Wallpaper is designed to offer you a cheap and colorful way to add accents into your walls. They are available in a massive variety of colors and patterns, making them the perfect solution to any homeowner.

But even then, their trendy appeal often has a short window, especially when you consider the fact that more and more wallpaper designs come to market each and every year. 

So, in case you are considering updating your home with new wallpaper, the first step would naturally be to get rid of the one you already have. This may sound as easy as just peeling it off from the walls. But it’s more complicated than that. 

The great thing is that this helpful guide on how to take off wallpaper will help you take care of everything! 

Start by Protecting Floors and Electrical Outlets 

The process of removing wallpaper can get messy. It’s based on this that you will need to do some prep work before getting down to business, which means protecting your floors and electrical outlets. 

An important step to remove wallpaper involves spraying a lot of water to loosen it, making it easier to peel off. The last thing you want is for that water to damage your floors or creep into your electrical outlets. This won’t only make the entire home messy but it increases the risk of electric shock substantially, so don’t skip this step.

Pry Up the Wallpaper 

Typically, most wallpaper types will have two layers. There is the outer colorful layer that you see and there’s the inner adhesive layer designed to hold the material onto the wall. 

All of these layers need to be removed, obviously, but you’ll notice that the adhesive layer is far more difficult to deal with compared to the outer layer. 

Either way, to start off just get a large putty knife or a traditional scrapper and start scrapping the wallpaper. Be gentle so as not to damage the wall underneath.

Scoring the Wall Paper 

If you’re wondering how to remove wallpaper easily, then this step is a must do for you. Scoring is the ultimate step that loosens the adhesive. It is often done using warm water, which in essence reactivates the adhesive, making it more fluid and less solid. This then makes it easier to peel it off from the wall. 

To make the process more effective, consider mixing up the warm water with a normal fabric softener or household vinegar. It will work a treat!

Continue Scrapping and Applying Water 

In most cases, the first round of warm water won’t be enough to remove the entire adhesive. 

However, instead of just spraying the entire wall with warm water, take it step by step. 

  • Apply warm water in one area and scrap off the adhesive until there’s nothing left. 

  • If for some reasons the adhesive is still hard on the wall, consider applying more water until it’s soft enough to scrape off. 

  • Continue repeating this process until you are done with the entire wall. 

The process of how to take wallpaper off walls is often very meticulous and will require a lot of patience and elbow grease.

Rinse the Wall 

Once the wallpaper is removed, it’s time to rinse the wall and get rid of any debris that may have been left behind. Since this process involves a lot of water, be careful to not let it sit on your flooring for too long. 

Part of most wallpaper removal guides involves a lot of after-cleaning. This ensures that your carpets, furniture, and all other items in the room aren’t affected. 

Well, that’s it! Removing wallpaper isn’t as hard as it looks but it still requires some work as shown in the steps above.

Need some help to remove wallpaper in your home? Contact a local pro and request a free quote!