As Painting Contractors in Portland OR we’ve done hundreds of wallpaper removals, Some homeowners are successful in doing it themselves, but it often takes the expertise of a contractor to do it well. Rarely does the existing wallpaper come off well enough that you can just paint over the wall, so you need to skim coat it or texture it to make it smooth in which case you need drywall and texturing experts.
For do it your selfers you first need to protect the flooring, ceiling, and surrounding areas, Strip off the wallpaper as best you can and then apply DIF, the best wallpaper remover. (Although hot water and/or vinegar works too) The main thing to remember is that it takes a lot of time to work. Apply it numerous times during the day and allow the product to work and then gently start removing. A very handy tool is the ‘Paper Tiger scoring tool which puts small holes in the wallpaper that allows water or DIF to penetrate.
Patience is the order of the day. It’s human nature to want to rush things, but avoid that urge.It’s very gratifying to have the wallpaper come off in sheets rather than bits and pieces. At the end of a long day, you may still have the need of a professional to fix up the walls anyway so you may want to start that way in the first place and have professionals do it for you and have experienced painting contractors finish off a room that you can be proud of.
Carl Nurmi owner of Cascade Painting and Restoration
