Wallpaper removal in Naperville, IL, walls left ready to paint

Why removal is about the glue and the wall underneath

Taking the paper off is only the first step. Wallpaper paste stays on the wall afterward, and paint over it cracks, wrinkles and peels within weeks. So every wall is washed until no paste remains, which you can feel as a slick or tacky surface, and then rinsed and dried.

The bigger risk is the drywall. Paper hung directly on unprimed drywall bonds to its face paper, and removal can tear that paper into brown, fuzzy patches. Those need a sealing primer and a skim coat before paint. We check a corner before quoting so the estimate covers what the wall actually needs.

What moves the price of wallpaper removal

Removal is priced by wall area and by how stubborn the paper is.

• Wall area and ceiling height
• Strippable paper versus vinyl or layered papers
• More than one layer of paper
• Drywall damage that needs sealing and skimming
• Painting the walls after removal

Strippable and Peelable Papers

Strippable papers are designed to come off dry: lift a corner and the whole sheet pulls away, leaving little or no backing. Peelable papers come off in two layers, the printed face first and then a paper backing that is soaked and scraped. Both are the easiest kind of removal. We still wash the walls afterward, because even strippable papers leave adhesive that would show through new paint as a crackled surface under raking light. Outlet and switch covers come off first and go back on after primer.

Vinyl Papers and Borders

Vinyl papers have a waterproof face that keeps water and remover from reaching the glue. We score the surface lightly or peel the vinyl face off first, then soak the backing with a remover solution and scrape it off. Borders, often hung over painted walls, come off the same way and leave a band of glue and sometimes a paint line that needs feathering. Every wall gets washed and rinsed until the adhesive is gone completely. Seams are checked closely, since glue builds up there most.

Paper Hung Over Unprimed Drywall

When paper was hung on bare drywall, removal can pull up the drywall's face paper in patches. We go slowly, using as little water as possible, and stop where the paper is tearing. The torn areas are sealed with a primer made for damaged drywall paper, then the wall is skim coated so the patches disappear. It adds time, and we tell you before starting if a test corner shows that this is the wall you have. That repair work is listed as its own line on the estimate.

Wallpaper in older Naperville homes

How we remove wallpaper

1. 1

   Test a corner

   We see how the paper and wall behave before quoting.

2. 2

   Protect

   Floors, outlets and trim covered against water.

3. 3

   Strip

   Face paper peeled or scored, backing soaked and scraped.

4. 4

   Wash

   Every trace of adhesive washed off and rinsed.

5. 5

   Repair and prime

   Torn paper sealed, walls skimmed where needed, then primed.

Removing wallpaper yourself

Many people strip a room themselves. Where it goes wrong is usually the wall, not the paper.

How long wallpaper removal takes

Strippable paper in a small room can come off quickly; layered vinyl, painted-over paper or paper on unprimed drywall takes much longer, because the backing has to soak and the wall may need repair. We test a corner first and give you an honest estimate of time and cost for the paper you actually have. Painting usually follows once the walls are clean, repaired and primed.