Alternatives to Peeling Wallpaper

• Peeling your wallpaper off may be difficult, but there are a few other options. Gary Houlder/Lifesize/Getty Images

  Removing wallpaper from your walls can be a tricky process. The method you use will depend on both the age and condition of your wallpaper and the type of surface beneath. The simplest way to remove wallpaper is peeling it up; however, this can be impossible if your wallpaper is very old as it will stick to the wall in spots. Fortunately, you can employ several alternatives to peeling wallpaper.

Soaking

• Using a combination of water and wallpaper removal solvent to dampen the wallpaper often makes it easier to scrape off the wall. To soak your wallpaper, either mix the solvent and water in a spray bottle, or pour it in a pan and use a paint roller. If the surface beneath your wallpaper is drywall, take care not to use too much water as it may permanently damage the wall.

Scoring

• Scoring is a technique used prior to soaking that tends to work well with particularly stubborn wallpaper. A wallpaper scoring tool, which you can find at nearly any hardware store, perforates the surface of the paper, allowing the solvent to soak through and making it easier to scrape up the paper.

Steam

• Wallpaper steamers are available to rent or purchase at hardware stores. The steam from the machine serves to soften the wallpaper to the point at which you can scrape the paper off with a putty knife. This technique may be necessary if the surface beneath your wallpaper was not properly sealed prior to putting up the wallpaper.