How to Remove Wallpaper Without Ruining the Wall Underneath
Taking wallpaper down isn't hard. Taking it down without tearing up the drywall is.
Most of the damage we get called in to fix comes from rushing the soak or reaching for the wrong tool. This is the process we use, in order.
The short version:
Find out what kind of wallpaper you have
Protect the floor and shut off the outlets
Peel off the top layer dry
Soak the backing with hot water and let it sit
Scrape at a low angle
Wash off every bit of adhesive
Repair any torn drywall
Prime with an oil-based or shellac primer before you paint
The details matter on almost every step. Here they are.
Step 1 — Find Out What You're Dealing With
Pick a corner behind a door and work a putty knife under the seam. Pull.
If the whole sheet comes off clean, it's strippable. Lucky you. Peel the rest and skip to Step 6.
If only the top layer peels and leaves paper behind, it's peelable vinyl. That's the most common kind. Follow every step below.
If nothing peels at all, it's either paper-faced or painted over. Plan on scoring and a longer soak.
While you're in that corner, look at what's under the paper.
Gray or brown paper facing means drywall. Drywall is easy to damage when wet. Go slow.
Hard, smooth, cold surface means plaster. Common in older Lockport and Joliet homes. Plaster can take a lot more water and scraping.
Step 2 — Set Up the Room
Water and paste get everywhere.
Move furniture to the middle and cover it
Lay plastic on the floor, then towels or drop cloths on top so it isn't slick
Tape plastic along the baseboard so water can't run under it
Turn off the breaker for the room and tape over the outlets and switches
Don't skip the breaker. You're about to soak the wall around live boxes.
Step 3 — Peel the Top Layer Dry
On vinyl wallpaper, the face peels away from a paper backing. Start at a bottom corner and pull slowly at a low angle.
Get as much off dry as you can. The vinyl doesn't let water through, so nothing you spray will soak in until it's gone.
Step 4 — Soak the Backing
This is the step that makes or breaks the job.
Fill a pump sprayer with hot water. Add a few capfuls of liquid fabric softener or a store-bought wallpaper stripper. Either one helps the water break down the paste.
Spray one wall section, about 4 by 4 feet. Wait 10 to 15 minutes. Spray again.
You'll know it's ready when the backing turns dark and starts to bubble. If the scraper drags, it isn't ready. Spray again and wait.
Winter tip: forced-air heat dries the wall fast. Turn the furnace down in that room while you work, or the solution evaporates before it does anything.
About scoring tools: those spiked rollers that punch holes in the paper let water through, but they also punch holes in the drywall. Only use one on paper that won't take water any other way, and use light pressure.
About steamers: a rented wallpaper steamer works well on painted-over paper and on plaster. On drywall, keep it moving. Hold it in one spot too long and the drywall's face paper comes off with the wallpaper.
Step 5 — Scrape at a Low Angle
Use a wide, flexible scraper or a 6-inch drywall knife. Round the corners off with a file so they don't gouge.
Hold the blade low, almost flat to the wall. Push, don't dig.
If you see brown paper coming off with the wallpaper, stop. That's the face of the drywall. Spray that area again and give it more time.
Step 6 — Wash Off the Adhesive
This is the step most people skip. It's also why paint peels off a month later.
Even when the wall looks clean, there's a film of dried paste on it. Paint won't bond to it.
Wash the wall with hot water and a sponge, rinsing often. Run your hand over it when it dries. If it feels slick or tacky anywhere, wash it again.
Let the wall dry for a full day before you move on.
Step 7 — Repair the Damage
Some damage is normal. How you fix it matters.
Small gouges and dents: fill with lightweight joint compound, let dry, sand smooth.
Torn drywall paper: don't put mud right on it. The raw paper soaks up the water in the compound and bubbles. Seal the torn area first with a shellac-based primer or a drywall sealer like Gardz. Then skim it.
Large torn areas or a whole wall of damage: that usually means a full skim coat. This is the point where a lot of homeowners call us.
Step 8 — Prime Before You Paint
Don't put latex primer straight onto a wall that had wallpaper.
Any paste left behind reactivates when it gets wet. Water-based primer can wrinkle, crack, or let go.
Use an oil-based primer or a shellac-based primer. Both seal in leftover adhesive and give the paint something solid to grip. Then paint as normal.
How Long Does It Take?
For a typical bedroom with one layer of vinyl paper on drywall, plan on a full day to strip and wash, a day to dry, and another day for repair and primer.
Bathrooms go faster because there's less wall. They often go slower in practice, because the paper was hung over unprimed drywall and fights you the whole way.
Two or three layers of old paper can double all of that.
A Few Things That Catch People Off Guard
Paper hung on bare drywall. A lot of homes built in the '80s and '90s around Mokena, New Lenox, and Frankfort had wallpaper hung on drywall that was never primed. The paste bonds right into the drywall face. Expect more repair work.
Lead paint under the paper. If your home was built before 1978, the paint under the wallpaper may contain lead. Don't sand it until you've tested it. Test kits are sold at most hardware stores.
Painted-over wallpaper. Water can't get through paint. You'll need to score it or steam it, and it's a slower job.
When It Makes Sense to Hire It Out
Plenty of people do this themselves, and it's a good weekend project for one small room.
It's worth calling a pro when:
The drywall is already tearing on your test patch
There's more than one layer, or the paper has been painted over
It's a two-story foyer or stairwell
You want the wall painted and done, not just stripped
We handle wallpaper removal across Mokena, New Lenox, Frankfort, Orland Park, and the surrounding towns. That includes the repair and primer work, so the wall is ready for paint the day we leave. Get a free estimate or see our wallpaper removal service.
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