Make This Old House My Homepage
How to Strip Wallpaper
4 to 6 hours for the average-size room

Difficulty: Moderate

depending on the age and number of layers of wallpaper and paint.



In this video, This Old House painting contractor Jim Clark explains how to strip wallpaper.


Steps:

1 Roll scoring tool over the entire wallpapered area.
2 Mix liquid wallpaper stripper with hot water in a garden sprayer.
3 Use garden sprayer to apply wallpaper stripper to wall.
4 Scrape softened wallpaper from wall with putty knife or paint scraper.
5 Use electric steamer to remove stubborn wallpaper.
6 After initial scraping and steaming, spray wall again with stripper.
7 Scrape away last bits of wallpaper with putty knife or paint scraper.
8 Scrub wall clean using coarse scrubber pad and clean water.
9 Use scraper to remove softened glue residue from clean wall.
10 Let wall dry, then apply new wallpaper, or one primer coat followed by two paint topcoats.
See products and services from this episode.

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Add new comment

The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us.

1000 characters remaining

AMERICA'S MOST TRUSTED HOME IMPROVEMENT BRAND