The short answer is, “That depends.” Wallpaper has gotten a bad rep over the years, often a signal that a house has not been redecorated in a while. However, recently, wallpaper has made a comeback in recent years, and has come a long way from overgrown floral motifs, offering modern clean lines and a new way to decorate.
However, if you’re stuck in an overgrown floral wallpaper mess, hiring a professional paint contractor to remove your outdated wallpaper can save you a lot of time and headache. Here are the steps Three Brothers Painting typically takes in a wallpaper removal job.
Our Wallpaper Removal Process
Our wallpaper removal process starts with perforating the paper with a special tool that rotates and lifts waterproof wall covering to allow removal solution to penetrate and loosen adhesive. Sometimes, we use additional steam to help loosen the adhesive behind the paper, or a rag saturated with warm water. Once the paper is nice and wet, we start scraping from the top down with a spatula about four inches wide, making sure to remove both the top of the paper and the adhesive backing.
Sometimes (very rarely) the paper will come off without damaging the walls. But usually, and especially if the walls were not primed beforehand, the paper will damage the drywall, and a coat of skim has to be applied anywhere the drywall is damaged and allowed to dry overnight. Then, our crew will sand it smooth, prime with an oil-based primer, and check again for drywall imperfections. Lastly, we will spot check with sheetrock mud, followed by spot priming, and then the walls are ready for paint.
If you’re suffering from outdated wallpaper, don’t hesitate to contact Three Brothers Painting so we can breathe new life back into your walls.