The Products You Need From Home Depot To Remove Wallpaper

Wallpaper can add an extra personal touch to a space. In the past, it was typically used to cover all the walls in a room; now, it's primarily employed when creating an interesting and fun accent wall. However, while wallpaper can look stunning, a huge downside is the removal process. If you paint an accent wall, it can easily be painted over, but if you use wallpaper to create it, you'll need a few tools and some time to remove the design.

Some may desire to remove old, outdated wallpaper that probably dates back to the '60s or the '70s, when, according to the Victoria and Albert Museum, the wallpaper industry was booming. Others may have recently put up modern-looking wallpaper only to discover they didn't love the result as much as they expected. Whatever the case, if you're trying to remove wallpaper, you'll need to purchase a few tools before you can get started. A great place to buy these tools is Home Depot. The required tools will be determined by what kind of wallpaper you remove. If it's removable, the process should be reasonably straightforward. However, if the wallpaper is outdated, you may need to rent or purchase a heavy-duty tool.

Some tools are universally required, no matter what type of wallpaper you want to remove. According to Home Depot, you'll need drop cloths. Removing wallpaper can get quite messy, so covering your floors and furniture with plastic coverings is smart. You'll also need painter's tape to attach the drop cloths to the baseboards and cover your outlets. You'll want to protect the outlets with tape so they don't get damaged during removal. Also, don't forget to bring a large trash can into the room to place the old wallpaper scraps. That way, you won't have to clean up a giant pile of wallpaper pieces.

No matter what type of wallpaper you're dealing with, you'll need a paint scraper or a putty knife. This will be used to peel the wallpaper off of your wall. When using a scraper or knife, make sure to be gentle, so you don't damage your walls.

Each type of wallpaper requires specific tools for removal, per Home Depot. If you have removable wallpaper, you'll need a paint scraper or putty knife, and this will be used to loosen a corner and peel off the wallpaper in sections. Strippable wallpaper is slightly more durable, so it must be softened with hot water before scraping it off the wall. If you're dealing with a water-resistant wallpaper, you'll need to use a gel or liquid chemical remover. The gel will be less messy than liquid as it won't run down the wall. You'll need either a roller or a blade-based tool to score the wall for both solutions. After scoring, both solutions can be applied with a spray bottle. The gel could also be used with a paintbrush, and liquid solutions can be applied to the corners with a sponge. Then a putty knife or scraper will remove the wallpaper.

If you're working with aged or super tough wallpaper, you may need to purchase or rent a wallpaper steamer. You can rent this tool from Home Depot's tool rental service. Wear gloves and protective eyewear to avoid burns or other injuries when using a steamer. After steaming your wall, remove the wallpaper with a putty knife or scraper.