Like all things, wallpaper also has a life; a life that ends after a time. You may be bored of looking at the same old wall paper and want a change after so many years. Or it could be that the wall paper is now faded and much the worse for wear; so even if you do still like it, you may have to think in terms of stripping off the wall paper.
Drywall damage is one of the most common problems following the removal of wallpaper. When the wallpaper was put up, it was with a view to keep it there. So it will be difficult to take it down and when it is down, some damage to the walls is to be expected. While restoring the walls can be time consuming, it is possible to do by yourself without hiring professionals. You would ideally want to strip the wallpaper off as gently as possible so as to cause minimal damage to the walls beneath.
Remove residue
Firstly make sure that none of the glue or paper remains on the wall’s surface. For this you could dampen the residue and scrape it off with a sharp implement. The surface can also be sanded to smooth it and remove all traces of the residue. Ensure that you’re gentle as you do this; that you don’t scrape to hard; otherwise you may end up gouging and further damaging the dry wall.
Prime the wall
You may want to even out the surface by using spackling to fill out any pits or dents in the wall. If required, use a putty knife to insert the spackling into the required areas and wait for it to dry. Now apply a coat of sealing primer to the wall. Experts recommend two coats of primer with time to dry in between coats.
Dry wall joint compound
The next step for fixing the wall after wallpaper removal is to skin coat the primed wall using a drywall joint compound. Using a spatula or knife at a 45 degree angle, apply a thin layer and allow the walls to dry off completely. After this, you can sand the walls lightly to even out the wall surface and vacuum the walls to remove tiny bits of surface debris.
Your walls are now ready to be painted, re- wallpapered, textured or whatever it is that you were thinking to do.
