with needles, polyethylene film, an ordinary knife and a paint tape.

Preparatory work

It's not enough just to know how quickly to remove old wallpaper from walls, it is important to be able to prepare a premise beforehand for this laborious process. Even in school, children are taught safety rules when carrying out various jobs, and in this case this part of school knowledge will be useful to us. Because initially we cover the whole floor with a plastic film. With the help of a paint tape we fix it on the skirting boards. With the same paint tape, we have to seal all the switches and sockets in the room, after which we turn off the electricity completely, so that there will not be a short circuit, because we will work with water. Probably, mention that there should not be furniture in the room, we will not, therefore we immediately move on to the next point.

Find the Achilles' heel, or Recognize the structure of the wallpaper

To understand how quickly to remove old wallpaper, first you need to study what their structure is, what glue they were planted. So, decorative coatings of this type can be divided into three categories: vinyl, non-woven and paper. Each of them has its own separate approach, it will be described below. As for the glue that was previously used in the previous repair, it will be great if you have it at hand. In the water, which we will soak the walls, it's something that needs to be added in very small quantities. So any coating and all tie layers will come off the walls quickly, with minimal damage to the plaster or putty.

The simplest task - the dismantling of vinyl wallpaper

It happens that even the most modern and beautiful repairs have to be updated. The wallpaper, which was released very recently - vinyl, it's the easiest to dismount from the walls, so now we will tell you step by step instructions. They consist of two layers - vinyl and paper, so we need to first cut the top. Now sprinkle the walls with water (or a solution that you pre-prepared on the basis of glue) and wait literally for 5-10 minutes. After that, slowly, with effort, we begin to pull the wallpaper behind the top layer, in the places of cuts. They will easily move away from the walls and leave no trace behind them.

How to work with non-woven fabrics

Another new type of wallpaper, non-woven, is characterized by the fact that its composition includes synthetic fibers. Due to this, such a coating adheres to the walls solely because of the binder component, that is, the glue, and if it is soaked, the coating will not be held any more. Therefore, if you have not yet understood how quickly to remove old wallpaper of this type, then we will explain everything very briefly: as in the previous case, we make cuts and abundantly moisten them with water. After the coating swells, pull it away from the wall. In the end, there will be no glue or pieces of old wallpaper on the surface, and it will be completely ready for further new design.

Have to suffer a little

If you want to remove paper wallpapers that have been pasted, perhaps tens of years ago, you will have to spend much more time and effort. To begin with, we prepare a solution, in the composition of which it is desirable to include, as already mentioned above, the glue on which the wallpaper was planted. We leave on them incisions, we undermine in some places so that it was easier to take them off. Wet such a coating is best plots. For example, a few square meters watered with water, give a swell for 5 minutes, cut into pieces. Undoubtedly, pieces of paper will remain on the walls, so they will have to be removed with a narrow spatula or knife. At the end of this operation on walls it is recommended to walk with a wide spatula in order to completely remove all the remnants of the old decorative coating.

Work at height

A similar question in its structure is how to remove the wallpaper from the ceiling. Most often, this surface is pasted with paper covers, so the process of dismantling will be long and laborious (keep in mind that you will constantly have to stand on the "goats", and keep your head in a raised, that is, unnatural position). Note also that in this case a roller with needles can come to the rescue. It will perfectly cling all the sticking ends and in a mechanical order will allow faster coping with such work. Then you just have to tear off the remains and walk along the surface of the ceiling with a wide spatula, so that there is nothing left - no paper, no glue.

Non-standard way to remove wallpaper

Even easier and faster to remove wallpaper of any type from the walls can be with the help of a steam generator. Methods here there is a whole mass, because you can choose at your own discretion, which you prefer. The first method is to first wet the old wallpaper with water (or mortar), then heat up the steam evaporated by this generator. Most of them under such an impact will fall off by itself, and you will only have to clean the walls. The second way is vice versa. First, we warm up the wallpaper with the help of a steam generator, then moisten with separate sections. In this case, it will be very easy to disrupt them. To note only it is worth noting that some types of wall decorative coatings can give off unpleasant smells during the heating process. In particular, this applies to non-woven fabrics and all similar coatings. Toxicity such wallpapers do not possess, however to put on usual bandage on the person will not prevent.

Conclusion

It would seem that it is easier to break than to build, but in this science there will also be some nuances and difficulties. To completely clean the walls of old wallpaper, you need to identify them, understand how best to tear off, so that no traces remain. After all, the slightest defects that remain on the surface of the walls or ceiling, will become an obstacle for the application of a new layer of decorative coating. Do not forget also that after removing old wallpaper, the walls must necessarily be treated with antiseptics, means from fungus and mold. Because such parasites like to divorce under the wallpaper, which have been in the room for many years. In the future, they will affect not only the ecological atmosphere in the room, but also cause a non-aesthetic appearance of the new finish. Qualitatively carried out works, of course, will be an excellent foundation for further interior decoration. Inexpensive repair of the apartment can be done with only a little effort.