How to Remove Ceiling Wallpaper

Older homes sometimes have layers and layers of wallpaper, even on the ceiling. Today's style of decorating tends toward clean, crisp painted ceilings and walls, which means that wallpaper has to go. It's a somewhat sloppy job, but don't despair. The done project is well worth the effort.

Several ways to make the process less painful :

• Try an border of the wallpaper to find if the outside layer will strip off--some vinyls will, giving the paper backing on the wall. Older types of wallpaper will not peel off. Softly score the wallpaper with a scoring tool such as the Paper Tiger. Do not get too competitive, as this tool can damage the dry wall underneath the wallpaper.

• Mix 1 cup of fabric softener and very warm water in a garden sprayer. Pump up the sprayer and spray the ceiling in sections. Provide the mixture to set on the ceiling for 20 minutes.

• Use the scraper to scratch the wallpaper off. If the paper still does not release, spray it again and provide to sit for 10 minutes. If there are different layers of wallpaper, repeat the spraying and scraping steps until you get to the drywall underneath.

Rinse each section of the ceiling with a mixture of vinegar and warm water to remove glue balance, before it dries and hardens again. If the glue has been allowed to dry, wet it down with the fabric-softener mixture, then wash it with the vinegar and water mixture.

• Allow the ceiling to dry totally. Check carefully to be sure all the glue has been removed. Any glue given behind on the ceiling will show through the paint when it is applied, causing dark spots.

How to Remove Wallpaper

You won't know how hard - or easy - removing that old wallpaper will be until you try. Here are a few tips to help you to learn how to remove wallpaper and either replace it with new modern wallpaper or paint.

Before starting, test a small area to determine if it simply peels right off. If the wallpaper peels off leaving only the glue on the wall, you're job is really easy! It means you have strippable wallpaper (which is true of most new wallpaper).

Tools and Materials:

•sponge
•hot water
•a broad (6") paint spatula.

How to Remove Wallpaper that is Strippable:

1. If necessary, soften the paste underneath the paper with a sponge and hot water.

2. Scratch the paper off with a six-inch broad knife and remove as much of the residue as possible.

3. Rinse the walls with TSP or with a liquidating solution of 1 cup white vinegar mixed in 1 gallon of water.

If your wall paper is non the strippable kind, here's some tips to remove wallpaper that is older: By altering commercial wallpaper remover you can remove old wallpaper much more quickly and efficiently.

Combine the following:

• 3 gallons of very hot water
• 1 bottle of wallpaper remover with reactive enzymes (the label should state that it's enzyme based)
• 1/4 cup liquid fabric softener
• 2 tablespoons baking soda

Using Wallpaper Remover This method is often more clean and less messy than steaming and works well with older, hard to remove wall covers.

Tools and Materials:

•sprayer or paint roller
•wallpaper remover
•broad knife (large paint spatula) sponge
small perforation tool
•trisodium phosphate or white vinegar and water.

Note : many people have seen that by applying a paint roller rather than a sprayer you can reach better results. Whichever you choose, make certain to move furniture away from the walls and to set drop cloths on the floor to avoid damage.