Stripping Wallpaper Techniques
There are two methods of stripping wallpaper in general use: soaking and scraping – with or without a proprietary stripping compound and steam-stripping, using a special tool.
Soaking and scraping tends to be a messy job and if just water is used to soften the paper it can also be hard work. So where medium and heavyweight papers are concerned, you can add either proprietary stripping compound or some vinegar or acetic acid – available from chemists – to the water.
Normally, the mix is simply painted on with a distemper brush. But if you are dealing with PVA-coated washable paper, you may need to score the surface with a wire brush so that the stripper can penetrate through to the wall. Leave the stripper to soak for a few minutes, then use a stripping knife to scrape it away from the wall. Make sure that your knife is kept ground sharp. Ideally, it should be of the type which has a stiff steel blade incorporated into the handle the cheaper varieties bend and gouge plaster out of the wall.
If a piece of paper proves particularly stubborn, paint on some more water, leave it to soak, then try again – on no account attack a stubborn patch with the scraper as you may damage the plaster. Like washable paper, thick layers of old paper can be shifted more quickly if you carefully score the surface first with a wire brush.
Steam stripping is about as fast as using water but requires much less effort, creates less mess and minimizes the chances of damaging the wall. You can hire a steam stripper quite cheaply from hire shops and, if your old wallpaper is particularly heavy, it is worth the cost.
To use the tool, you simply press the steam-generating pad against the wall with one hand and scrape off the loosened paper with the other. These operations soon become continuous with practice, although thick layers of paper may require more than one application.