Guest Blogger: How to Transition from Wallpaper to Paint in your Home

Guest Blogger #569, Entry #1285, June 14, 2012

Many new homeowners find themselves plagued with outdated wallpaper. Often the first project on the list of making a new home your own is removing old wallpaper in favor of fresh paint. Wallpaper removal is no one’s favorite hobby; but if you follow these tips, you’ll get through the process with as little trouble as possible:

Ready to remove the wallpaper from your walls?

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Prepare.

Place a drop cloth at the base of the walls being stripped to prevent damaging your flooring. Remove outlet covers, nails, shelves, and any pictures or art mounted on the walls.

Use a wallpaper scorer to create holes in the wallpaper.

This allows you to penetrate through the adhesive base of the wallpaper so you can easily peel the wallpaper.

Mix hot water with a solvent into a large spray bottle.

You can find mixes at most home improvement stores, but hot water and fabric softener work as well. You may have to make more than one batch of mix depending on how much wallpaper you are removing. Be sure to wear gloves to avoid contact with your skin.

Soak the walls with mix.

Use the spray bottle to saturate a section of the wall. Scrape the wallpaper while the solvent is still moist. Repeat as you finish one section and go onto another.

Simple steps to transition from wallpaper to paint

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Mix dish detergent and hot water.

Use a sponge to clean the walls you have stripped with this mix to remove all traces of the adhesive from the wall.

Rinse the walls with clean water and towel dry.

Wash away the residue left on the walls.Give the walls a day or two to dry properly before prepping for paint.

Careful removal of wallpaper is necessary to ensure a quick transition from wallpaper to paint. If tackling the wallpaper is not the project for you, call the experts at CertaPro Painters of Murfreesboro at 615-692-8551.

For more interior makeover ideas on Stagetecture, click here.