Rent or Buy a Wagner Steamer for Wallpaper Removal
Wallpaper removal is fairly easy, but quite messy. One of the ways to remove it, depending on the type of walls and condition of the paper, is to steam it off.
Use a wallpaper steamer, which provides steam through a hose to a flat metal plate similar to an iron. Pressing this plate on the wall forces steam into the wallpaper, which softens the paper and paste. This allows you to strip the paper with a wide putty knife.
The Wagner Model 705 Power Steamer is an easy, fast and clean way to remove wallpaper. Environmentally friendly, the appliance requires no chemicals, solvents or detergents. A lightweight steam plate reduces arm fatigue. The one-gallon water reservoir allows for a 60-minute steam time. While the Wagner Power Steamer is specifically designed for wallpaper removal, other steamers, such as models produced by Jiffy or Shark, may also be used for the task, especially if they include a rectangular-shaped, steam plate accessory to place over the wallpaper.
Aggressive steaming can damage paper-faced wallboards, especially if the wallboard wasn't fully sealed prior to wallpapering. In new construction, walls that are going to be papered are often not primed with paint, but just coated with sizing. The sizing seals enough to allow the wallpaper to stick, but offers little protection to the walls otherwise.
Use the following steps to remove old wallpaper with a wallpaper steamer:
- Remove any wall fixtures before starting. As a precaution, turn off power at the breaker box for the room where you're working.
- Fill up steamer, plug it in and allow it to warm up.
- Put on gloves and safety glasses and start steaming. Steam wallpaper holding the machine in place about 30 to 40 seconds to make sure to penetrate through the glue.
- Steam a section at a time and pull wallpaper up as you go.
- Switch to a smaller attachment to get into tight spaces.
- Scrape away stuck paper using a putty knife.
- Give the walls a day to dry then come back and fill nail holes and smooth rough areas. Prime and paint walls as desired.
If it is a method appropriate for your walls, using a wallpaper steamer will certainly make the job of stripping that old paper off your wall a lot easier.
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