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How to Remove Wallpaper Glue

Whether your project involves installing new wallpaper or applying new paint on your walls, the success of your project will depend on how well you have prepared your walls. Your walls must be smooth and clean before any new wallpaper is installed or a fresh coat of paint is applied, free from old patches of plaster and lumps of wallpaper glue. Here are some tips on how to remove wallpaper glue from your walls correctly.

Removing Wallpaper Glue from Layers of Wallpaper

As is most often the case in old houses, beneath your existing wallpaper lay more layers of wallpaper.   If you plan on removing the first layer of wallpaper to expose the layer beneath you must take special care in order that the covered layer does not become damaged.

Old paste can be removed by simply scraping the surface delicately, using a small knife that has a curved blade, to loosen the old pieces of glue or paste. Using a small knife and scraping gently ensures that the next layer of wallpaper is preserved.

Removing Wallpaper Glue to Prepare Surface for Painting

If your plan is to remove your old wallpaper and its glue for the purpose of painting over your wall, the scraping of the wall must still be done gently, because the cracks and chips that might result from roughly scraping at the wall will show under the paint.

To effectively remove the old glue completely to prepare your wall for a new paint job, it is advisable to wash the surface of your wall thoroughly not only to create a smooth surface, but to ensure that the new coat of paint is absorbed properly. This is made possible by simply using everyday household surface cleaners. Examples of these a Dirtex and Spic n' Span. The surface cleaners must be diluted with hot water to create a soapy solution with which to clean your wall's surface.

Removing Wallpaper Glue from Surfaces with PaintedWallpaper

The process of removing wallpaper that has been painted on will require the use of a scouring tool, which is essentially a tool that has teeth that allows the layers of paint and wallpaper to come off in the form of tiny speckles of dust.