How to Remove Wallpaper (and When to Paint Over It Instead)

Wallpaper removal has a reputation as a miserable job, but much of the misery comes from fighting the wrong type of paper or digging into the drywall underneath. Identifying the paper and protecting the wall surface turn it into a manageable, if messy, project.

Identify your wallpaper

Pry up a corner with a putty knife and pull slowly.

What happens	Type	Removal method
Whole sheet peels off cleanly	Strippable	Pull dry; wash off any residue
Top vinyl layer peels, paper backing stays	Peelable	Peel the face, then soak and scrape the backing
Paper tears in small pieces	Traditional pasted paper	Score, soak and scrape
Several layers of paper	Layered	Remove one layer at a time
Paper is over plaster that crumbles	Plaster walls	Work gently; repair plaster afterward

Before you start

Turn off power to outlets and switches in the room at the breaker, remove cover plates and cover the boxes with tape, because you will be using water. Protect floors with plastic under towels, since plastic alone becomes slippery.

If the house was built before 1978, painted surfaces under or near the paper may contain lead, which the EPA notes is more likely in homes of that age. Avoid dry sanding or scraping painted surfaces until you know.

Remove traditional wallpaper

1. Score the paper lightly with a scoring tool in circles. The goal is small perforations so solution can soak in. Pressing hard gouges the drywall paper.
2. Soak a section of a few square feet with warm water mixed with a little dish soap, or a commercial wallpaper remover, using a sprayer. Wait several minutes for the adhesive to soften.
3. Scrape with a wide plastic scraper held at a low angle, pushing under the paper. If it resists, soak again rather than forcing it.
4. Repeat section by section. For stubborn paper, a rented wallpaper steamer softens adhesive faster.

Remove the adhesive

Leftover paste causes paint to crack and peel. Wash the walls with warm water and a sponge, or a remover solution, changing the water often, until the surface no longer feels slick or tacky. Rinse with clean water and let the walls dry completely, at least overnight, with good ventilation. The EPA’s moisture guidance recommends drying damp building materials within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold.

Repair the drywall

If the brown paper layer of the drywall tore or bubbled, do not skim it with joint compound directly; the moisture will make it bubble. Seal torn areas first with an oil- or shellac-based primer, then skim with joint compound, sand and prime again before painting.

Should you paint over wallpaper instead?

Painting over wallpaper can work when the paper is smooth, firmly attached everywhere, and not vinyl-coated, and when removing it would badly damage old plaster. Seams and edges must be glued down, the surface cleaned, and an oil-based or shellac-based primer applied so water-based paint does not loosen the paste. The trade-off is that future removal becomes much harder, and any loose areas will show through. For most drywall walls, removal gives a better, longer-lasting result.

Wallpaper over unprimed drywall

The hardest removals are walls where paper was hung directly on unprimed drywall, because the paste bonds to the drywall’s paper face. If the face tears with almost every scrape, stop soaking heavily and test a gentler method: less water, more patience and a sharper, flatter scraper angle. Sometimes the best result is to remove the top layer, seal the remaining backing with an oil- or shellac-based primer and skim-coat the wall.

Ventilation

Wallpaper removers, primers and solvents release volatile organic compounds, which the EPA notes can build up indoors during use. Open windows and use fans to move air outside, especially when using oil- or shellac-based primers.

Common mistakes

• Scoring too deep and shredding the drywall face.
• Using a metal scraper at a steep angle.
• Leaving adhesive residue before painting.
• Skimming over torn drywall paper without sealing it first.
• Getting water into live electrical boxes.

When to call a pro

Call a painting or drywall contractor for very large areas, multiple layers over old plaster, walls where removal is tearing through the drywall in many places, or pre-1978 homes where painted surfaces will be disturbed and lead has not been ruled out. A professional can also skim-coat walls that have been badly damaged during removal.