HOME TRUTHS: Good & Green™: Wallpaper Removal

The wallpaper in my “new” house has got to go. The sweet, faded companion patterns cover the walls of every room—every room—in my 1961 brick ranch. It’s like living in a time capsule.

Having never applied or removed wallpaper, I wasn’t sure how to go about it. My husband, a big fan of chemical shortcuts (especially for lawn care, but that’s another blog), wanted to use some smelly goo that you spread on, let cure, and then scrape off. No way was I going to deal with that noxious mess! My friend Susie, who has a hundred-year-old farmhouse under her DIY tool belt, suggested that I go a more eco-friendly route: steaming.

You can rent a steamer for $25 a day from a local equipment-rental source, but as a weekend warrior, I was better off purchasing a basic model. The Wagner 750 power steamer ($49.95 from Lowe’s ) is a wonder. The tank holds a gallon of water, which lasts up to two hours. I just gently pressed its big square paddle-style handle against the wallpaper for about 15 seconds, scraped with a 6-inch broad knife, and voila, a huge swath of paper fell off—like buttah.

Working in two-hour increments—all I can take in the un-air conditioned house—I’ve managed to strip the walls in the entry foyer, upstairs hallway, and master bedroom over the course of four weekends. It’s certainly not as fast as a chemical peel, but my mom isn’t afraid to drop by and chat while I work, and I’ve gotten into an efficient rhythm—and pumped up my delts. If all goes well, I’ll complete the living room, dining room, and basement stairwell in time to paint the interiors this fall. Hmm, I wonder how those power painters work.… —BrickChick

Tips:

• Use a plastic drop cloth and have plenty of paper towels on hand to keep the area clean and glue-free. You’ll also need a ladder that allows you to easily access the top of the wall.
• Allow the full 20 minutes recommended by the manufacturer for the steamer to heat the water thoroughly. Plug it in, and then go have a cup of coffee.
• Be careful, it’s super hot. Do not try to give yourself a facial with this thing.
• If you have more than one layer of wallpaper, it helps to score it first to allow the steam to reach the older layers. Small scoring tools are available at home improvement stores.
• Start at the top of the wall. Some water will run down the wall (thus, the drop cloth), but it will help loosen the paper below.
• Most of the time the glue comes off with the paper. To remove any residue from the wall, mix two parts hot water and one part white vinegar (also eco-friendly and very inexpensive). Sponge the solution onto the wall and wipe it off, repeating until all the glue has been removed.
• Once the adhesive is gone, sand the surface lightly, and you’re ready to prime and paint, as I will do—or put up more wallpaper, if you dare.

Carolyn Weber,
Home’s Senior Building Editor,
aka BrickChick