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Remove wallpaper border with fabric softener


Easy Ways to Remove Wallpaper Border

Removing wallpaper border can be tricky, whether you’re removing it from a painted wall or a wallpapered one.

Either way, to remove it without damaging the underlying walls or wallpaper, you’ll need to take your time. Below we’ve laid out the steps for the best way to remove wallpaper borders—without damaging your walls in the process.

How to Remove Wallpaper Border

Most wallpaper borders are easy to remove, especially those manufactured in relatively recently. The main tools it generally takes are a putty knife and some perseverance to lift the decorative accent and remove it without too much trouble.

Tools You’ll Need

Steps for Removing Wallpaper Border:

  1. Move furniture and other items into the middle of the room and cover with a plastic sheet or drop cloth.
  2. With a wallpaper scraper or putty knife, locate a seam and lift a bottom corner of the wallpaper border.
  3. Once a large enough section is peeled back with the knife, slowly peel the paper away by hand, applying steady and even pressure so it doesn’t tear. For areas that resist, slide the knife or scraper under the paper as you pull to loosen the glue’s grip.
  4. Once all the adhesive has been removed, wipe the area with a clean sponge and hot soapy water (dish soap will work), making sure you’ve removed all the residue, and allow it to dry.

Other Ways to Remove Wallpaper Border

If the border doesn’t come off easily or keeps tearing, leaving you to chip peel off pieces off bit by bit, step up the removal process with the following methods.

Warm Water and a Putty Knife

Fabric Softener and Water

Heat Gun or Wallpaper Steamer

Chemical Wallpaper Remover

If the paper still resists, enlist the help of a wallpaper removal product, following the directions on the label.

Orbital Sander

How to remove wallpaper: Easy tips and tricks

Decorating

Ready to replace your wallpaper? Here's how to remove it and start from scratch.

If you're looking for a new look, here's how to get back to blank walls (without ruining them).Getty Images stock

/ Source: TODAY

By Alesandra Dubin

The project of removing old wallpaper is a daunting one — but it's something you can totally tackle on your own. Here's how.

Prepare the room

Before you get started, set up your work space. That includes covering the area with drop cloths and removing all the switch plates and outlet covers from the walls. Then make sure you cut the power to the room. One idea is to bring in a halogen work lamp and a long extension cord if you'll be working in the evening. Next, use a wallpaper scorer to make holes in the paper that will allow your solution of choice to soak in.

Remove wallpaper with vinegar

There's an all-natural, chemical-free and inexpensive way to remove wallpaper — and it makes use of ingredients you already have at home. Mix equal parts vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle, according to Cecil Snider, a paint and wallpaper expert of Cecil Snider Painting Company in Shreveport, Louisiana. Apply the mixture to your wallpaper and and allow it to sit and soak for 15 minutes. The acetic acid in the vinegar should work as a solvent to dissolve the paste.

Remove wallpaper with fabric softener

Another approach that uses an ingredient you already have at home is the fabric softener method, and it's pretty much what it sounds like. Mix the softener with equal parts warm water and distribute it on the walls using a sponge, spray bottle or paint roller. Let it sit for 20 minutes before scraping, Snider confirmed to TODAY Home.

Remove wallpaper with a putty knife and finish the project

No matter whether you use a commercially available wallpaper-removal solution or something you have at home, remove the paper by starting at a bottom corner and pulling a piece upward. Aid the process by using a wide putty knife until it's all gone.

"Sometimes it will just peel off like a banana, and other times you will have to scrape it off the wall more forcefully," said Snider, noting that too much scraping could damage the sheet rock beneath the paper.

To finish, mix a tablespoon of dish detergent with hot water in a bucket, and scrub the walls with a sponge to clean them. Rinse with water and a dry towel … and you're done!

Hang new wallpaper over the existing wallpaper

You can even hang new wallpaper over the old wall covering. First apply a layer of oil-based primer, such as Kilz Original, with a paint roller over the existing paper. Skim float (or lightly cover) the seams of the old wallpaper with a thin coat of sheet rock in order to conceal the lines. Then just apply the new wallpaper directly on top.

"We're doing this more and more lately in homes to avoid tearing up the existing sheet rock," Snider said. However, he does warn that this technique works best if the existing wallpaper is laid tightly, and not peeling away at the corners.

This story originally appeared on Oct. 14, 2016.

Removing wallpaper from walls

Wallpaper for walls usually consists of two to three layers of material: a decorative outer layer and two thin layers underneath. The nature of wallpaper has changed many times over the years, which may require you to try different methods in order to permanently remove the wallpaper from the walls.

The most problematic, as a rule, is the removal of residues of wallpaper paste and borders. Very rarely, these procedures can be performed without soaking and using various cleaning chemicals.

And now the good news! This article is a complete overview of expert advice and helpful tips that can make stripping your walls much easier. So...

Let's start with the simplest case.

Strippable wallpaper

When buying wallpaper, you can make sure that in the future you will not have problems removing it from the walls. To do this, choose a wallpaper marked "Strippable" and a special icon, as in the picture.

Strippable Wallpaper Strippable

These easy to remove wall coverings have a smooth, plastic outer covering. These include vinyl wallpaper, paper or textile-backed vinyl, etc.

To remove it, gently pry off the corner of the wallpaper at the top of the wall with the edge of a scraper or a knife blade. Holding the papers close to the wall, it should be removed using a downward motion. Remember that by pulling the paper towards you, you are more likely to tear them, and therefore a systematic downward movement is less risky. You don't need to put in much effort here.

Other types of wallpaper

The first thing to do when removing old wallpaper that isn't marked "Strippable" is to prepare for this not-so-tidy process.

Floor and furniture should be covered with plastic or some other dense material. Make sure you have all the necessary tools: sprayers, scrapers, etc. Quite often, when removing wallpaper, scoring devices are used, which are rolled over the surface of the wallpaper, creating a series of small depressions or perforations on it. This allows water and various chemicals to soak into thick wallpaper better and help soften the adhesive underneath. At the same time, these scoring devices can mark drywall and other soft surfaces, so you don't need to apply too much pressure to them.

If you are going to spray the wallpaper with chemicals, such as paper remover, make sure you have a respirator that will prevent you from inhaling the chemicals. It will also come in handy if, after removing the wallpaper, you are going to sand the surface of the walls.

1. Removing wallpaper from walls by cutting and soaking

When applying this method of removing old wallpaper, a series of horizontal cuts are made over the entire surface of the wallpaper. If the wallpaper is too thick, like vinyl, then you can also use a scoring tool like Paper Tiger (see picture below). This device has several small rollers with needle protrusions that push through the surface of the wallpaper without damaging the wall.

Paper Tiger wall stripper

Paper Tiger wall stripper

If you don't have one, use a razor blade or a knife to make slits in the wallpaper about 20 cm apart . After that, apply a special wallpaper remover or warm soapy water to the wallpaper with a sprayer or sponge.

Allow the liquid to soak in for a few minutes, then use an 8 cm wide flexible blade scraper to scrape off the wallpaper. They will either pucker up over the surface of the scraper when you push, or come off in stripes when you pull on the edge. Keep pushing and pulling them until the paper comes off. If the wallpaper is torn and becomes increasingly difficult to remove, then re-soak the area.

If the adhesive does not visibly soften or loosen after soaking, you will need to remove the wallpaper in a different way, such as by steaming or chemically.

2. Steam Wallpaper Removal

Some home improvement stores rent a special wallpaper steamer (steamer) that will make your job easier and avoid the need for chemicals.

Wall stripping steamer

Steam generator for stripping walls

The use of the steam generator is similar to that of an iron used to press clothes. Using steam on old wallpaper will soften the paper and loosen the wallpaper paste. After applying this procedure, the remnants of the wallpaper are removed with a spatula.

At the same time, super-aggressive steam can cause damage to the plaster, especially if the surface was not properly sealed before the wallpaper was hung.

3. Chemical Wallpaper Removal

Most chemical wallpaper removers have been designed to be added to hot water and used to soften old adhesives. Some of them include special enzymes that help dissolve the adhesive. However, if the old wallpaper you are about to remove is quite thick (such as non-woven), you will still need to use a perforation scoring tool or cut the wallpaper into strips to help the chemical solvent penetrate the adhesive.

Helpful Hints

    1. if the outer covering of the wallpaper is vinyl, you will need to tear it off first before soaking because neither chemical solvent nor steam can penetrate the vinyl to soften the adhesive;

Removing Wallpaper from Walls

2. After the wallpaper and adhesive residue have been removed, be sure to lightly sand the wall surface to remove any remaining roughness and create a surface suitable for bonding paint, wallpaper, or other new finish that you are going to apply;

3. If you are going to paint the walls, use a quality sealing oil based primer as a base coat before painting;

4. fabric softener can be used as a solvent for wallpaper glue - simply add about one part liquid fabric softener to two parts water in a spray bottle, shake well, spray this mixture on the wallpaper, let it soak for a few minutes and proceed to the removal of wallpaper;

5. dishwashing liquid is another product that works well for removing old wallpaper; to prepare a softener, it is enough to mix one part of a non-aggressive dishwashing liquid with about ten parts of hot water;

6. white vinegar can also be useful when removing old wallpaper - the acid it contains helps soften the wallpaper paste. To use, mix 1 part white vinegar with about 8 parts hot water. The smell quickly disappears after the walls dry.

How to remove wallpaper from plaster or drywall

If the drywall has been primed before wallpapering, you can slowly scrape or remove it from the walls without soaking. However, unprimed gypsum board or plaster may have a sheet of paper as an outer covering, and the wallpaper may be glued directly onto this paper. In this case, if you start peeling off the wallpaper without softening the glue, you can make a disaster.

So, if the walls were not primed, then remove the wallpaper from drywall or plaster as follows:

1. Remove the top layer of wallpaper, then soak the bottom layer that remains on the wall. Direct the flow of water to the top of the wall using a garden sprayer until the water runs down the wall. The wall must be very wet! After that, allow water to penetrate into the bottom layer of wallpaper, which usually takes 15-20 minutes.

2. After this time, use a scraper or spatula to carefully slide it under the bottom layer of wallpaper to lift it off the wall. If the wallpaper gets wet, the drywall surface will remain intact and can be lightly sanded before painting.

Wallpaper borders

The best way to remove wallpaper borders depends on what type of wallpaper was used, on what type of surface it was stuck and what kind of adhesive was used for this.

The easiest way to try is to heat the curb with a hair dryer, which can loosen the adhesive enough to allow you to carefully remove the curb.

Usually, if the border has been glued to the wallpaper, it is quite easy to remove it: warm it up a little with a hair dryer and use a plastic scraper to remove it from the walls. If the curb has a vinyl coating that does not allow air and moisture to pass through, then you will need to perforate the entire surface of it before heating or soaking.

If the wallpaper border has been glued to a painted wall, use warm water and a special wallpaper remover. Apply to the surface of the curb, allow to soak longer and remove with a plastic scraper.

Removing wallpaper borders

A great way to remove wallpaper borders is to steam them. Start hovering them from the bottom to the top and repeat the procedure until the curbs begin to lag behind the walls on their own.

Old wallpaper is not a hindrance to a new repair or how to quickly remove wallpaper from walls

Repairs always require surface preparation, especially when it comes to gluing new sheets. It would seem that everything is simple - he took off the old coating, glued a new one. But what if the old wallpaper is pasted in several layers or is stratified all the time? Or maybe, after removal, lumps of glue remain on the walls, or the material, being removed, “pulls” the peeled plaster behind it? At the first difficulties, it becomes obvious - you need to know certain secrets. Let's talk about them!

Contents:

  1. Is it necessary to remove the wallpaper?
  2. Methods for removing wallpaper
  3. How to remove different types of wallpaper
  4. How to remove wallpaper from drywall

Is it necessary to remove?

Do I have to decide how to remove the wallpaper, or can the old layer be used as a backing? No fixtures or preparatory work will be needed ... But this approach is initially wrong. If you do not remove the old coatings, you will receive as a result of the repair:

Old wallpaper needs to be removed

Old wallpaper must be removed to avoid unevenness and bacteria. So the question is solved unequivocally - just shoot!

Methods for removing wallpaper

There are only two main methods for removing old finishes:

  1. Dry, using a sharp metal spatula. The panel is pulled off with a spatula, and carefully removed from the wall. If an adhesive layer remains on the wall, it is washed with a damp cloth.

    2. Removing wallpaper with a spatula

  2. Wet. It is good when it was not possible to completely remove the coating with a dry method. In this case, it is better to immediately use hot water - so the process will go faster. The bottom line is this: the canvases on the wall are abundantly moistened with a spray bottle, sponge or roller, aged for 10-25 minutes, and removed. You can also clean off the old layer with a spatula, but carefully. A variation of the wet method is steaming. It is unlikely that you will purchase a professional steamer to make repairs in one room - but in small areas it is completely replaced by a hot iron.
If you happen to have a sticker from the wallpaper, it can save you from the dilemma with removal, as manufacturers usually mark the method of dismantling coatings: wet, without residue or with delamination.

Such methods are classic, but the modern construction market will offer another interesting solution - special liquids, the application of which will destroy the adhesive layer. These products are water soluble and are applied directly to the wall using a sprayer. One caveat - if you plan to remove washable (moisture-resistant) wallpaper with liquids, then you must first destroy the protective layer of the material. To do this, hard brushes go straight along the wall. After applying the washes, the walls must be washed twice - first with soapy water, and then with clean water. If this is not done, then the new canvases will not stick, because the glue layer will collapse when it hits the wall.

How to remove different types of wallpaper

When deciding how to quickly remove the finish, you need to pay attention to which particular coatings are in question. After all, interlining and paper differ both in texture and in density - it is logical that different processes are needed to remove them.

So, we remove different types of wallpaper:

How to remove wallpaper from drywall

So far we have talked about how to remove the finish from a concrete plastered wall. But if we are talking about drywall, then other rules come into force, because on top of such a sheathing there is a paper layer, the damage of which is unacceptable.

Learn more