Four Steps In Wet Stripping A Wall

Home improvement does not only entail building and creating, it also entails removing and stripping. People have different reasons for improving their homes. Some would embark on it in order to increase the value of their house especially if they are planning to sell it. Others do home improvement in order to repair some damaged areas like walls, ceilings or floors. There are also some who engage in home improvement projects in order to provide more comfort to their family members.

One home improvement activity is replacing torn, faded, scratched or worn out wallpapers. But before you can hang the brand new wallpaper you still have to remove the old one. There are two ways of removing wallpaper and that is dry stripping and wet stripping.

In dry stripping all you have to do is to strip the wallpaper off the wall. This usually works but in case it doesn't, the wet stripping is another way. Wet stripping involves a series of steps and these are mentioned below.

1. Score the wallpaper. In order to do this, you will need the scoring tool. A scoring tool looks like a triangle with round disks underneath it that turns like a wheel. The round disks have teeth which are capable of penetrating through the wallpaper but not through the wall behind it.

To score the wallpaper, circular motions should be made with the scoring tool. The scoring tool will then leave tiny holes on the wallpaper that will serve as an entrance for steam.

2. Once the wallpaper has been scored, it is now time to steam the surface. You can rent a wallpaper steamer to get this job done. The steam from the steamer will saturate the wallpaper through the tiny holes made by the scoring tool thus breaking the bond. Do not hold the steamer against the wallpaper for more than 20 minutes because it will certainly damage the wall behind it.

If you can't find a steamer, you can still perform wet stripping using a pail or a garden sprayer. When you are using a pail, all you have to do is mix water and a wall covering remover. Then using a sponge, dip it into the solution and pat it on the wallpaper. Be sure to wear gloves when doing wet stripping.

On the other hand, when you are using a garden sprayer, all you have to do is again mix water and a wall covering remover then spray it through out the wall. While on this step, make sure that you saturate the wallpaper thoroughly to make stripping easier.

3. If an edge comes off, use that to peel the rest of the wall paper. In other words hold the edge and carefully strip the wallpaper covering. When doing this, do not rush. Pull the wallpaper gently from the wall. If you can't seem to peel it off, you can always use a paint scraper to remove the wall covering. When using paint scraper, be very careful not to scratch the wall beneath the wallpaper.

4. Once all the wallpaper has been removed, wash it with a phosphate-free trisodium mixed with warm water. Use a sponge to apply it throughout the wall. Let the walls dry for a week or more.