The wallpaper in our dining room is finally gone. What a relief!
There’s something so satisfying about clean, ready-to-paint walls. The only downside: the endless blue trim is glaring at me and needs attention next.
In the past I’ve tested different wallpaper removal methods to see which works best. I’ve tried boiling water in a spray bottle, a steamer, and warm water with soap applied with a rag. This time I tried a method recommended by a former professional painter: dry stripping the top layer by hand and then wet-stripping the remaining underlayer with a sponge.
Dry stripping meant peeling the patterned, glossy top layer off without scoring or spraying. A surprising amount came away in big sheets, though there were also thinner strips and leftovers to tackle. It wasn’t lightning-fast, but it was comparable in time to the spray-and-wait approach and in some cases even a bit quicker because there’s no soaking step. If your drywall was properly primed before wallpaper installation, and especially if the paper is old, dry stripping might work well for you.
After removing the top layer, a white papered underlayer typically remained. To remove that I used a large sponge soaked in warm water to saturate the paper, which loosened the adhesive and allowed me to peel it away.
I dunked a sponge in warm water and wiped the walls, letting the moisture soak through the underlayer until it bubbled and released from the wall. Once loosened, I peeled it off. This step was slower—most of the underlayer came away in tiny slivers—so each wall took about an hour and a half to remove the clingy, glue-riddled film.
Some areas required extra attention. The seams beside the built-in cabinets were especially tricky because the wallpaper had been tucked behind the trim. I used an X-Acto knife to score right along the trim edge, cutting carefully so I could remove the paper cleanly without damaging the surrounding woodwork. With tweezers I grabbed the cut strips and eased them away, working slowly for a neat finish.
Unfortunately, the wallpaper inside the two built-in bookcases resisted every method. Those areas had paper glued directly to unprimed plywood with a permanent adhesive, which made removal nearly impossible without damaging the backing. After spending a couple of hours on a single cubby and ending up with a rough, lumpy surface, we decided to leave the paper in place in the bookcases and cover it instead. Painting, re-wallpapering, or applying fabric over the existing paper should give a much nicer result than trying to strip the stubborn adhesive from the plywood.
It’s a small compromise—there’s still wallpaper hiding inside those built-ins—but the main walls are now clean and ready for paint (and for dealing with that blue trim).
To prep walls after wallpaper removal, I’ve had good results with a simple vinegar-and-warm-water solution. Spray or wipe the mixture onto the walls and scrub with the nubby side of a sponge to remove any remaining glue. There are specialty primers that block leftover adhesive, but a thorough vinegar scrub has worked for us so far, saving time and money by avoiding an additional priming step.
Here’s the progress on my pre-baby goals: de-blue the dining room (in progress), de-wallpaper the dining room (done), finish Project No More Graph Paper in the kitchen (done), strip the bold blue master bathroom wallpaper (still to do), remove the old carpet runner on the stairs (done), and paint the blue trim in the office (still to do). Slow but steady progress.
- de-blue-trim-ify the dining room
de-wallpaper the dining roomfinish Project No More Graph Paper in the kitchen- strip the bold blue master bathroom wallpaper
rip up the old carpet runner on the stairs- paint the blue trim in the office
So far the steamer has felt like the fastest and easiest option, but dry stripping followed by wet-sponge removal is a solid, equipment-free approach if your walls are properly primed and the paper is old. If you run into wallpaper glued to plywood, consider covering it instead of fighting the adhesive—it can save time and produce a smoother finish.
John is over on Young House Life writing about the half marathon he ran this weekend for anyone interested in that story.