Best wallpaper removers near Big Sur, CA

Removing a wallpaper border requires the same process to remove full walls of wallpaper. Clear the area, spray down the surface with your hot water and vinegar solution or store-bought spray, wait 10 to 15 minutes, then scrape it off with a putty knife. Sometimes, border wallpaper lifts easier than larger sheets, so you can just peel it right off the wall by hand.

Removing wallpaper can be easy if you have a non-coated wallpaper, but most homeowners have vinyl-coated wallpaper, which is more durable but tears very easily during the removal process. This feature makes it challenging and time-consuming to remove most wallpaper. There are tools to speed up the process, like steamers, but, unfortunately, it’s easy to permanently damage your walls when using them. In most cases, it’s best to hire a professional wallpaper remover to get the job done quickly and without damaging your home.

To remove pre-pasted wallpaper, you’ll need to wet the wallpaper or steam it to loosen the paste on the back of the wallpaper. Spray the paper with water, then let it soak for 10 to 20 minutes. From there, you should be able to peel off the wallpaper. Then, you may need to follow up with a cleaning solution and a scraper to remove any remaining wallpaper paste on the walls.

Wallpaper lasts an average of around 15 years, but there is some variance. The type of wallpaper matters, as vinyl wallpaper tends to last the longest—sometimes 20 years or more—while a peel-and-stick wallpaper, which is the easiest to install for DIYers, will usually only last for around five years. Exposure to high humidity, smoke, and UV rays from sunlight can also limit the lifespan of your wallpaper, as can heavy traffic in the installation area.