Undesirable wallpaper that shouts "Remove me!"

A bucket

(optional) A three-inch scraper (available at hardware stores)

Some drop cloths (see Tips)

A garden sprayer

A window squeegee

Optional:

A scoring tool

A few sheets of sandpaper: coarse and medium grades

A chemical wallpaper remover

A pair of goggles

A stepladder

A paint brush

After you've cleared the wall surfaces and prepared your materials, give yourself 1-2 hours to strip the average-sized room.

Make your own wallpaper remover: It's inexpensive, effective, and friendly to the environment. Combine equal parts of white vinegar and hot water. Apply with a sponge to wet the wallpaper thoroughly. Apply a second time and check if the paper will come off.

Drop cloths: Before you spend any money on these, check the closet in your home for old bedsheets. These work beautifully and can be reused.

To remove leftover adhesive from the wall: use a window squeegee dipped in very hot water. Work in two-foot sections and wipe the tool frequently. Before you buy a new one, check in your home where you found the garden sprayer.

2torial #0527: Learn2 Remove Wallpaper Get ready to strip! There are a few different methods to remove old wallpaper. The easiest is to strip it off the walls dry. This is possible with newer papers, which are made so that you can pull them off without assistance from water or chemicals. Using steam is another method, but may not be worth the blisters on the wallboard that can result. Note well: you must steam and scrape at the same time, which requires effort and time just the same. You're also obliged to clean up the equipment and fork over extra cash to rent a steamer. The third way is the traditional wet-and-scrape method, which is the approach discussed in this 2torial. This will take some effort--which is well worth it if it's necessary. But is it? If you're planning to hang new wallpaper on top of the old, it may not be necessary to remove the undesired layer. As long as it's a single layer of smooth wallpaper--that's well-attached to the wall--you can get away with hanging the new paper directly on top of the old. Determine if removal is necessary Pass your hand over the surface of the wall. If you hear any crinkling sounds, it means the old wallpaper has buckled up and has to go. Also check the corners with a butter or putty knife: if paper peels up in a large sections, it needs to come off. Naturally, if you want to paint the walls, you'll also need to remove the old paper.   If the wallpaper is vinyl, or has foil or plastic films, it should be removed--even if it's the first layer and in good condition. Wallpaper adhesive will not stick well on these surfaces.   Otherwise, you can paper over a single layer of smooth, well-adhered wallpaper. Some preparation is necessary, however. Check edges and corners for any loose areas: these should be glued down with white glue or wallpaper paste. It's also a good idea to give the surface a good cleaning, too. Mix a solution of detergent and water, and scrub away. Follow this with an application of primer that's made specifically for use on wallpaper. It's a little extra work, but your re-papering efforts will hold up much longer if you do these preparations.   Check the old paper First try lifting a corner of the wallpaper off the wall with a scraper or putty knife. Perform this experiment in an unseen corner. If the wall beneath the wallpaper has been sealed or painted, you might be able to peel it right off. However, if it was applied directly to the bare wallboard by some careless hurrybug, this will be a bit more challenging. If the old wallpaper won't budge from the wall, it must be moistened thoroughly. Don't remove any electrical switches or plates. To be even safer, turn off the circuit breaker for the room you're working in. Moisten the paper Do you have an old garden sprayer used to spread chemicals all over your garden in the 70's? Well, bring it out and clean it up. If you can't find it, a bucket and a broad brush will do fine. If desired, you can mix a chemical wallpaper remover or wetting agent into the water. Beware: if you use any chemical remover, wear goggles for eye protection for the duration of the project.   Also, know that you may be faced with old paper that chooses not to absorb water. In this case you'll have to scratch up the surface with coarse sandpaper or a scoring tool. This will allow the water to soak into the paper. Apply the wetting agent application twice more; the water will ideally do most of the work. Then let it soak for 30 minutes--it's ready when you can scrape off pieces of paper with your fingernail. -end- Learn More!