Old wallpaper removal

Old wallpaper should not be painted over or papered on top of. Paint soaks into the paper, the paper swells, bubbles appear within a few weeks, and the seams show through even two coats. That is why wallpaper comes off down to the bare wall before painting or skimming.

How the handyman strips wallpaper

First they work out what is on the wall. Paper wallpaper usually comes away after soaking with water and a paste softener. Vinyl and non-woven papers have a waterproof top layer, so it is scored with a perforating roller first to let the water reach the paste. Where several layers have gone up over each other, a steamer helps.

• covering the floor, skirting boards and sockets with sheeting and tape;
• scoring and soaking the paper, then lifting it off in strips with a scraper;
• washing paste residue off the plaster;
• checking the wall afterwards: whether primer is enough or it needs a skim coat.

What can turn up under the paper

This is the most important part of the job, because wallpaper often hides something. In older blocks you find cracks, loose plaster, damp marks, or a wall once painted with oil paint. Sometimes the paper went straight onto plasterboard without primer, and then it tears off together with the board’s face paper, so the work has to be gentler. The handyman shows you the wall and tells you what comes next before any painting or filling starts.

What the price per m² depends on

It comes down to the wall area, the number of layers and how stubborn the paste is. A bedroom with one layer of paper is a different job from a hallway with three layers of vinyl and a dado. Skimming, priming and painting afterwards are priced as separate services.

Common questions