# Wallpaper Removal



## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

I seem to get a lot of calls for Wallpaper Removal, so I thought I'd share my approach w/ Paintalk. Kindly disregard if you have an approach that works best for you. 

Step 1A - 
Spray with DIF+Water and keep wet until paper starts to fall off the wall (about 15-30+ minutes). 
DO NOT LET DRY OUT. 









STEP 1B - REMOVE PAPER
Paper should fall away from the wall easily and without effort. Do not remove until this happens. 
(Note - Vinyl wallpaper may have to have "face" removed to allow DIF/Water to reach adhesive. Vinyl face is easily removed by pulling on a corner )











STEP 2 - WASH WALLS 
Continue to keep the walls wet. If the walls dry out you must start over, as the adhesive will harden. 
Use a Tile Spone and clean, warm water to wash down the walls. Be attentive (feel) for texture that will be unsightly in the final painting. 









STEP 3 - SEAL
This step is critical. You must seal adhesive residue, or it will cause paint failure: Gardz is a great sealer for this purpose. 
When the walls are surface dry, apply Gardz liberally, and allow to dry overnight. It will dry clear, but will be slightly shiny. 









FINAL - Ready for Paint
After the sealer is dry, the wall is now ready for paint. Re-tape walls if necessary, and paint.


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## kentdalimp (Aug 15, 2013)

We do similar, Mostly just use warm water and maybe a couple drops of blue DAWN dish soap. Biggest thing is for it to soak through the face and into the adhesive. (And that the previous adhesive was strippable to begin with.) Done a few where we ran into OLD Wheat-paste that seemed more akin to Carpet Adhesive than Wallpaper adhesive. Not much to do in those instances other than scrape, prime and skim coat.

Although I will say, be careful about how much moisture you use. Had a job one time we sprayed the wallcovering, and the bottom of the wood door jambs (sitting on a stone plinth) had not been finished/primed. They swelled and had to be touched up. That was not fun. 😐


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

We do similar, Mostly just use warm water and maybe a couple drops of blue DAWN dish soap. Biggest thing is for it to soak through the face and into the adhesive. (And that the previous adhesive was strippable to begin with.) Done a few where we ran into OLD Wheat-paste that seemed more akin to Carpet Adhesive than Wallpaper adhesive. Not much to do in those instances other than scrape, prime and skim coat.

Although I will say, be careful about how much moisture you use. Had a job one time we sprayed the wallcovering, and the bottom of the wood door jambs (sitting on a stone plinth) had not been finished/primed. They swelled and had to be touched up. That was not fun. 😐
[/QUOTE]


For sure, every wallpaper is different- I don’t offer any guarantees. Ran into a couple where the wallpaper was applied to bare Sheetrock (no primer or paint)- Permanent! 

Have had to skim coat a few also!

Agreed, it is a balance how much water to use. I put the sprayer on ‘mist’, and just keep it wet. Everything gets soggy, including the drywall - a careless scraper can cause serious damage! Must be careful. I cover everything else that is not wallpaper to protect from overspray.


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## kentdalimp (Aug 15, 2013)

> For sure, every wallpaper is different- I don’t offer any guarantees. Ran into a couple where the wallpaper was applied to bare Sheetrock (no primer or paint)- Permanent!
> 
> Have had to skim coat a few also!
> 
> Agreed, it is a balance how much water to use. I put the sprayer on ‘mist’, and just keep it wet. Everything gets soggy, including the drywall - a careless scraper can cause serious damage! Must be careful. I cover everything else that is not wallpaper to protect from overspray.


For sure! 

I used to go in into a fit whenever I would see someone using one of the Tiger Paper Scoring tools. I would always comment and I would try and tell them how to do it, and most would argue with me. Now I just let people figure it out. Too much PTSD from trying to be helpful online!


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## Masterwork (Sep 13, 2020)

Guess who's house had wallpaper on bare drywall!? My ***** house.


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## mug (Dec 22, 2010)

kentdalimp said:


> For sure!
> 
> I used to go in into a fit whenever I would see someone using one of the Tiger Paper Scoring tools. I would always comment and I would try and tell them how to do it, and most would argue with me. Now I just let people figure it out. Too much PTSD from trying to be helpful online!


That tiger removal tool has saved my butt a number of times.


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

I might add that it’s also best turning off the circuit breakers when spraying the walls down like that. We had a minor arcing incident involving a Lutron lighting switch using a similar procedure. The breaker didn’t detect the fault when the switch got wet and didn’t trip resulting in the device smoking and melting in the gang box. The solutes in the remover result in greater conductivity than water, making the remover more prone to causing electrical accidents.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

mug said:


> That tiger removal tool has saved my butt a number of times.


Paper Tigers more damage than good, IMO.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Redux said:


> I might add that it’s also best turning off the circuit breakers when spraying the walls down like that. We had a minor arcing incident involving a Lutron lighting switch using a similar procedure. The breaker didn’t detect the fault when the switch got wet and didn’t trip resulting in the device smoking and melting in the gang box. The solutes in the remover result in greater conductivity than water, making the remover more prone to causing electrical accidents.


Electricity + Water... what could possibly go wrong? 

Yes, it’s a concern. 
I tape outlets, and never spray directly, but never comfortable with it.


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

Holland said:


> Electricity + Water... what could possibly go wrong?
> 
> Yes, it’s a concern.
> I tape outlets, and never spray directly, but never comfortable with it.



I had something similar happen when bleaching an exterior and the electrical service meter started arcing making loud crackling sounds. I ended up having to call 911 because smoke started billowing from the mast conduit. When the fire department arrived they probed the interior walls with handheld infrared heat sensors just to insure nothing was on fire in the wall cavities. I also had pay for the utility company to remove and change out the connectors on the meter. 

I had read the following short article shortly after the light switch incident which stated that the number #1 risk when removing wallpaper is an electrical fire. It was somewhat of a wake up call, thinking I was pretty lucky nothing ignited other than the device. 

Electrical Safety

BTW, welcome back to PT..I always enjoyed your posts.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

First, I see if the face of the paper will come off in huge chunks or not. If it does, I do as muych dry as I can, then spray down the backing and gently scrape it off, let dry, pole sand, rehang new paper. If it doesnt, I use a paper tiger, and VERY LIGHTLY score the crap out of the paper face. IT WILL NOT damage the wall as long as you dont put ANY pressure on it. Im almost always putting paper back up, so even if it did damage it, it'd be okay. Dawn and hot water through a bug sprayer. give it some time. I have never, and never plan on using DIF. I leave switch plates on until the very end, to keep water from getting in .


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Redux said:


> I had something similar happen when bleaching an exterior and the electrical service meter started arcing making loud crackling sounds. I ended up having to call 911 because smoke started billowing from the mast conduit. When the fire department arrived they probed the interior walls with handheld infrared heat sensors just to insure nothing was on fire in the wall cavities. I also had pay for the utility company to remove and change out the connectors on the meter.
> 
> I had read the following short article shortly after the light switch incident which stated that the number #1 risk when removing wallpaper is an electrical fire. It was somewhat of a wake up call, thinking I was pretty lucky nothing ignited other than the device.
> 
> ...



You'd think exterior electrical boxes would be sealed..... I dont see why you'd have to pay for that one.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Woodco said:


> I leave switch plates on until the very end, to keep water from getting in .


I don't know why I didn't think of that. I am conditioned to remove them before working, but that is an excellent idea,


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

Woodco said:


> You'd think exterior electrical boxes would be sealed..... I dont see why you'd have to pay for that one.


Come to think of it the utility company did pick up the expense yet I did throw the utility worker a Benjamin Franklin.

The utility worker showed me the dry chloride salts from the bleach behind the can and told me just from moisture such as condensation, that the salts when going back into solution have a tendency to result in arcing.


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## Vinyl 54X (Mar 12, 2019)

I have shorted out elevator call boxes in big buildings, Those things are touchy if you loosen them!


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

I recall what I think was the earlier Diff containing sodium hydroxide which would swell and bubble up alkyd primers and trim paints if left on too long, acting like a paint remover. I’ve encountered one or two off brand wallpaper removers that still contain sodium hydroxide. Best to avoid those if you intend to leave them wet for any length of time especially if they get on alkyd trim paints.


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## Gymschu (Mar 11, 2011)

Love all of the great advice and approaches to removing wallpaper. I guess, in the end, no matter your approach, you must keep the paper wet. I tell HO's that all the time, yet their impatience causes a multitude of problems then they have to call one of us!

Warm water is key. I'm not a fan of using fabric softener, etc. Just good solid hot water from a pump sprayer is usually sufficient. A scoring tool is a last resort for me, but is necessary on some stubborn paper. One little secret that I have used multiple times is to use a cheap Wagner paint sprayer when you get to the point of removing the paper backing. The fine mist it produces allows you to quickly spray the paper without a lot of runoff onto the floor.

A side note/question: Have any of you been defeated by a paper removal? I must say, I've had 2 or 3 in 42 years where I had to walk away. One, several years ago, had paper seemingly imbedded into the drywall paper and NOTHING would budge it. I spent a day using every method known to painters, to get the paper off. I think I got 2 walls done in 2 days. The HO even took a stab at it and came away highly frustrated. I had to give up as it would have cost him a fortune to have me get all the paper off.


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## Vinyl 54X (Mar 12, 2019)

Sometimes you need a fabric softner or soap to penetrate some scotchguards or other fabric protectors some synthetics will repel just water. Also it tends to keep it wetter longer.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Oh, some paperhangers use 36 grit sandpaper instead of a scoring tool. I havent tired that, but I keep meaning too.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Having removed miles of paper myself, especially back in the 90's, my only suggestion to Holland(or anyone) is to try and remove the outer layer of paper first, prior to wetting. Alot of those papers have a water resistant coating and you really want to get the water on the backing paper..
If its giving you a fuss, then that's when the paper tiger comes in handy, so the water can penetrate through the scoring into the backing paper.
I also just use hot water. That DIF is just nasty.
Oh, and instead of a pump sprayer, I just use a brush and roller.


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## Masterwork (Sep 13, 2020)

A lot of the wallpaper remover stuff is actually pretty toxic. I only use hot water, then wash the walls with dish soap after.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

finishesbykevyn said:


> Having removed miles of paper myself, especially back in the 90's, my only suggestion to Holland(or anyone) is to try and remove the outer layer of paper first, prior to wetting. Alot of those papers have a water resistant coating and you really want to get the water on the backing paper..
> If its giving you a fuss, then that's when the paper tiger comes in handy, so the water can penetrate through the scoring into the backing paper.
> I also just use hot water. That DIF is just nasty.
> Oh, and instead of a pump sprayer, I just use a brush and roller.


No way (no how) a brush and roller is better than a sprayer. 
A pump sprayer cuts the time and effort in half (or more), and doesn't drip as much. SOOOO much easier. 

Even the water-resistant coatings will usually penetrate (or get soggy) after a while (except Vinyl paper, which is easy to de-face).

DIF is not bad, makes the room smell like flowers (laden in a light blue chemical bath). The concentrated version has a ratio of about a cup to a gallon.

I would consider trying the 36 grit paper if necessity demanded it, but never the Paper Tiger. 
(have you ever looked up the definition of a "Paper Tiger"? Appropriate!).


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Holland said:


> No way (no how) a brush and roller is better than a sprayer.
> A pump sprayer cuts the time and effort in half (or more), and doesn't drip as much. SOOOO much easier.
> 
> Even the water-resistant coatings will usually penetrate (or get soggy) after a while (except Vinyl paper, which is easy to de-face).
> ...


I'm not saying its better. Its just the way I have done it. Works well for me.


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

I’ve been pretty much limited to using brush and roller applied gel removers due to the adjoining building materials on the homes I work on being susceptible to water spotting and staining. 

Although the removal is quicker with liquid removers, I’ve come to enjoy working with the DIFF Gel.


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## kentdalimp (Aug 15, 2013)

Redux said:


> I’ve been pretty much limited to using brush and roller applied gel removers due to the adjoining building materials on the homes I work on being susceptible to water spotting and staining.
> 
> Although the removal is quicker with liquid removers, I’ve come to enjoy working with the DIFF Gel.


Going to have to agree with Redux that Better or worse depends on the situation. Pump Sprayer is great for a lot of instances, but isn't always feasible. There are Plenty of times that I have been limited to a Sponge and Bucket due to the delicateness of the surrounding finishes. They all serve a purpose. 

...Except the Paper Tiger. That's just silly.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Let me also add on here, that if you are ever to remove a colored grasscloth, You either need to use a gel, or even just roll wallpaper paste on it to wet it . If you use water, he vegetable dye will run down and stain whatever is underneath it.


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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

Anyone here ever try using Safe and Simple? Wallpaper Removal Products

futtyos


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## IKnowNothing (Oct 15, 2020)

futtyos said:


> Anyone here ever try using Safe and Simple? Wallpaper Removal Products
> 
> futtyos


NO!. I JUST USE GARDZ!


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

futtyos said:


> Anyone here ever try using Safe and Simple? Wallpaper Removal Products
> 
> futtyos


Ive never heard of it, nor have I seen it mentioned in my wallpaper groups. The Majority of us just put a little Dawn in hot water. It really doesnt take much to rewet paste as long as it can get through the face of the paper. Maybe Diff or that stuff would work good trying to strip stuff hung with non-strippable clay... Thats usually only used for heavy commercial vinyl though, which should rip right off the wall anyway.


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## IKnowNothing (Oct 15, 2020)

Woodco said:


> Ive never heard of it, nor have I seen it mentioned in my wallpaper groups. The Majority of us just put a little Dawn in hot water. It really doesnt take much to rewet paste as long as it can get through the face of the paper. Maybe Diff or that stuff would work good trying to strip stuff hung with non-strippable clay... Thats usually only used for heavy commercial vinyl though, which should rip right off the wall anyway.


Well ...it's a blend of GARDZ.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

futtyos said:


> Anyone here ever try using Safe and Simple? Wallpaper Removal Products
> 
> futtyos


Would be interested in hearing more about it. DIF is probably pretty unhealthy, although it seems to work well.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

IKnowNothing said:


> Well ...it's a blend of GARDZ.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Woodco said:


> Ive never heard of it, nor have I seen it mentioned in my wallpaper groups. The Majority of us just put a little Dawn in hot water. It really doesnt take much to rewet paste as long as it can get through the face of the paper. Maybe Diff or that stuff would work good trying to strip stuff hung with non-strippable clay... Thats usually only used for heavy commercial vinyl though, which should rip right off the wall anyway.


I think DIF helps remove the wallpaper adhesive for a clean, smooth wall.
After the paper is off, the residue wipes clean with a sponge and warm water without much effort. Will water do that?


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

I thought DIF was just more of a conditioner to help keep the paper wet longer.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Holland said:


> I think DIF helps remove the wallpaper adhesive for a clean, smooth wall.
> After the paper is off, the residue wipes clean with a sponge and warm water without much effort. Will water do that?


Water with some Dawn in it will.


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

finishesbykevyn said:


> I thought DIF was just more of a conditioner to help keep the paper wet longer.


Diff contains an enzyme, amylase, which breaks down starch pastes and is also a digestive enzyme which breaks down starch foods. Some of the older school painters I’ve worked with would often refer to wallpaper removers simply as “enzyme”.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Woodco said:


> Water with some Dawn in it will.


How would the soap water work with a pump sprayer? I'm guessing it will look exactly like this picture.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

I dont put enough in to cause any kind of sudsing.


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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

Woodco said:


> Ive never heard of it, nor have I seen it mentioned in my wallpaper groups. The Majority of us just put a little Dawn in hot water. It really doesnt take much to rewet paste as long as it can get through the face of the paper. Maybe Diff or that stuff would work good trying to strip stuff hung with non-strippable clay... Thats usually only used for heavy commercial vinyl though, which should rip right off the wall anyway.


Woodco, here is a link to a Paint Talk thread where I discuss Safe and Simple:









Wallpaper is off but glue remains


Allprime vs Gardz My BM Dealer didn't have Gardz but had AllPrime. Said it was the same. Same mfg. https://www.amazon.com/ALLPRIME-Water-Base-Problem-Surface-Sealer/dp/B01N7ONLAZ/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_60_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BS54NDPXDYDZKVBT61YX I'm sure it will work out. I went over...




www.painttalk.com





I also called the company and spoke with Mike as I recall:





__





Contact Us | Wallpaper Removal Products






safeandsimple.mysimplestore.com





I called him and we spoke for at least an hour. He was trying to convince me on the merits of starting a wallpaper removal service. He was very informative and helpful. I would not hesitate to give him a call if I were you.

futtyos


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

futtyos said:


> Woodco, here is a link to a Paint Talk thread where I discuss Safe and Simple:
> 
> http://[URL]https://www.painttalk.com/threads/wallpaper-is-off-but-glue-remains.93069/page-2[/URL]
> 
> ...


Im good on that one.... I dont see any wallpaper removal business being lucrative, in my city at least.. I've only had to do it two or three times in the last year, and two of them were super easy, and I got to hanging new paper up within two hours. I think Mike is just trying to sell his product....


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

Although maybe TLDR, I figured I’d share a story..

I did a commercial vinyl removal-new installl gone bad which was originally installed with non-strippable clay over primed & sized drywall. Priming and installing new vinyl over the existing or re-rocking wasn’t an option. 

Although my initial gut told me to avoid doing the project at all costs, I needed to proceed due to the client being one of my largest accounts, the relationship spanning 14 years and the client being the then CEO & owner of Barnes & Noble & B Datlon Books, and didn’t want to risk losing the account, especially due to future commercial prospects of doing the bookstores. 

We perforated the vinyl and used what I think was a caustic gel remover yet still ended up pulling a large percentage of the gypsum board paper off the gypsum when removing the vinyl. After the wall surfaces dried for a day, we removed as much of the delaminated paper as we could followed by priming with a Gardz-like primer. The walls were then lined with fiberglass mesh embedded in a setting type compound followed by skimming 2x’s with AP, tapping all the compound when dried with fingertips listening for any delaminated gypsum paper, cutting out and repairing any delaminated paper beneath the repair work which was minimal. Once comfortable everything was sound and tight, just to be safe we double oil primed following by acrylic sizing done to manufacturer’s spec and installed the new vinyl, the installation going without a glitch. 

I was initially concerned about the potential for moisture from the heavy duty clear starch paste specified by the manufacture permeating the primers and repair work resulting in the comprised gypsum paper delaminating due to the weight of the vinyl and the manufacturer having changed up their paste specs from low water content clay adhesives to the much higher water content starch clears. I had a lengthy discussion with the manufacturer over the use of the heavy duty starch clear and the water content vs clay, but was assured it was the way to go.

9 days later I got a call from the owner’s rep asking me to stop by to take a look at some huge air pockets beneath the vinyl. After scoring the vinyl, the paste was still sopping wet just as the day it was installed and the moisture penetrated through the primers and repair work, bubbling the compromised gypsum paper from the gypsum. My heart literally sunk with the thought of having to remove it, or possibly having to assume the cost for a complete drywall removal/re-rock. 

After explaining the situation to the client’s wife, she decided to just have us remove the newly installed vinyl, repair everything, and paint it out. I submitted an invoice for all the work, and got paid without a glitch, but it resulted in the client terminating their 14 year business relationship with my company. It was pretty much lose-lose right from the start.


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## Masterwork (Sep 13, 2020)

That's rough. People don't understand they're asking for something that isn't possible, and think you just aren't up to the job. It'll come back to bite them again, one day.


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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

Woodco said:


> Im good on that one.... I dont see any wallpaper removal business being lucrative, in my city at least.. I've only had to do it two or three times in the last year, and two of them were super easy, and I got to hanging new paper up within two hours. I think Mike is just trying to sell his product....


Woodco, Mike is in the Los Angeles area and I am in the Chicago area, 10 million plus pop for both metropolitan areas. Mike was probably thinking that there is a lot of wallpaper removal in my neck of the woods as it is in his.

Regardless of the business end of wallpaper removal, I do recommend getting a pint of Safe and Simple to try out. When you have taken off the top of the wallpaper dry, then wet down the paper backing and taken that down to the glue (just trying to see if Chrisn will show up), you might find a solution of Safe and Simple will help you get the glue off quickly and without any fumes or odors.

futtyos


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

I am on another wallpaper removal project this week...
This one is turning into a nightmare. 

The glue seems to have very little to no reaction to the DIF/water solution (still very gummy), and the paper face only came off (somewhat easily) after a couple hours of keeping moist. The place looked like a crime scene when I left this afternoon.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Holland said:


> I am on another wallpaper removal project this week...
> This one is turning into a nightmare.
> 
> The glue seems to have very little to no reaction to the DIF/water solution (still very gummy), and the paper face only came off (somewhat easily) after a couple hours of keeping moist. The place looked like a crime scene when I left this afternoon.
> ...


Gross. I wonder if a steamer would help..


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## Joe67 (Aug 12, 2016)

I feel you. I hate wallpaper. It should either be permanent, installed only with re-positional glue, or illegal.


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## kentdalimp (Aug 15, 2013)

I just walked in after stripping one today. 1500+ Square Feet Commercial Vinyl. Actually Dry stripped it with only 1 little spot that tore back to the Paper on the Gyp Board. Knocked off the loose bit with a knife and Primed everything with Guardz. Heading in tomorrow to do a tight skim on about 1/2 the surface and some other light patching. Hoping to start hanging on Wednesday and head home on Saturday. Hoping to be back in SoCal before the snow starts falling in Eastern Utah. 

I've been really happy with Roman 880 for hanging and stripping, but I sure don't like wallpaper. 

Poor Holland has a mess on his hands!


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## Joe67 (Aug 12, 2016)

Worst one I ever had, partly just because of the psychological effect. It was about 1000 sqft. Upstairs landing, down the stairs, down the hall, hall bath, then into the kitchen. I'm a painter so I started up top and worked down. I forget what I was using but wet it down for a while, and the stuff just rolled right off the walls beautifully. Whole sheets on the floor and into the bag. Very satisfying. I got all the way to the kitchen in 1/2 the time I thought. Loving it. Then, ahem. I hit the kitchen. It was worse than those pics Holland posted. It was like somebody laid it down with krazy glue or something. What a freaking mess. So what started out feeling like gravy turned into a nightmare. I never figured out why - not a wall paper guy. It got done...eventually.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Joe67 said:


> Worst one I ever had, partly just because of the psychological effect. It was about 1000 sqft. Upstairs landing, down the stairs, down the hall, hall bath, then into the kitchen. I'm a painter so I started up top and worked down. I forget what I was using but wet it down for a while, and the stuff just rolled right off the walls beautifully. Whole sheets on the floor and into the bag. Very satisfying. I got all the way to the kitchen in 1/2 the time I thought. Loving it. Then, ahem. I hit the kitchen. It was worse than those pics Holland posted. It was like somebody laid it down with krazy glue or something. What a freaking mess. So what started out feeling like gravy turned into a nightmare. I never figured out why - not a wall paper guy. It got done...eventually.


That's how it felt today - about halfway through I knew it was going to be a challenge. Like you said, the psychological effect.
Wonder if maybe it's a wheat paste or something other than the typical paste... not a wallpaper guy either. I've done quite a few wallpaper removals, and not sure why this one won't release...?



finishesbykevyn said:


> I wonder if a steamer would help..


Last resort option (at this point) but is a good suggestion!


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

kentdalimp said:


> I just walked in after stripping one today. 1500+ Square Feet Commercial Vinyl. Actually Dry stripped it with only 1 little spot that tore back to the Paper on the Gyp Board. Knocked off the loose bit with a knife and Primed everything with Guardz. Heading in tomorrow to do a tight skim on about 1/2 the surface and some other light patching. Hoping to start hanging on Wednesday and head home on Saturday. Hoping to be back in SoCal before the snow starts falling in Eastern Utah.
> 
> I've been really happy with Roman 880 for hanging and stripping, but I sure don't like wallpaper.
> 
> Poor Holland has a mess on his hands!


Commercial Vinyl. HA! Not sure that even counts as wallpaper removal!


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## Joe67 (Aug 12, 2016)

A steamer isn't the last resort. Business insurance plus:










(Ok, just to be clear, I'm just kidding around...)


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

If they dont release, its usually because it wasnt primed right, or not primed at all....


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

Joe67 said:


> A steamer isn't the last resort. Business insurance plus:
> 
> View attachment 110957
> 
> ...


Unfortunately, a plumbing contractor I worked with wasn’t kidding...he blew up a massive solid granite constructed home that I had completed just hours before, also taking his own life in the process by emptying 1000 gal tank of propane into the basement and firing off a shotgun. I had pulled an all-nighter in my shop the morning of, packaging up all the cabinetry which was scheduled to be delivered hours after the tragic incident.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Woodco said:


> If they dont release, its usually because it wasnt primed right, or not primed at all....


 I would opt for not being primed correctly. 
There is something white that was painted on intentionally, you can see the outlines around door and window frames. 

Whatever they used causes the paste to stick 'better' intros areas; It releases more easily in the areas where the primer is 'not". 

Round Two Today


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Redux said:


> Unfortunately, a plumbing contractor I worked with wasn’t kidding...he blew up a massive solid granite constructed home that I had completed just hours before, also taking his own life in the process by emptying 1000 gal tank of propane into the basement and firing off a shotgun. I had pulled an all-nighter in my shop the morning of, packaging up all the cabinetry which was scheduled to be delivered hours after the tragic incident.


Did they ever find out what triggered it? Was he stressed out, or have personal life issues? 
That is tragic, and such a selfish way to end it - I'm going to just say it.


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

Holland said:


> Did they ever find out what triggered it? Was he stressed out, or have personal life issues?
> That is tragic, and such a selfish way to end it - I'm going to just say it.


The project was out of town, a good 170 miles away, so I didn’t personally know the plumber being he was local to that region, or the circumstances leading up to or following the incident. It was initially deemed a suicide, being that a shotgun was found in the basement rubble.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Frank Lloyd Wright houses were plagued with all sorts of problems similar to that story. Made me think of that.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Holland said:


> I would opt for not being primed correctly.
> There is something white that was painted on intentionally, you can see the outlines around door and window frames.
> 
> Whatever they used causes the paste to stick 'better' intros areas; It releases more easily in the areas where the primer is 'not".
> ...


Do you think that was just trim overspray? The last kitchen I stripped had that, except with the opposite. The paper released around the trim, but not in the body where it wasnt primed.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Holland - 1
Wallpaper - 0


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Woodco said:


> Do you think that was just trim overspray? The last kitchen I stripped had that, except with the opposite. The paper released around the trim, but not in the body where it wasnt primed.



It seemed to remove easiest where the "primer" was thinnest. Although, I have another theory, is that they over-applied the paste. It was really difficult to remove two walls in particular, and had to scrape the paste off with a putty knife (they were the worst walls - pictured below).

You can see the halo where the primer was thin around the doors.
I speculate that it was indeed wheat paste, and doubling the DIF actually helped, but did not help as much as I would have liked. Glad that's done.








This paper was wet for at least 5 hours yesterday, and again for 2 hours this morning. Still would not budge.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

I sometimes wonder if re-drywalling would just be easier..🤔


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

finishesbykevyn said:


> I sometimes wonder if re-drywalling would just be easier..🤔


I've thought about this...
Sometimes re-drywalling is the only practical option (eg., when they paste directly into board without primer)

In this case it is "paint ready" in about 14 hours.
I don't think re-drywalling would save the customer any time or money, and the hassle would be multiplied. Not to mention, it would still have to be painted again.

As long as @Woodco keeps papering, it is job security for the rest of us!


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

If its that stuck, just prime over it and skimcoat.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Woodco said:


> If its that stuck, just prime over it and skimcoat.


I’m not as comfortable skim coating. The edges were all curling.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

I like seeing all the old patterns of paper, and trying to guess the vintage.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Turned out great! 👍👊


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

TBH, even though I am hanging paper full time now, I only have to do a removal a couple times a year.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Woodco said:


> TBH, even though I am hanging paper full time now, I only have to do a removal a couple times a year.


It's funny (ironic?), I never learned how to hang paper - it was trending away from paper when I started.

My boss at the time was known around town for being a good paper hanger, however he never hung any while I worked for him. I have since received a few requests to do so, but, since I don't actually know how to do it, I just passed them on.

Seems to be trending back to paper again.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

finishesbykevyn said:


> Turned out great! 👍👊


Thanks man


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## kmp (Jan 30, 2011)

I have removed a fair amount of paper over the years and I have the patience to do it. It has never been popular anywhere in the west where I have lived and I never learned to hang it. To be perfectly honest I never liked it, even before I started painting.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Feature walls are totally in. Its a cool niche thing to do these days and you can charge good money for it as not many guys are doing it anymore... are they?


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Thought I would continue this thread for future reference:

I'm removing wallpaper from another room - same place as "nightmare" job. Thought I would take a different approach this time, because I had so much difficulty the last time - looks like the same paper was used.

@Woodco I tried one of your suggestions/comments using sandpaper and 36 grit this time, and actually made the removal go a lot smoother. About 1/2 hour to sand the room, with just one quick pass over everything. You can see how the DIF/water penetrated the backing.

I was able to remove the face, and then the backing the same day (about 5 hours)

I ran into a few spot where the installer over-applied the paste, but they were only in a few places. Used a putty knife to scrape it away from the wall, and continued to wash it down with a tile sponge and clean water.


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## kentdalimp (Aug 15, 2013)

Glad the second round was easier than the first! Hopefully you made up some margin!

Still not a fan of wallpaper though!


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## Masterwork (Sep 13, 2020)

I've come across two jobs in the last 4 years where they wanted wall coverings. I didn't quote either of them because I've never done it. It's definitely not popular around here.

I've also turned down a few wallpaper removal jobs, because nobody wants to pay the price lol. You never know what you'll find in a 100 year old house, but I guarantee it won't be me stripping wallpaper.


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## cardgunner (Feb 29, 2016)

@Holland have you tried spraying hot water thru your my3sons sprayer? I have not done a lot a paper removal but I have always had moderate success spraying very hot water with vinegar. I have not tried this thru my new sprayer. I'd probably just use a cheap hand pump as I don't want to risk damage to the sprayer. BTW that sprayer is worth every penny.

Also had do others contractors contain the water on the floor? I lay plastic down then cover with tarps. Those tarps are so wet and gummed up at the end of day I have to wash, then hang dry, and grab new tarps for the next day. However tarps don't hold the run off water very well. So I get towels soak up what is left and pray there wasn't a hole in the plastic. Am I spraying too much?


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

cardgunner said:


> @Holland have you tried spraying hot water thru your my3sons sprayer? I have not done a lot a paper removal but I have always had moderate success spraying very hot water with vinegar. I have not tried this thru my new sprayer. I'd probably just use a cheap hand pump as I don't want to risk damage to the sprayer. BTW that sprayer is worth every penny.
> 
> Also had do others contractors contain the water on the floor? I lay plastic down then cover with tarps. Those tarps are so wet and gummed up at the end of day I have to wash, then hang dry, and grab new tarps for the next day. However tarps don't hold the run off water very well. So I get towels soak up what is left and pray there wasn't a hole in the plastic. Am I spraying too much?


Yes, used hot water. Didn't seem to affect the sprayer, and think it helped w/ the removal. The sprayer has def. paid for itself in convenience and functionality!
The last two were on tile, so I didn't worry too much about the moisture, but it got pretty wet. Probably need plastic every time, which is a good suggestion, also towels not a bad idea!
Had to hang dry three or four tarps, because they were wet and a little gummed up (used old tarps). The customer let me use his garage, so I hung them over a couple step ladders.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Masterwork said:


> I've come across two jobs in the last 4 years where they wanted wall coverings. I didn't quote either of them because I've never done it. It's definitely not popular around here.
> 
> I've also turned down a few wallpaper removal jobs, because nobody wants to pay the price lol. You never know what you'll find in a 100 year old house, but I guarantee it won't be me stripping wallpaper.


lol!


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

If you guys want to see what I've been doing lately. I dont even paint anymore. Theres very little competition, the actual labor is way easier, and its twice the money of painting, and I dont have to put up with anyones crap. Login • Instagram


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Woodco said:


> If you guys want to see what I've been doing lately. I dont even paint anymore. Theres very little competition, the actual labor is way easier, and its twice the money of painting, and I dont have to put up with anyones crap. Login • Instagram


Some nice work! 

You'll get talked into painting again. 100% chance of it happening!!


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## jr.sr. painting (Dec 6, 2013)

Anyone have luck with steamers? They work very good for us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Ramus8T (Jan 14, 2020)

jr.sr. painting said:


> Anyone have luck with steamers? They work very good for us.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


They work but were slow when I used them. Faster to spray it down, plus the amount of humidity a steamer creates tend to be annoying. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## kmp (Jan 30, 2011)

I use a steamer when I remove wall covering, which is not often. It works real well for me and the water mess is less. I don't like the stuff and not much of it around here but there are lot of diy boarder bands at the wall ceiling that are a pain. They have glue rather than paste and removal is real slow.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Ramus8T said:


> They work but were slow when I used them. Faster to spray it down, plus the amount of humidity a steamer creates tend to be annoying.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


agree. slower to use and unpleasant.
Last time I used one I had hot water running down my forearm, and dripping all over my frontside getting my clothes wet. I can see using them for Borders, or impossible paper, but I would never use them for anything else.


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## celicaxx (May 29, 2015)

Redux said:


> I might add that it’s also best turning off the circuit breakers when spraying the walls down like that. We had a minor arcing incident involving a Lutron lighting switch using a similar procedure. The breaker didn’t detect the fault when the switch got wet and didn’t trip resulting in the device smoking and melting in the gang box. The solutes in the remover result in greater conductivity than water, making the remover more prone to causing electrical accidents.


I once tripped a GFCI during a bathroom popcorn ceiling removal with a garden sprayer. :/


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Holland said:


> Thought I would continue this thread for future reference:
> 
> I'm removing wallpaper from another room - same place as "nightmare" job. Thought I would take a different approach this time, because I had so much difficulty the last time - looks like the same paper was used.
> 
> ...


At what point did you pull the grinder out?


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Woodco said:


> If you guys want to see what I've been doing lately. I dont even paint anymore. Theres very little competition, the actual labor is way easier, and its twice the money of painting, and I dont have to put up with anyones crap. Login • Instagram


Wallpaper is such a fantastic skill. It really does take patience. I've probably only done a couple dozen jobs in the last few years, so getting better at it. @Woodco, do you always apply a coat of gardz before you hang? Also, I assume you mostly work alone? Great stuff btw.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

finishesbykevyn said:


> Wallpaper is such a fantastic skill. It really does take patience. I've probably only done a couple dozen jobs in the last few years, so getting better at it. @Woodco, do you always apply a coat of gardz before you hang? Also, I assume you mostly work alone? Great stuff btw.


 Mostly alone. I have a couple freelance helpers whn I get ceilings, or stairwells or big jobs.

I us gardz over raw mud, and sometimes over paint. Other times I use romans 977 if I need it white. It also dries quick. I just got SW to order me drawtite, so I'll be using that instead of gardz.


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## ParamountPaint (Aug 25, 2016)

If anyone needs some work, I've got a large commercial job to strip in WV near Morgantown. I'll even buy lunch and dinner, but it's night shift work.

Hope springs eternal!


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## Samuel (Jan 15, 2021)

Use a scoring tool to create holes in the wallpaper. Use a spray bottle to soak the paper. Spray water into the slits so it can work its way behind the covering. Wait about 10 minutes and then scrape off the paper with a putty knife.


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