How to Remove Wallpaper: Steps, Tools and When to Call a Pro

To remove wallpaper, test a corner to see if it is strippable and peels off dry. If not, score the surface, soak it with hot water or a stripping solution for 5 to 10 minutes, and scrape it off at a low angle. Then remove the backing, wash off every trace of paste, let the wall dry, and seal it before you paint.

That last part decides whether the paint holds. Paste left on the wall can soften again under the moisture in fresh paint and show up later as cracking, bubbling or peeling, which is why sealers such as Zinsser Gardz are made to seal in old wallpaper adhesive [2]. The steps below cover the whole job, and the sections after them cover what makes a wall harder than it looks and when to hand it to our wallpaper removal service.

How do you remove wallpaper step by step?

Work one wall at a time, in sections you can scrape before the solution dries. The times below come from Sherwin-Williams’ removal instructions [1] and Zinsser’s sealer guidance [2].

If you hit torn brown drywall paper during step 6, stop scraping that area. Skim compound over raw drywall paper tends to bubble, which is why the sealer goes on before the patch there, not after [2].

Why wallpaper removal can be difficult

The method depends on the wallpaper type, the adhesive, the number of layers and the wall underneath. A single strippable layer on primed drywall may take an afternoon; the same room with three layers over unprimed drywall can take days.

These conditions slow every step:

• Multiple layers, each with its own paste.
• Vinyl-coated paper that sheds water until it is scored.
• Paper hung on unprimed drywall, where the paste bonds to the drywall face.
• Painted-over wallpaper, which seals the paper against the solution.
• Paste that has hardened with age.
• Plaster walls, or drywall already softened by a leak.
• Mildew behind paper in kitchens and bathrooms.

The printed face often comes off first and leaves the backing attached. That backing absorbs moisture from primer and paint and lifts in bubbles. Pulling too hard or scraping at a steep angle tears the paper face of the drywall, and then the wall needs sealing, patching, skim coating and sanding before it can take paint.

Inspect before you start

Look along the wall in raking light for loose seams, lifted corners, tears, bubbles, stains and soft spots. Press gently on any stain. A wall that gives under your thumb is wet or damaged drywall, not a removal problem.

Sort the paper into one of these types before you pick a method:

• Strippable: peels off dry and leaves a clean wall.
• Peelable: the face peels off dry and leaves a backing to soak.
• Vinyl-coated: needs scoring before any solution gets through.
• Traditional paper: soaks quickly and scrapes easily.
• Painted over or layered: treat it as the hardest case.

Brown stains, a musty smell or soft drywall under the paper usually point to a plumbing leak or condensation. Fix the cause first. Paint over a wet wall fails no matter how well the paper came off.

How professional removal works

Our crews follow the same sequence as the table above, at room scale. We cover floors, trim, outlets and furniture before any water or solution touches the wall, then score, soften and remove the paper, backing and adhesive.

The wall is washed until it is clean to the touch, and we check it by hand for slick or tacky spots, because dried paste is hard to see. Once it is dry, gouges, torn drywall paper and old seam lines are sealed, patched, skimmed and sanded flat.

A sealing primer goes over the repairs, and if you want the room painted, two finish coats follow in the same visit. On freshly skimmed walls we lean toward flat or matte paint, because a shiny finish picks out every repair in raking light. Wet paper, scrap and sanding dust are cleared at the end of every day.

DIY or professional removal?

DIY removal is reasonable for one strippable or single-layer accent wall over sound, primed drywall. Set aside more time for the washing, patching and sealing than for the peeling.

A professional is worth calling when:

• Several layers are present, or the paper has been painted.
• The surface is vinyl-coated and resists scoring and soaking.
• The drywall is fragile, already torn, or the walls are plaster.
• Water stains or mildew show at the seams.
• The job covers several rooms, or the walls must be painted by a set date.
• The house was built before 1978 and painted surfaces will be scraped or sanded.

Compare the full scope, not the removal price alone. A written estimate should say whether adhesive washing, wall repairs, sanding, primer, cleanup and painting are included. Ours lists each one, and you pay nothing until the job is complete.

Older Atlanta homes and lead safety

If your home was built before 1978, the paint layers under or beside the wallpaper may contain lead. The EPA estimates that about three-quarters of U.S. homes built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint, and that any renovation, repair or painting in a pre-1978 home can create hazardous lead dust [3].

Under the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule, anyone paid to do work that disturbs painted surfaces in a pre-1978 home must be certified, and firms must use certified renovators who follow lead-safe work practices [3][4]. The rule generally does not apply to homeowners working on their own home, but it does apply when any part of the home is rented [3].

Before work starts, ask any contractor:

• Is your firm EPA RRP certified, and who is the certified renovator on site?
• Will the work disturb painted surfaces under or around the paper?
• How will the room be contained and the dust collected?
• What cleaning is done before the room is used again?

If you are doing it yourself in an older home, do not sand or dry-scrape painted surfaces until the paint has been tested.

How to prepare for a contractor

Clear small items and anything breakable from the room, and point out past leaks, repaired cracks, loose paper and walls that were painted over. Those notes change the scope more than the square footage does.

Ask these questions before you accept an estimate:

• Will every layer and the backing be removed?
• Is adhesive washing included?
• What happens if the drywall paper tears?
• Are skim coating, sanding and primer included, and which primer?
• How long must the wall dry before painting?
• Who moves and protects the furniture, and how is daily cleanup handled?
• What warranty applies to the finished work?

Every Dunwoody Painters job carries a written two-year workmanship warranty, and the estimate is free. If the rest of the room is being painted too, our interior painting preparation checklist covers what to move and when.

When painting over wallpaper may work

Painting over wallpaper is a fallback, not a shortcut. It can work only when the paper is firmly bonded across the whole wall, with no bubbles, lifting seams or texture, and the surface is sealed before any water-based paint goes on.

It is a poor choice when:

• Seams are visible or lifting.
• The paper is textured or embossed.
• There are several layers.
• The paste is failing anywhere on the wall.
• Moisture or mildew is present.
• The wall needs significant repairs.

Judge the whole wall, not one corner. A seam that looks tight today can lift once the moisture in a fresh coat reaches the paste.

Ready to get the paper off?

If your walls have several layers, painted-over paper or a pre-1978 build date, book a free wallpaper removal estimate and we will look at the walls with you and give you a written scope for removal, drywall repair and interior painting. More guides are on our painting blog.

Sources

1. “How to Remove Wallpaper,” Sherwin-Williams. https://www.sherwin-williams.com/en-us/project-center/wallpaper/how-to-remove-wallpaper
2. “Gardz Problem Surface Sealer,” Zinsser (Rust-Oleum). https://www.rustoleum.ca/product-catalog/consumer-brands/zinsser/primers-sealers-specialty/gardz-problem-surface-sealer/
3. “Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/lead/renovation-repair-and-painting-program
4. “Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rules,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/lead/lead-renovation-repair-and-painting-program-rules