Strip wallpaper — HomeGraft

Strip old wallpaper safely from any wall or ceiling, without damaging the surface underneath or wetting your electrics.

SW-01Clear and protect the roomMove furniture away from the walls or cover it with dust sheets. Lay dust sheets over the floor and skirting, taped down at the edges so they don't slip on wet patches. Take down curtains, blinds and anything on the walls. Before you touch any socket or switch faceplate, switch the power to the room off at the consumer unit and prove it dead with a socket tester or voltage tester — you'll be working with water here, and the switch on the wall doesn't make the terminals safe. Then unscrew the faceplates' cover screws only if you're confident, otherwise just mask around them with tape. Keep the power off until the wall is completely dry (see step 3).

2 each · Dust sheets

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1 roll · Masking tape

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SW-02Work out your wall type and paper typeTap the wall. A dull, solid sound means brick or block behind plaster. A hollow sound means plasterboard, either on a stud wall or dot-and-dab over masonry — a stud detector or magnet finding screw lines will tell you which. Lath and plaster (common in pre-1930s houses) sounds hollow but slightly springy, and you may see thin wooden lath lines through cracks. Peel a corner of paper to check the type: vinyl and washable papers have a waterproof top layer that won't soak through, so they need scoring first; ordinary printed paper soaks and lifts more easily.

SW-03Make electrics safe before using water or steamYou'll be working with wet sponges or a steamer right next to sockets and switches. Turn off the power to that room at the consumer unit before you start, not just the wall switch — a splash of water on a live faceplate is a real shock risk. Only turn the circuit back on once the wall is completely dry.

SW-04Score vinyl or washable paperIf your test strip showed a waterproof top layer, run a scoring tool over the whole wall in overlapping circular motions. This perforates the surface so water or steam can get through to the paste underneath. Skip this step on ordinary printed paper — scoring isn't needed and just adds time.

1 each · Wallpaper scoring tool

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SW-05Wet or steam the paper, matching the method to the wallOn solid brick or block behind plaster, warm water with a little washing-up liquid, or a steamer, works well — the plaster can take a good soaking. On any plasterboard (stud wall or dot-and-dab), go easier: plasterboard has a paper face that swells and tears if it gets too wet, so dampen a section, wait a couple of minutes, and don't drown it. On lath and plaster, use the least water or steam you can get away with — the plaster is only held on by a thin key pushed between the laths, and overwetting can make it crumble or drop. Work in sections about 600mm wide so the paper doesn't dry out before you scrape it.

1 each · Steam wallpaper stripper (or bucket and sponge)

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1 bottle · Washing-up liquid

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1 each · Bucket

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SW-06Scrape the paper offSlide a broad wallpaper scraper under a lifted edge and push it along the wall at a shallow angle. Let the water or steam do the work — if the paper resists, wet it again rather than forcing the scraper. On plasterboard and lath and plaster especially, keep the blade angle low and don't gouge, or you'll damage the surface underneath along with the paper.

1 each · Broad wallpaper scraper

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SW-07Wash down and check the surfaceWipe the whole wall with a clean, damp sponge to remove leftover paste — dried paste shows through new paint or paper. Check as you go: on plasterboard, look for any patches where the paper facing has torn or lifted, which will need a skim of filler before redecorating. On lath and plaster, press gently for any soft or springy patches — these mean the plaster key has failed and the area needs re-fixing, not just filling.

1 each · Sponge

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SW-08Let the wall dry fullyLeave the wall to dry naturally for at least 24 hours before painting, papering or turning the electrics back on. Open a window or use gentle heating rather than a fan heater blasted close to the wall, which can dry plaster too fast and cause cracking.

SW-09Clean up and dispose of the wasteRoll up wet paper strips in the dust sheets to stop drips on the floor. Bag the paper for normal household waste — it's not recyclable once it's wet with paste. Rinse your scraper, sponge and bucket, and wipe down skirting and floors before you finish.

2 each · Bin bags

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1 pair · Rubber gloves

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