During cosmetic repairs, manyare faced with the problem of removing old wallpaper. In order for the walls to look perfect and have no flaws after the renovation is completed, you need to completely remove all pieces of old decorative finishing from the work surface. This work is labor-intensive and requires patience. Often, in order not to waste their energy and nerves, many prefer to leave everything as is and stick new wallpaper over the old ones.
In order for the new wallpaper to lay flat and smooth, it is necessary to carefully remove the old one. There are several reasons why you should not do this:
Necessary tools and materials
To remove the old decorative coating you will need:
Wallpaper removal tools and products.
- wide and narrow spatula;
- a special liquid for removing wallpaper or warm water;
- roller;
- polyethylene film;
- paper tape;
- a knife on plasterboard;
- paint roller;
- respirator;
- steam generator.
Before you start removing wallpaper from the walls,it is necessary to take out the furniture and fix polyethylene on the floor with tape. The film will protect the floor surface from dirt. All sockets and switches are de-energized and sealed with masking tape. This completes the preparatory stage. Regardless of the type of wallpaper, before you begin to remove it, you need to make several cuts on each track (tape). Return to the table of contents</a>
Removal of paper wallpapers
Paper wallpaper can be considered the most difficulttype, since their removal will require more time and effort, compared to other types of this finishing material. The difficulty is that they are easily deformed - they tear. In addition, it is possible that if the repair is carried out in an old house, there may be several more layers of wallpaper under the old ones that were not removed during previous cosmetic repairs. There is also a possibility that the walls may be covered with newspapers, which were often used as a base in the past. Removal methods:
Scheme for removing wallpaper using a spatula.Method #1. Soak paper wallpaper with water and vinegar or fabric softener. Apply the resulting solution to the wall surface with a roller or regular sponge. The paper needs to soak, so wait a while before removing it — 20 minutes. Once the paper has soaked, it will peel off easily. Use a spatula to separate the wallpaper from the wall. The areas that are poorly soaked will tear. Therefore, the remaining pieces of wallpaper (that have not peeled off) are additionally treated with an aqueous solution. They may need to be soaked several times to completely clean the wall surface.
To remove wallpaper you can usespecial products that soften and destroy the glue. Method No. 2. Using a special liquid. Now the construction market offers a large number of solvents that have good penetrating ability and are safe for humans. The liquid for removal is diluted with a certain amount of water (its amount is indicated on the packaging and, depending on the manufacturer, may differ) and applied to the walls. The active substance, which is part of the liquid, quickly softens and destroys the structure of the glue. After a few minutes of exposure to such a solution, you can easily remove the wallpaper from the wall surface. No matter how strange it may seem, but if you add a little wallpaper glue to the liquid used, apply it to the wall and wait until it dries completely, the paper will peel off in whole layers. Method No. 3. One of the best ways to remove wallpaper is considered to be using a steam generator.
Under the influence of steam, the glue swells and the wallpaper quicklyare removed. Hot steam is supplied to the wall, and under its influence the glue swells. This method is good not only for removing paper-type decorative finishing, but also for non-woven or vinyl wallpaper. Since purchasing a steam generator for one-time use can be considered inappropriate, it is recommended to use a regular iron with a steamer function and a fabric rag. Method No. 4. If the old wallpaper was pasted with PVA, then you will have to remove it manually, since this glue does not dissolve under the influence of water, steam or a special liquid. The main pieces of paper are peeled off with a spatula. To get rid of the remaining fragments that the spatula could not scrape off, you can use a round metal brush that is installed on a drill. You can also remove the remains with a grinder. Return to the table of contents</a>
Removal of non-woven and vinyl wallpaper
Wallpaper of this type is durable and haswaterproof top layer. For this reason, in order to remove them from the wall without difficulty, you need to use a knife or tiger. Several horizontal cuts are made on each strip, and then the wall is generously moistened with water or a special liquid for removing wallpaper. Through these cuts, moisture will penetrate the dried glue, and it will swell. The edge of the canvas is lifted with a spatula, and the strip is easily separated from the wall surface. To remove wallpaper from a wall made of plasterboard, it is better to use specially designed chemical glue solvents, but you can also use water. Do not apply a large amount of liquid, since the plasterboard has a paper base. If the wallpaper was glued with PVA, then it will be difficult to maintain the integrity of the plasterboard.
