OK, I'm back. The very first thing I'd like to say is that nobody is a retard when it comes to removing wallpaper. There are only those with experience, those who may not know what they are doing but wing it anyways and those that hire a professional to get the job done. I started removing wallpaper as a homeowner knowing as much as you do, which is next to nothing. The next thing I'd like to introduce to you is that;
You may be faced with an un-primed or painted substrate. *
IMPORTANT - If this is the case,
STOP!!!*
You may be faced with multiple layers of wallpaper.
You may be faced with covered up substrate damage.
You will need to have patience. This is not a quick task.
You will have several steps, it is not as easy as just ripping the decorative part of the wallpaper off.
This is not a clean job. You will get your hands [and everything around you dirty]
You will need to pay close attention to any water runoff, wiping excess water at the trim or floor often.
Steve Williams said:
What is the best, simplest and most efficient way of stripping wall paper?
Steaming. While all wallpaper removal projects can be different [and usually are], the most effective way of removing wallpaper is to first gather the right tools. Below is a list of the tools I have used to remove miles upon miles of wallpaper -
A painter's 6 in 1 tool that has had the edges dulled down. I personally use a fleet of Purdy's and Hyde's because of the durability and handle. Below are pictures of a quality painter's 6 in 1 tool with the preferred type handle(s).
If you notice the blade, it looks sharp. This is the last thing you want as you can do more damage than it is worth. One would logically think a sharp blade would do a better job at removing wallpaper and they are correct. With that said, a sharp blade will also separate the paper layer from the sheet rock just as well as it does with the wallpaper removal itself. This will only prove to give you more work repairing what a sharp blade will destroy. Since more work is not the goal, dull the blade or find a well seasoned used one at a pawn shop, local Goodwill or perhaps borrow one from a friend. Just don't dull his down, he may not be too happy with you when you return it.
A couple of quick ways to dull the tip would be to just pick up a bastard file/handle at the hardware store or you can even take a brick and file away. The duller the tip, the better.
The next tool you will need to acquire would be a wallpaper steamer. There is no need to go out and rent one or purchase a professional unit. Steam is steam, no matter how extravagant the machine it comes out from. For most all wallpaper removal jobs, your everyday 60 dollar wallpaper steamer will work just fine. A very good one and one that I would recommend would be the Wagner as seen below.
Please note: You do not want to fill it up beyond the max fill level. Nor do you want to let it drop below the minimum fill level or you will damage the heating element and it will be useless. The next tool you will need are some absorbent towels and lots of them. I get mine at Sam's Club for around $17.00 a pack. These towels can be seen below.
So far, unless you already have the tools needed, all you will need to spend is around $90.00 to get everything you need to professionally remove wallpaper. You are just lacking the know how. One of the best things I can offer you for advice is never, never and I mean NEVER use a wallpaper scouring tool. They do ten fold more damage than good. If you have one already, return it or toss it in the trash. They are absolutely useless and will just create more work down the line.
Now that you are prepared with the tools to get the job done, please allow me to offer a little bit of wallpaper education. Most all wallpaper out there is a two layer wallpaper, even though when one goes to install it, it looks like there is only one layer. The first layer is a type of paper backing that the second [decorative] layer is bonded to at the manufacturing plant. When removing wallpaper, you will see the two layers separate and with each layer of wallpaper that needs to be removed, both the paper layer and the decorative layer will need to be removed. Then the glue.
While this may sound daunting, it's actually not that bad with the tools listed above. All you need is patience, time and more patience. A typical 20'x20' room with an 8 foot ceiling can have multiple layers of wallpaper removed along with the glue in a matter of about 4-8 hours. Less time once you get the hang of it and more time if complications arise [more on the possible complications/solutions in a future post].
You'll want to start by going to the kitchen sink and letting the water run until it is as hot as it possibly can get, then fill up the tank of the steamer to the max. level and plug the unit in when the hose is attached. Place the end of the hose [with or without attachments connected] in the sink and secure with a heavy enough object so that the hose does not slide out. <<< Think "safety". When the steamer gets to the point to where a constant supply of steam comes out from the hose [approx. 20 minutes], you are ready to start. The tank will only last a little over an hour so you may want to use your time wisely. Besides, you will get another 20 minute break when the tank exhausts itself to the minimum level.
Starting at the top of the wallpaper, place the larger white attachment [or largest attachment/steaming plate] on one particular spot nearest a seam and leave in that one spot for about 20 seconds. then
s l o w l y move sideways until you have reached the next seam. Drop down and make a run going the other direction until you hit the original seam and keep repeating this until you have reached the trim or floor. As you are waiting for the new areas to be steamed, you can take your other hand and with your fingernails or painter's tool, start peeling back the decorative layer of wallpaper. If you use the dull painter's tool at about a 15 degree angle, no damage will be done to the substrate.....
which is what you want to accomplish. The more time you spend steaming, the less time you will spend peeling. Once you get the hang of it, removing the entire span of wallpaper from seam to seam *can* be feasible in a best case scenario but I would count on peeling a part or multiple parts off to begin with. This is actually quite normal. When you pull the steamed wallpaper off, pull slightly up and away from the wallpaper, not towards it. This will assist you in getting bigger sections off at a time. Just let the steamer do the bulk of the work. If a spot becomes very difficult to get under or remove, simply steam that section longer, until the decorative layer gets soft and can be lifted/peeled off easily. Don't be afraid to use a soaked towel to assist you in removing smaller pieces of any one of the layers.
Once the decorative layer is off [the absolute hardest part of the job], the paper layer is a breeze. Do the same thing you just did to remove the decorative layer only this time your speed will be different [faster]. Go by the color of the paper. Since each wallpaper has different glues and thicknesses, there really isn't a guide or color to go by. Basically, the paper layer will start off a yellow/white and change to a manilla-gray type color once it is ready to be peeled. You should have the hang of removing this layer by the removal of the first sheet. If a spot becomes very difficult to get under or remove, simply steam that section longer.
The last, fastest and easiest layer to remove is all of the residual/leftover glue. This layer will not be readily seen from across the room but can be felt when dry or wet and
will end up being seen once the paint goes on if this step is not done. Simply gather the towels, steam the wall and immediately wipe the steamed areas. You might find it easier to work from top to bottom in 2 to 3 foot wide swaths. When you can feel no more slick feeling glue or any abrasive [dried glue] material anymore, then the wallpaper has been professionally removed.
One other note. There are two different attachments with the aforementioned Wagner steamer. For general and volume areas, use the white attachment. The white is the largest attachment. The smaller black attachment works great for concentrating the steam more for areas that tend to be stubborn or you can use this attachment for smaller areas where the larger attachment will not fit. Near a kitchen cabinet or by a corner wall with a door, for example. When it gets so tight [area wise] that neither attachment will fit, feel free to go without any attachment. Just be careful not to burn your hand or fingers. When going without the attachments, you do not need to worry about keeping the hose flush with the wall. anywhere within one inch or two from the wall will be effective enough.
With that said, this covers the very basics of wallpaper removal. There are different prepping techniques. An example of a different prepping technique would be removing wallpaper in a room with carpet or a hardwood floor. There are also a plethora of complications that can arise. Anything from a prior repair where super glue was used to "repair" a section that had become loose to finding a gaping hole from a prior plumbing repair. Having removed miles upon miles of wallpaper, there isn't much I haven't ran across. So basically this post just covers the basics. I will be here to answer any questions you may have to get the best end result with the least amount of back end [follow up or finishing] work possible.
Barring any special circumstances, the technique above will yield the end result of a wall looking exactly as it did the day the wallpaper was installed.
Tom