Five Important Things to Understand About Removing Wallpaper

1. Why remove wallpaper?

There are so many reasons to remove that old, gross wallpaper in your home. For years it didn't bother you, it was all the rage in 1993. But now almost 30 years later it's faded, outdated and looks awful. It's time to get rid of this wallpaper. Do you just paint over it? How do you get rid of this stuff? You may remember installing it, for fun, over the course of a few weekends 30 years ago, but how is it supposed to come off?

These are common questions. You know when it's time to remove wallpaper. It may be needed in a renovation taking place, the walls and framing are in good shape so keep them, it's just the wallpaper that needs to go. Or, the entire hallway looks so bad and we need to freshen things up, it's time to switch this outdated design and just paint the walls. 

It feels funny too, it's shiny or soft, and sometimes it's greasy from years of hands striding across it. There's just too many reasons to list why that old wallpaper should be removed.

2. How much does wallpaper removal cost?

Ok, so, you cant remove all of that wallpaper on your own, it would take forever, and you don't even know where to start. Why even waste $150 at Sherwin Williams just to get home and become frustrated. It's best to hire this kind of workout to a professional. How much is this going to cost me though? What should I do?

More common questions…the best thing to do is call some professional paint or wallpaper companies and see if they offer wallpaper removal services. If they do, ask them some questions about pricing and what is involved in removing wallpaper. You should find some worthwhile information after a few phone calls. From there you can decide if the wallpaper is staying indefinitely, or it's time to go. 

Removing wallpaper is dirty, time consuming and requires a lot of cleanup. Don't expect to find it done for cheap. Again, the best thing to do is call some professional companies and ask questions. The greater the size of the project, the greater the cost. It also takes time to do the work so be realistic with your expectations and timelines. There is much involved in removing wallpaper, washing, prepping and priming the surfaces. 

3. Where do I source professional wallpaper removers?

Many but not all professional painting companies may offer wallpaper removal services. As stated above it's highly recommended to call some companies and ask questions. The best and most common place to find wallpaper removal companies is on google. Read some reviews and make your calls. 

Another great place to find trusted professional painters is at your local Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams paint supply store. Quite typically they will house business cards of their trusted contractors and professional painters who use their products. The store owners may also have personal recommendations for unique or large size projects. It never hurts to stop into your local paint supply store and ask some questions if you’re looking to have your ugly old wallpaper removed professionally. 

Certain contractors, decorators and painters should all offer this service so don't hesitate to call around. Feel free to contact us at Quasar Home Painting if you have any questions! (289) 788-3173.

4. DIY or hire a pro?

It becomes pretty clear that the old wallpaper is not getting removed easily. Many people attempt to remove some of the wallpaper and give up because of how time consuming and messy it can be. However, many homeowners and DIYers have the patience and enjoy the process. All the power to the wallpaper removers worldwide!  For most this task is not fun whatsoever and is far too messy to take on over a weekend or on a day off. 

Once the decision is made you can't tackle this on your own it becomes time to source out the professionals. This is where the information stated above comes in handy. When you’ve sourced out a company to do the work now you need to accommodate the work when the time arrives.

5. How long will this take?

Most professional paint companies who remove wallpaper will be fairly quick with the removal process itself (depending on the room, surface etc) but the time involved for drying, prepping and priming the surfaces can last days. It's always best to let the surfaces air out between treatments and applications. The process may be dispersed over the series of multiple days in order to let things properly dry and cure. These things shouldn't be rushed!

This falls into the same equation of time=money. If you want that old wallpaper removed and repainted it may require some time to transform the space, but patience bears great fruits! 

It's rare for an entire room of wallpaper to be removed, cleaned up, prepped and primed in one or two days so it's best to have realistic expectations when hiring a professional and living through the duration of the project.