With a new renovation of the premises often arises actual question, which consists in removing old wallpaper. This task is relatively simple and accessible to absolutely anyone. Most importantly, be patient repair work and following some guidelines.
In the article, we will consider the following points:
Why is it necessary to remove old wallpaper?
There are several main reasons:
- The old layer of wallpaper is usually very loose on the walls and can quickly peel off. When applying glue to old wallpaper, they soften, become damp, and begin to peel off.
- When pasting over the old layer, the drying time of the new wallpaper will increase.
- When both layers of wallpaper (old and new) are completely dry, wrinkles, bumps and bubbles may form on the outer surface. As a result, the finish may turn out to be imperfect and ugly.
- The level of adhesion (adhesion of surfaces) is significantly reduced. New wallpapers will look much better and last longer if they are glued to a clean and even wall.
- Finally, quite a lot of dirt and bacteria accumulate under the old wallpaper over the years, which also actualizes the issue of their removal.
- spatulas (narrow and wide);
- stationery knife;
- scraper;
- high table (or stepladder);
- warm water to moisten the wallpaper;
- masking tape;
- paint roller;
- polyethylene;
- water tank;
- special liquid for removing wallpaper (if necessary);
- sponges, rags, rags;
- steam generator or household iron (if necessary);
- needle roller (or a special "tiger" for wallpaper).
It is necessary to free the site from unnecessary pieces of furniture and household items, and it is also advisable to cover them with a film, if any, remain in the room. Also cover with foil. flooring and secure the polyethylene around its perimeter with masking tape. Important nuance- if you plan to use water, then be sure to turn off the power to the room. In addition, make sure that water never gets into the socket, switch or other dangerous places. It is necessary to remove the covers of switches, sockets, etc. and paste them over with adhesive tape in advance.
Ways to remove old wallpaper
Manual way
If the old wallpaper is already very weakly held or was poorly glued, then we pry off the upper edge or corner of the wallpaper with a clerical knife, scraper or spatula and tear it off from top to bottom. Traditionally, this method is used for old paper wallpapers that have been glued to a concrete or cement base, although it can be chosen for other types of wallpaper. It all depends on the properties of the adhesive, the type base surface, the quality of previous wallpapers, etc.With the help of water
The most common way to remove previous wallpaper. To do this, you need to wet a section of the wall with warm, and even better - hot water. Use a rag, a soft sponge, a roller (foam rubber) or an ordinary sprayer for these purposes. Especially well soak the corners and edges of the panel. In order for water to penetrate better into the wallpaper, it is first recommended to make cuts or scratches with a clerical knife, a sharp spatula, a needle roller or a special “tiger” wallpaper, and only then proceed to soaking.It is best to moisten one small area of wallpaper first and check it experimentally - if they move away well, then you do not need to scratch them first.
Usually, non-woven wallpaper and some types of vinyl wallpapers are wetted and torn off without problems (although sometimes you have to cut them in area). And here are the old paper wallpaper, most two-layer vinyl wallpapers, glossy or washable wallpapers with a strong water-repellent layer - it is advisable to cut well on the wall before dampening.
Depending on the quality of the wallpaper, its thickness, the characteristics of the adhesive, as a rule, after 5-15 minutes. old layer swells, bubbles and can be removed with a spatula, scraper, knife and hands. You need to pull off the wetted wallpaper slowly and with some effort.
A couple of additional tips for the "water" method:
- Do not dampen the wall with copious amounts of water, as the inner layers of plaster or putty in the wall may be damaged.
- Previous paper wallpapers can be cut, moistened, and then treated with a constantly damp sponge and spatula, so they will come off faster. If the paper wallpaper is not torn off in large pieces, then after impregnation for removal, in addition to a spatula, you can also use a special brush.
- Do not wet the entire wall with water at once in one pass, otherwise, by the time you get to its other end, the wallpaper will have completely dried there. It is better to moisten the surface in relatively small areas.
- Vinyl Wallpaper: Remove First upper layer polyvinyl, then proceed to the bottom paper layer (remove it like paper wallpaper).
- Quite often it is advised to remove wallpaper using soap solution or washing powder. We would not recommend doing this because detergents can spoil putty or plaster, and later, upon contact with glue, worsen its properties when gluing new wallpaper.
- Don't flood your neighbors. Do not allow too much water to drip onto the floor.
Special funds
More effective than water, special chemicals. IN construction stores you can easily get a special chemical wallpaper remover (say, Atlas Alplan or Quelyd Dissoucol). It penetrates the old layer faster and deeper than ordinary water. These products are very effective, while not damaging the wall and absolutely safe for health. Such liquids, as a rule, can be diluted in a certain proportion with water, and then applied with a roller or sponge to the wall. The technology of work is the same as with the "water" method. Sometimes a little wallpaper glue is added to the liquid, a kind of jelly is obtained, with the help of which the old wallpaper comes off extremely easily (this method is especially good when the old wallpaper is pasted in several layers). The only problem this option- additional expenses for the purchase of liquid.
Steam generator or iron
It happens that old wallpaper does not want to peel off. Then you need an iron (preferably with a steam option). Through a damp cloth, you need to iron the unyielding sections of the old wallpaper, and then remove them. Of course, only small areas can be treated with an iron. The iron will not “pull” the entire wall and deteriorate. For large surfaces, as well as to improve the quality and speed of work, it is better to use an ordinary household steam generator.The most difficult case
Rarely, but there are especially difficult situations when the old wallpaper is already completely “oak” - absolutely not amenable to peeling. Perhaps they were fixed with PVA glue (and even on drywall) or wood glue. Then neither water nor steam will help, but will only make it worse. Here it is necessary or patiently scrape under hand tools and emery the entire wall by hand, or use a small drill with the right nozzle or even a grinder. We put on a respirator, goggles - and for repairs. But be prepared for the fact that after the puncher you will have to apply much more conditions for puttying and priming the walls, when preparing them for new wallpaper.
Good luck with your renovation and beautiful walls!
Most people do not puzzle over this at all, but glue new canvases directly onto old wallpapers, which should absolutely not be done.
Firstly, if there are old wallpapers or the smallest fragments of them, the surface of the wall will never be perfect. In other words - immediately after pasting the new wallpaper, as they say, all the bumps and bumps will be evident.
Secondly, old wallpapers can go away with new ones at the most inopportune moment - and all your work will go down the drain.
Thirdly, harmful bacteria and mold fungi often form under old wallpaper, which should be disposed of, and this is additional trouble.
If you are planning a long-term effect and want the new wallpaper to last for a long time, and the walls to look good after the repair, you should remove absolutely the entire old layer of wallpaper and glue, leaving not the slightest fragments.
Materials and preparations
How right and easy remove old paper wallpaper? In order to easily and quickly remove worn-out old canvases from the walls, you need to prepare in advance all the necessary tools.
You will need:
- spatulas - narrow and wide;
- ordinary warm water or a special wallpaper remover;
- a steam mop, which can greatly speed up and facilitate the work;
- a device for perforating the surface of the wallpaper (the so-called wallpaper tiger, or a roller with needles);
- polyethylene film;
- masking tape;
- knife for wallpaper and drywall;
- a tray and a paint roller (you can get by with a bucket with a rag or sponge).
Before starting work, it is necessary to cover the floor with film or newspapers, turn off the power to the electrician, as the liquid can get on the ends of the wires and eventually lead to a short circuit. Therefore, it is advisable to seal sockets and switches with masking tape. Having secured yourself, you can proceed to an important mission.
Removing paper-backed vinyl wallpaper
This wallpaper is a breeze to remove as it is just a vinyl film that is glued onto a paper backing.
Before removing, you need to scratch the wallpaper with a knife or a roller with needles, then wet it well with liquid or water and leave it for several hours so that moisture seeps under the polymer layer and destroys the adhesive.
A horizontal cut is made with a knife at the top - and the wallpaper is removed 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 stronger than paper. After that, the wall is wetted with liquid.
After some time, the glue breaks down - and the wallpaper itself leaves.
Removal of classic paper sheets
But this is already a rather complicated and time-consuming procedure. This is because these wallpapers 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 old wallpaper? How to peel off old paper wallpaper safely for walls and what is the best and easiest way to do it?
Exists four ways to remove paper wallpaper:
Removing paper wallpaper from plasterboard walls
The difficulty lies in the fact that drywall is covered with a paper layer at the top, which must be left intact.
In such a situation, the most best way is not the use of water, but special products that dissolve only wallpaper glue.
Special care should be taken when working with a spatula. It should be noted that if the wallpaper is glued to the 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 simply change the drywall plates.
For those who doubt their abilities, we suggest watching a video clip about fast and simple removal old paper wallpaper from the walls:
Here, in fact, are all the wisdom that you need to know when removing old wallpapers that have lost their former attractiveness. And then it all depends on your diligence, scrupulousness and speed of work. As they say, patience and work will grind everything!
During the cosmetic repairs there is a problem of removing old wallpaper. In most cases, it is enough to soak the surfaces and scrape off the material from them. But if repairs are carried out in old apartments, where several layers are glued to the walls or strong compounds were used during pasting, it is not so easy to remove the material. Therefore, before starting work, it is important to learn how to tear off the wallpaper from the walls, if they are not torn off using the usual means.
It should be noted right away that in old apartments and private houses you should not try to rip off the wallpaper to the ground, it is better to just soak the top layer and remove it, and stick it on the remaining paper new material. The fact is that the walls in such rooms are quite thin and do not differ in evenness, so if you completely remove the old wallpaper from the walls, you will have to level the surfaces and carry out soundproofing measures.
In all other cases, it is recommended to remove the material. This need is explained by the fact that if you do not tear off the wallpaper, then the new layer may become bumpy. Such a relief will appear on products of any type. In addition, it is important to remember that you cannot stick layers of material indefinitely. Sooner or later, this cake will become so thick and heavy that it will simply fall off the surface.
Also, under the new coating, mold or fungi may begin to develop. This will not only negatively affect the appearance of the walls, but can also adversely affect the health of residents.
Fungus under the wallpaper is a serious reason to remove the old finish.
What tools to use in problem cases
Before tearing off wallpaper that could not be removed with water and a spatula, it is recommended to prepare one of the following tool kits:
- wallpaper tiger (roller with a long handle and metal spikes on the head) and factory-made or home-made glue softeners;
- steam generator or iron with steam function;
- an electric drill with a grinding wheel or a special machine, you can use hand graters with sandpaper.
In all cases, you will need plastic sheeting to protect the floor and furniture, as well as adhesive tape.
Preparatory work
Before tearing off the wallpaper, you need to carry out a number of works. First of all, all things that may interfere with work or suffer from them, including furniture, are removed from the room. Massive interior items can be left, but then it is recommended to close them plastic wrap. The floor should also be covered with foil, and newspapers or cardboard should be placed on top so as not to slip.
After that, you need to remove the front panels of switches and sockets. If there is autonomous lighting, the room is de-energized, otherwise it is necessary to seal the holes in the walls with adhesive tape. It is worth removing all fasteners, then the wallpaper will be easier to tear off the surface.
If part of the coating has moved away from dampness or for other reasons and is easily torn off, it must be removed before starting work.
Using the steam generator
If you have such a tool at hand, then the wallpaper from the wall can be removed quickly enough. To do this, fill the container with water, wait for the device to heat up, bring the outlet nozzle to the wall and steam a small area. While it has not cooled down, you should begin to peel off the material with a spatula. In particularly difficult cases, before removing the coating, it is recommended to damage it with a knife or a hard metal brush so that the steam can better penetrate the wallpaper layer. By the same principle, an iron equipped with a steam function is used.
A little harder to work with a regular iron. To do this, moisten a rag with water, lean it against the wall and press it with a hot device. It is necessary to hold the iron for a few seconds, remove it, and then quickly peel off the treated area.
Important! In this case, we are talking about heating appliances Therefore, you should follow safety precautions and use personal protective equipment, including a respirator.
After using these devices, it will be quite easy to tear off the wallpaper from the wall. But the steam will penetrate the surfaces and condense, so before further finishing work it is recommended to dry the walls.
Use of grinders
It will be quite difficult to clean the coating with the help of such devices. If the wallpaper does not stick tightly, it is better to use another method.
A grinder for wallpaper removal is used in particularly difficult cases. - If a drill is used, it is necessary to fix a circle on it for cleaning surfaces, usually it looks like metal brush. Then put on a respirator, turn on the device at low speed and lean the nozzle against the wall.
Some people press the tool too tightly so that the coating comes off better, but this is wrong - it is more difficult to work this way and there is a risk of damaging the plaster under the material. - Instead of a drill, grinders are also used, they are cheaper and simpler. Work with them should be the same as with a drill.
- It is very difficult to work with hand tools. It may take several days to process one room, so their use is advisable only in extreme cases.
Using wallpaper tiger and emollients
Now let's look at how to quickly tear off old wallpaper using special substances. They are sold in almost any hardware store.
To save money, you can make the tool yourself. This will require water and a household cleaner.
- Washing powder. For 10 liters of water, 1 kg of powder is required, the mixture is stirred and applied to the walls.
- Laundry soap. It is rubbed on a grater or crushed in another way and poured warm water.
- Detergent for dishes. It is diluted with water in proportions of 1:50.
- Fabric softener. Diluted with water 1:1, well applied with a spray bottle.
Alternatively, you can prepare a solution acetic acid Or regular wallpaper paste. These substances will cope no worse than the factory ones, after using them, the wallpaper can be torn off very quickly and easily.
How to work with tiger and emollients
Previously, craftsmen tore off wallpaper with knives and other tools that damaged the surface, now a wallpaper tiger is used. With its help, the entire cultivated area is rolled, thus perforating it. Small holes will allow the liquid to penetrate deeper into the wallpaper layer and dissolve the adhesive more effectively.
Wallpaper tiger is usually used when removing washable wallpaper, it allows liquids to penetrate into the inner layers of the material After that, you need to prepare the solution and apply it to the surface with a roller, brush or spray, it is better to process it first small area. After some time (from 15 minutes to 3 hours), you need to pry off the wallpaper and pull it down. It is important not to rush here: if the strip is not completely gone, you will have to soak the fragment again and wait. Gradually all wallpapers will be removed. Then you should dry the walls and you can start finishing work.
Attention! All means for softening glue are made on the basis of substances harmful to human health, therefore, if it comes into contact with mucous membranes, it is necessary to rinse them with water as quickly as possible. If this does not help, and your health worsens, you need to see a doctor.
Now the question of how easy it is to remove old wallpaper has been resolved. This process is not so much difficult as lengthy, so it is important to be patient and strictly follow the above instructions and recommendations from manufacturers.
Some choose to skip the process of removing old wallpaper and sticking new wallpaper over it, 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 wallpaper pasted on top of old ones may peel off due to the heavy weight.
Over time, mold can form under old wallpaper, so it's best to remove them to get rid of bacteria.
Preparatory work
Before proceeding with the removal of wallpaper, it is necessary to prepare the room. To begin with, the room in which the work will take place should be covered with plastic wrap and attached with masking tape to the baseboards.
In addition, be sure to turn off the power in the room so that a short circuit does not occur. We also advise you to tape all sockets and switches with adhesive tape.
Ways to remove old wallpaper from walls
There are three ways to peel off old wallpaper from the surface of the walls.
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 wetted 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. Wallpaper remover must first be diluted with water, and then applied to the old coating (no cuts are necessary). 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 the farm, then this method is perfect for you. You can also use a steam iron. When processing old wallpaper with steam, the glue under them swells, and the canvas can be easily removed from the wall.
If the adhesive 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 sharply sharpened.
Important! When removing wallpaper in this way, take care of respiratory protection, and also cover the furniture that is in the room.
How to quickly peel off old wallpaper
Since there is a wide variety, the methods for removing them are slightly different.
Removing paper wallpaper
So that it will be enough just to moisten them with water or a special liquid. First, apply liquid to the surface of the wallpaper with a sponge or spray. Repeat the process twice with an interval of 15-20 minutes.
Then, using a spatula, lift the sheet of wallpaper, starting at the seams. If in some places the wallpaper does not move well from the wall, repeat the wetting procedure.
Since they consist of two layers, before wetting them, it is necessary to make horizontal cuts on the surface. Once the top layer of vinyl wallpaper is sufficiently wet, it can be easily peeled off from the backing. To do this, you need to pull the wallpaper away from the wall with a uniform movement, starting from the bottom corners of the wallpaper strip.
If the bottom layer of vinyl wallpaper has remained in good condition and firmly glued to the wall, then it can be left as a lining for new wallpaper. Otherwise, this layer is also wetted with water and scraped off with a spatula.
Since they are made of synthetic fibers, they are more durable than paper wallpapers and require more time to soak. As in the case of vinyl wallpaper, you also need to make cuts in them first, and then follow the same steps as with ordinary paper wallpaper.
Since washable wallpaper consists of two layers, first you need to break the integrity of the top waterproof one. This can be done with a wire brush or a toothed roller. You will just need to walk with the appropriate tool on 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. Instead of water, you can also use a steam generator.
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 with plenty of warm water, and then cleaned with a scraper or a 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 coated, then we advise you to use a special stripper to remove the wallpaper.
Important! If the drywall was not coated 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 paste. It just needs to be applied to the surface of the wallpaper and wait until they swell. After that, the wallpaper can be easily removed from the wall with a spatula. Also, old wallpaper on drywall can be steamed.
Important! If PVA glue was used to stick old wallpaper, then the drywall sheets will need to be replaced or you can try to remove the wallpaper along with a layer of cardboard. This process must be carried out with a paint knife, and drywall sheets, subsequently, should be puttied and primed.
The preparation process plays a very important role in modern construction. The fact is that before applying a new coating, it is imperative to remove old finish, since it will not only interfere with the installation of new material, but can also significantly reduce its service life.
That is why the question of how to peel off old paper wallpapers is of great interest to modern masters.
Dismantling methods
To begin with, it must be said that there are quite a few methods, the use of which will allow you to quickly cope with this stage of work. All of them have their advantages and disadvantages associated with the materials used. Given this, professional craftsmen, making repairs with their own hands, try to choose either the simplest dismantling option, or purchase a special tool.
mechanical way
- This method consists in using metal tools, remove the top layer, thus removing the coating.
- It is worth noting that many manuals on how to peel off old wallpaper advise you to carefully consider this method and prepare in advance. For this, all workers metal surfaces must be sharpened with sandpaper.
- It is important to mention that such work is quite tedious and requires a lot of effort.. Therefore, professionals resort to it only when other methods are not available.
- It should be noted that many manuals that tell how to peel vinyl wallpapers quickly recommend the use of machining to damage the top layer by scratching it to the base in various places.
Advice!
Some hardware stores sell special tools designed for the job of removing old coating from a surface.
Some of their types are quite practical and do a very good job.
Chemical method
- Most of the manuals on how to quickly peel wallpaper from the walls recommend purchasing special means, which were developed specifically for these purposes. They are sold in small bottles, assuming that the liquid will be diluted.
- It is important to mention that the price of such mixtures is sometimes very high.. Therefore, professional craftsmen have to use ordinary warm water, to which they add a small amount of paste.
- In order for the composition to be well absorbed into the surface, it is recommended to apply it with a sponge..
- It is worth saying that a guide on how to peel off washable wallpapers or coatings with a durable and water-repellent layer is advised to scratch with a spatula first. given material. It is usually applied to the simplest, which means that by soaking the surface with a liquid, you can achieve the effect when the coating falls off by itself.
- It is important to note that this method is not suitable for removing wallpaper from drywall.. It softens the very structure of the base, which can lead to deformation. Therefore, in this situation, it is better to use mechanical processing.
Advice!
Before proceeding with such processing, it is worth covering the floor with a film to prevent moisture from entering its surface.
Steam treatment
- Answering the question of how easy it is to peel off old wallpaper, professional craftsmen recommend using a small steam generator. However, there are special models designed for this purpose.
- With its help, you can do all the work several times faster, with almost no effort.. It is enough to treat the surface with steam and the adhesive base of the wallpaper will soften, and they will fall under their own weight.
- It is worth mentioning that the instructions for this method of dismantling do not advise not to damage the top layer, especially if it is applied to drywall. Therefore, this method will save a lot of time and is suitable for all types of surfaces. (See also the article.)
Advice!
Quite often, some shops rent tools.
Therefore, when performing one-time work, it is worth using such a service, rather than purchasing expensive equipment.
Conclusion
After watching the video in this article, you can get more information on how to easily and quickly remove old wallpaper from the surface. Also, on the basis of the article that is proposed above, it should be concluded that this work is quite tedious, but with the right approach, it can be simplified and facilitated, saving time and effort.
