Renovating an apartment or house brings with it a huge number of different problems and hassles. No wonder it is believed that repairs are equal to three fires and two floods. Enormous efforts and resources are invested in repairs. To get rid of unnecessary hassle and problems, so that funds are not wasted and efforts are not in vain, preparatory operations should be carried out correctly. Regardless of what the finishing coating of the walls will be - wallpaper, painting, decorative plaster, the wall should be as smooth as possible. But first you need to clean it. Let's find out how to remove vinyl wallpaper from walls. This is a very popular type of wall decoration. This material has some features that should be taken into account.
Features of vinyl wallpaper
This wallpaper consists of two layers of materials. Often the first one is a paper or fabric base. The second layer is a polyvinyl chloride coating. Due to the presence of a paper base, this wallpaper is easy to paste. The polymer finishing layer provides these materials with high resistance to moisture and also makes the coating durable.
Vinyl tops can be finished in a variety of ways. There are so-called washable wallpapers, foamed, with silk threads. Such surfaces are easy to clean. Some can be washed with water. Others use alcohol and even a solvent. That is why you need to know how to remove vinyl wallpaper from walls quickly and without problems. The fact is that traditional paper wallpaper can be easily removed with ordinary water. But she won't help here.
The method of removing wallpaper also depends on what kind of glue was used during installation. If a professional composition was used, then these are water-soluble mixtures. In this case, the old finish can be easily removed. Also, these wallpapers are glued using water-insoluble adhesives - PVA, bustilate and others. Then you will need to put in more effort. Home craftsmen advise how to remove vinyl wallpaper from walls. There are two ways: in the first case, they act on the glue, and in the second, directly on the wallpaper itself.
Preliminary preparation for removing canvases
How to remove vinyl wallpaper correctly and quickly? In this matter, the main thing is to be consistent and not resort to using irrational methods. Otherwise, the wallpaper will be removed from the walls in pieces, the bottom layer will remain untouched, and the amount of time spent on the process will be colossal.
So, before peeling old wallpaper from the wall, you should take the following steps:
- empty the room of furniture;
- wash the floor;
- isolate sockets and switches;
- de-energize the electrical wiring;
- ensure normal ventilation;
- cover the floors with oilcloth or cardboard;
- cover pieces of furniture that could not be removed with old sheets.
The most important thing throughout the entire process of removing wallpaper from the walls is to keep the room clean. This simple rule will help you and your family cope with the tearing process effectively and safely. Wet cleaning will remove accumulated dust and dirt, and cleaning the room with special detergents will remove excess glue and all kinds of toxic substances.
Important: Make sure that when removing vinyl coverings from the walls, there are no children or animals in the room. The danger lies in the possible occurrence of an allergic reaction. It is also advisable to remove indoor plants, as they react negatively to the presence of glue and detergent vapors in the air.
Preparatory stage
Before you begin removing vinyl wall coverings, you need to prepare the room. It is best to clear the room of furniture. During the work, it can get dirty and simply get in the way. Interior elements that cannot be removed are covered with film or sheets. It is also better to cover the floors with film. Place sheets of cardboard or fairly thick paper on top of it. A damp cloth is laid on the threshold. It will collect dust and debris.
To avoid electrical accidents, experts recommend turning off the power to the wiring. To reduce the risk of moisture getting into sockets, it is recommended to cover them with film.
No. 4. Steam method
The most common iron, steam iron or steam generator can help deal with old wallpaper:
- if the farm only has regular iron, then you will have to additionally prepare a piece cotton fabric.
It is thoroughly moistened and applied to the wall. It is better to act together: one person holds the fabric, the second irons the area, setting the heating of the iron to maximum. Iron the fabric several times, remove it and pry up the wallpaper with a spatula. Moisture and hot temperature contribute to the rapid dissolution of the glue and softening of the wallpaper; - even better to use steam generator or iron with vertical steam function. Steam is applied to a certain area of the wallpaper, you can apply a thin cloth;
- steam generators facilitate the process and make it simpler.
penetrates much fasterthan water, and the risk of damaging the plaster is reduced. It is much more convenient to work with a steam generator than with an iron or steam iron. The method is best suited for paper wallpaper, from the rest you will have to first remove the protective film, or perforate it very carefully.
Steam
How to remove vinyl wallpaper: methods for removing vinyl wallpaper using water
First of all, the vinyl surface is carefully treated with a spiked roller. This is done so that holes are formed in the moisture-resistant vinyl covering. This is not such a simple process. It will require a lot of effort and time. A wallpaper tiger or roller can easily penetrate the layer without damaging the wall.
Then the surface is generously moistened with a warm solution of water, vinegar and fabric softener. It must be remembered that this method is suitable for paper-based coating. In the area of sockets and switches, the solution is applied very carefully. Fast is not always good. Water will get into the holes and cuts, causing the glue to swell. Within 15 minutes the wallpaper can be easily removed from the wall. The thicker the layer of glue, the more intense the moisture should be.
Professionals advise how to remove vinyl wallpaper from walls: it is better to start removing it from the bottom. To do this, pry the edge with a spatula and remove it. The remaining small fragments can be removed with the same spatula or coarse sandpaper.
How to remove
There are several ways to remove vinyl wallpaper from walls, depending on the type of base.
When starting to remove old wallpaper, it is extremely important to find out on what basis it is made - paper or non-woven. And on what surface are they glued - on plasterboard or a plastered, puttied and primed wall. Since these factors directly influence the choice of means for their removal.
5 ways to remove paper-based vinyl wallpaper
There are 5 ways to remove old paper-based vinyl covering from walls:
- Removal with a spatula. This option is suitable for surfaces on which several layers of paper or newspapers have previously been glued, since together they form a multi-layer “pie”. Thanks to its thickness, it is easy to pry up and quickly remove. If necessary, the residues are washed off with warm water and a scraper. You should not use a spatula if the vinyl wallpaper was glued directly to the plastered surface. Inaccurate movements can damage the plaster or putty.
- Removing wallpaper layer by layer. Due to the fact that it is the top polyvinyl layer that prevents vinyl wallpaper from getting wet and swelling, the process of cleaning the surface must begin by dismantling it. This can be done using a needle roller, tearing the polyvinyl coating with it. After this, it is better to moisten the wall generously with warm water, which, penetrating into the resulting gaps, promotes swelling of the glue. To enhance the effect, just add a little vinegar, ammonia, soda ash or fabric softener to the water. After 15 minutes, the soaked wallpaper can be easily removed from the wall. In this case, it is better to start work from the bottom, using a spatula to pry up the free edges of the canvas. Single fragments of wallpaper that will remain on the wall can be easily removed with a spatula or sandpaper.
- Use of special industrial products. They are diluted with warm water and applied directly to the surface of the wallpaper for 2–3 hours. By acting only on the glue, they allow you to remove entire canvases practically undamaged.
Using a steam generator simplifies and speeds up the process of removing vinyl wallpaper from walls - Use of a steam generator. By producing hot steam, which helps the adhesive swell and dissolve, this tool speeds up the process of removing old vinyl wallpaper from walls. But most often it is used only for cleaning surfaces in hard-to-remove places. You can replace it with an iron with a vertical steam function, which irons the pasted areas through cotton fabric.
- Using a grinder or drill with a special attachment. These devices are appropriate if the wallpaper was glued with PVA. Resistant and durable, it remains on the wall even when the top layer is completely removed and the bottom layer swells. Meanwhile, it is better to use them only for removing small fragments of wallpaper.
How to remove if the base is non-woven
When removing old vinyl wallpaper from walls, the use of a wallpaper tiger or a stiff brush is inevitable.
Professional builders recommend removing only the top layer of wallpaper using a needle roller or other similar device, leaving the non-woven base on the wall. Since it can become a base for gluing new canvases, subject to additional puttying of the seams. You can completely get rid of the old coating by prying up the upper edge of the non-woven layer with a spatula and carefully tearing it off. The strength of the non-woven covering, due to which it remains solid and does not tear into pieces, simplifies the removal process.
The non-woven layer will be easier to remove if it is wetted with warm water.
Removal from plasterboard wall
Treating the surface of a plasterboard wall with outdated wallpaper with a primer will speed up the process of removing it
When removing wallpaper from a plasterboard wall, it is important to remember that it does not tolerate water. Therefore, options with abundant wetting are unacceptable in her case. It is better to replace them with special industrial products that can dissolve the glue.
An alternative to such solutions is cheap wallpaper glue, which generously lubricates the surface. A long period of drying leads to swelling and pulling of the wallpaper, as a result of which they are easily lifted and removed with a spatula.
This glue can be replaced with a primer. Perfectly impregnating the canvas, it evaporates longer than water, allowing you to remove outdated sheets without damage.
In the case where the plasterboard wall was covered with vinyl wallpaper using PVA glue, you can immediately proceed directly to the installation of the new structure. Since it is impossible to remove the outdated layer in this case without damaging the drywall.
After removing old paintings from the walls, it is advisable to apply a primer to their surface. It will not only make it easier to hang new wallpaper, but also speed up the process of removing it in the future.
Method No. 2 for removing wallpaper using water
Here, too, the vinyl covering is first treated with a roller or tiger. Then moisturize. The peculiarity is that instead of water, special compounds are used. They are mixed with warm water and applied to the surface. This product does not act on the paper base, but on the glue. The wallpaper itself will remain unharmed and without damage. The composition will dry in 2-3 hours - manufacturers indicate this in the instructions. Then the canvas can be easily removed almost entirely.
If the coating is difficult to remove, in such cases wallpaper glue is added to the water with a special solution. Cover the wall with this mixture and leave it there for several hours. Then the wallpaper is easily separated from the wall in a single strip without tears. Some give other recommendations on how to remove old wallpaper. We will talk about them below.
Several classic ways to remove wallpaper
Old wallpaper can be removed in several ways. Each of them has its own significant advantages and disadvantages. However, only the owner can accurately determine which method will be faster and more effective for him.
Removal with water
Water is the best and most affordable way to remove old wallpaper. To begin with, the entire surface of the coated walls should be treated with a special roller that has a hard surface. After the coating has received the necessary holes, they are filled with water and vinegar. This procedure should be carried out carefully, carefully wetting each section of the walls. You should especially carefully and carefully handle the canvas near sockets.
Keep this homemade vinegar solution for at least 15 minutes. Only after this the canvases are removed with a spatula or knife.
Removal with solution
A solution for removing sheets is sold at any hardware store. It must be diluted in accordance with the instructions included in the package. The mixture is mixed half and half with warm water and carefully applied to the surface of the walls. The top layer must dry for at least 2 hours. After this, the old canvases move away from the walls almost completely without unnecessary impact on them.
The main secret lies in the base of the solution. It contains components that destroy the composition of the wallpaper from the inside, making it practically weightless. This allows you to remove canvases from walls without effort.
Mechanical removal method
If vinyl wallpaper was glued using PVA glue, then it must be removed from the walls along with it. This type of glue adheres to the wall in a dense layer and forms a kind of dense layer.
You can completely get rid of glue only through mechanical action. The adhesive layer should be removed immediately along with the vinyl sheets. This can be done using a construction grinder or electric drill.
We use a steam generator
Here is another effective way to remove old vinyl wallpaper from walls. It is good because it allows you to quickly remove old finishes. Under the influence of hot steam, the glue will swell and dissolve much faster than in the second method. If there is no such generator, then a vertical steam iron will do.
This method is also good because it eliminates the appearance of dirt.
How to remove vinyl wallpaper from drywall
The difficulty of the work is that the material does not tolerate water well, so excessive wetting of drywall is not applicable. The best option is special glue dissolving agents. If vinyl wallpaper is glued to drywall with PVA glue, then it will not be possible to separate them. The entire element must be completely replaced.
It is rarely possible to remove old wallpaper quickly and easily. And for the future appearance of the walls, care and quality of work are much more important than speed. Options for removing old vinyl wallpaper from walls can be seen in the video. Good luck with your renovation!
Mechanical methods
Professionals know that waterproof adhesives can provide better adhesion of vinyl wallpaper to the wall. This is the advantage of this method. But it is very difficult to dismantle wallpaper glued in this way. This is not an easy or quick process. In this case, the wallpaper can only be separated mechanically. So, take a sharp spatula and pry it over the edge of the sheet - at the junction, near the rosettes, at the bottom. Next you just need to peel off the coating. It is useless to wet surfaces. If the bottom layer starts to swell, it's the paper, not the glue.
Removing wallpaper with a spatula is a long process. How to remove vinyl wallpaper? Removing vinyl wallpaper mechanically will be faster if you use a power tool. You can use a grinding machine, electric drills with special attachments. But the tools must be used correctly. This removes small pieces and traces of glue, but not the entire fabric.
Preparation
Before you start removing wallpaper, it is advisable to prepare your tools and room.
What you will need:
- ladder;
- metal spatula;
- knife, metal brush;
- roller with spikes;
- film, masking tape;
- sprayer, bucket;
- rags, sponge;
- individual protection means;
- for severe cases - a grinder or drill with a special brush attachment.
When all the tools are ready, it is advisable to prepare the room.
To do this you need:
- Remove or cover all furniture with plastic.
- Since the walls will have to be wetted, you need to spread a film under them and glue its edges with masking tape. This way, water will not get on the floor.
- Cover sockets and switches with tape.
- Before starting work, it is better to turn off the electricity in the room.
You only need to use masking tape - it peels off easily and leaves no traces behind.
Recommendations on how to properly peel off vinyl wallpaper on a plasterboard wall
As noted above, vinyl wallpaper can be made on a paper or non-woven basis. How to remove old vinyl wallpaper from walls? The methods are the same as with a regular wall. Wallpaper is sprayed with a special solution, and non-woven wallpaper must first be treated with wallpaper tiger. Only after this is it possible to moisturize them. Only after half an hour can you begin to dismantle the vinyl wall decoration.
Some types of wallpaper will require the use of special tools. But you need to work extremely carefully, as you can easily damage the wall. It is very difficult to remove washable wallpaper. Their coating is made in such a way that they are not afraid of moisture. Here it is best to use irons or steam generators. By removing the coating in small pieces, you can get a good result yourself.
Paper wallpapers, as well as liquid ones, are especially easy to remove. The latter do not need to be removed at all - with the help of special paints you can simply change the color scheme and change the design to your taste. However, if the task is to apply a different coating to the wall, then in order to remove liquid-type wallpaper, an aqueous solution or a grinding machine will do. But there is one drawback - after mechanical removal you will have to sand the wall again. This is an additional waste of time. We'll have to clean the room again from rubbish.
Wallpaper removal tool
The last point is the most interesting. What devices may be needed in the process of removing wallpaper?
Scroll:
- two sharp spatulas of different sizes;
- bucket, water, detergent;
- sponges, roller, rags;
- garbage collection bags;
- gloves;
- ladder;
- perforation roller, wallpaper tiger, knife;
- special means for removing wallpaper/steam iron and a piece of fabric.
The set of tools can be reduced or expanded depending on the chosen method.
