Wallpaper can look great for a few years and then turn into the thing every homeowner wants gone. Taking it down isn't hard, but the wrong approach can tear the paper face of your drywall and leave you with days of repair work. Here's how the process should go.

Figure out what kind of wallpaper you have

Start in an inconspicuous corner or behind a switch plate. Lift an edge with a putty knife and pull gently.

  • Strippable wallpaper peels off in full sheets, often leaving little behind.
  • Peelable wallpaper lifts the colored top layer and leaves a thin paper backing on the wall. You remove the backing separately.
  • Traditional paper-backed or vinyl wallpaper is glued tightly and needs scoring, soaking and scraping.

Knowing which you have tells you how much work is ahead.

Was the wall primed before it was papered?

This is the big one. If the drywall was primed or sealed before the paper went up, the paper comes off much more cleanly. If it was hung directly onto bare drywall, the adhesive bonds to the wall surface and pulling the paper can tear the drywall's paper layer. In that case go slowly, use less water, and expect some repair work before painting.

Step-by-step removal

  1. Protect the room. Lay drop cloths along the baseboards, tape plastic over outlets and switch plates, and turn off power to the room's outlets if you'll be using water near them.
  2. Score the paper. Use a scoring tool with light pressure so water and remover can get behind the paper. Don't dig into the drywall.
  3. Apply remover. Use warm water with a bit of dish soap, or a dedicated wallpaper-removal solution, in a sprayer or with a sponge. Work in sections of a few feet.
  4. Wait. Let it soak for 10–15 minutes. Patience matters more than muscle here.
  5. Scrape. Use a wide, flat putty knife held at a shallow angle. If the paper resists, re-wet it rather than forcing it.
  6. Repeat section by section, keeping the surface damp but not dripping.

Remove every trace of adhesive

Once the paper is gone, the wall will feel tacky or slick. That leftover glue must come off. Paint over adhesive and you'll see bubbling, peeling and texture that shows through the finish. Wash the wall with warm water and a sponge, or with a recommended adhesive remover, then let it dry fully, usually overnight.

Repair, sand and prime

With the wall clean and dry:

  • Fill gouges, torn paper and nail holes with joint compound.
  • Skim-coat any areas where the paper face of the drywall is torn.
  • Sand smooth and dust the wall off.
  • Prime with a quality primer/sealer. This step helps block stains, evens out the patched and unpatched areas, and gives paint something to grip.

Skipping primer is the most common reason a freshly painted wall looks blotchy after wallpaper removal.

Common mistakes

  • Soaking the wall too much. Excess water can soften drywall and cause mold risk.
  • Using a metal scraper at a steep angle. It's the quickest way to gouge the wall.
  • Painting over leftover glue. It almost never ends well.
  • Skipping primer. Bare compound absorbs paint unevenly.
  • Rushing. Drying time between steps is part of the job.

When to hire a painter

Wallpaper removal is tedious, and large rooms, stairwells, or multiple layers of paper can take days. Hiring a painter means the removal, wall repair, priming and paint are all handled by the same crew, so the finish is consistent.

JY Painting handles wallpaper removal and wall restoration along with painting prep and interior painting. We work in Mounds View, Edina, Minneapolis and nearby towns. Call (651) 207-2086 for a free estimate and we'll take a look at what's on your walls.