How to tear off old wallpaper from drywall. Removing old wallpaper from drywall

20.06.2020

Repairs are fun! If only because for the tenth time running a roller across the ceiling in the hope of achieving perfect evenness, you are no longer able to say the most terrible words - you can only laugh.

Especially the most unbridled laughter comes when it turns out that you do not know how to remove wallpaper from drywall. After all, if you “tear” with force, the drywall falls off in pieces along with the old strips of wallpaper.

Wet? But will gypsum exposed to moisture not collapse? We think about it even when we are going.

In general, it is time to ask the experts,

How to remove wallpaper from drywall?

Construction and repair specialists offer us as many as four (!) Ways of this simple matter.

option 1

Buy special solutions (washes) for wallpaper. And your problems will be left behind and you can continue the repair fun!

option 2

Pay attention to whether it is non-woven wallpaper. If the answer is yes, then you are incredibly lucky - when ripping them off the walls, upper layer quietly removed, and a thin film remains on drywall - forever.

option 3

option 4

Take a spray bottle or a damp cloth in your hands. You already understood what to do - when wet, the old wallpaper should fall behind the drywall. "Should" is the real deal. How will your wallpaper behave with you -

In order for the new wallpaper to lie on the walls evenly and beautifully, it is recommended to clean the wall by removing the old layer. And if with brick or concrete wall old coatings of this type are removed quite easily, then some problems often arise with drywall. Though it's durable and reliable material he doesn't hold up well mechanical damage and negatively perceives humidity. Therefore, during the repair, the question may arise how to remove wallpaper from drywall without damaging it. There are several useful tips on this topic, which we will share with you in this article.

Why is it necessary to remove the old layer of wallpaper?

Anyone who has worked with drywall at least once knows that it is a smooth, pliable material on which a new layer of wallpaper or paint will easily fall, even if the old one is not removed. This is true, however this method can lead to some problems:

New material may lie with defects - bubbles appear, bulges and bumps appear. Even if the previous layer was glued perfectly, the occurrence of flaws is guaranteed.
Glue that is under the layer decorative coating, contains not a large number of water. As a rule, it depends on the density of the adhesive, its quality and composition. For this reason, new wallpaper may one day simply fall off the wall.
In basement floors, kitchens and areas high humidity mold, fungus, various microorganisms that are harmful to health often appear under the wallpaper. Therefore, applying a new layer without removing the previous one can be unsafe.

Preparation for withdrawal

Before you remove wallpaper from drywall, you need to prepare well. To do this, you will need to acquire the following tools:

The process of removing such coatings is very different, depending on the material from which they are made. But in any case, the process of preparing the premises is identical:

We glue wallpaper on drywall. How to easily remove wallpaper from drywall

Wall putty for wallpaper full version) - https://youtu.be/noYA239V2V4 We glue wallpaper on drywall as an experiment,...

Cover the floor to prevent damage and dirt. You can, for example, lay out old newspapers and close the floor plastic wrap.
Cover all outlets with masking tape - this will help you avoid water ingress, which can cause a short circuit.
Remove all unnecessary things from the room, and also take away the furniture. If this is not possible for some reason, then the furniture must be covered with a protective material - again, you can fix newspapers or film with adhesive tape.

Important! Before removing old wallpaper from drywall, it is extremely important to make sure that it has been pasted over a layer of plaster that has been applied to the walls. Otherwise, it will be practically impossible to remove the material, no matter what material they are from.

How to remove vinyl wallpaper from drywall?

If the past decor is vinyl or non-woven coverings, then we can say that you are very lucky. These materials are removed in one solid layer.

First you need to scratch the old layer very hard to break its integrity. To do this, you can use a roller with needles or the so-called construction "tiger". Ultimately, shallow grooves should form on the wall, which greatly facilitate the removal process.

Important! Make sure that the pressure of the cutting tool on the wall is strong, but not excessive, because drywall is quite easy to damage. Make sure that only the wallpaper is cut, not the wall.

After the old coating is properly scratched, you can begin to remove it. The easiest way to do this is to start from the ceiling. Hook your hand on any cut piece and simply pull the wallpaper off the wall. Remove the rest of the decor with a spatula and a construction knife.

Removing paper wallpaper

Covering with paper wallpaper is the most common type of wall decoration. Therefore, the question of how to remove wallpaper from drywall without damaging it is relevant for many repair enthusiasts. First of all, you should understand that paper does not tolerate moisture well. This means that in this way it will be easiest to remove the previous layer. By the way, photo wallpapers are removed in the same way, because they are usually made of paper.

Here are some easy options:

Wet the wall thoroughly with water using a cloth or sponge. Wait about half an hour for the material to absorb the liquid. After that, they will begin to fall off the wall. Using a wide spatula can speed up this process.
Using a steam generator will greatly speed up the removal paper decor. In addition, this method allows you to evenly distribute moisture over the entire surface of the wall, as well as influence the old coating with the help of temperature. The deletion algorithm is similar manual option- moisten the wall, wait a certain time, remove the remnants of the material with your hands or with a spatula.

Important! When using water on drywall, make sure there is plaster under the wallpaper layer. Otherwise, you can ruin the plasterboard wall.

Removing liquid and washable wallpaper

When working with these types of wallpaper, it is important to know that they repel water very well. But if you correctly approach this issue, then there will be no problems with how to remove old wallpaper from drywall in this case:

To get started, take a knife, a roller with needles or a construction “tiger”.
Scratch the wall as you would with vinyl wallpaper. Be very careful not to damage the wall surface.
Moisten damaged wallpaper with water using improvised means - sponges, rags or a roller. Or with a steam generator.
Wait half an hour, and then proceed to the removal. Using a spatula in this case will greatly speed up the process.

Alternative ways

If none of the above methods helped, do not despair. There are several alternative methods that you might find useful:

If paper wallpapers are very tightly attached to the wall, and there is no layer of plaster under them, then you should not even try to tear them off. It is necessary to walk with a layer of primer over old wallpaper - this will protect against mold and fungus, and also prepare the wall for gluing. Once dry, simply apply a new layer. This method suitable exclusively for wallpaper made of paper.
In any hardware store you can buy a special solution for wallpaper. Sometimes it is called a flush. As a rule, such a tool perfectly helps to remove wallpaper from drywall. However, before applying, you need to make sure that the wash is suitable for your type of wallpaper.
An iron can be used as a steam generator. It will not only help to moisten the wall, but due to the high temperature it will kill some types of bacteria. In addition, a large degree of steam contributes to the fact that the wallpaper will fall off faster.

How to remove wallpaper from drywall for wall putty

To understand how to remove wallpaper from drywall, you need to understand the structure of the plasterboard, because you, in fact, have to separate the glued paper. Experts advise resorting to such a procedure only in case of emergency, for example, when there was greasy spot or you decide to putty it. But if you suddenly want to update the wallpaper, then you better paste the new ones on top of the old ones so as not to create unnecessary problems for yourself.

Wallpaper on drywall is easier to stick than to remove

Plasterboard sheets and wallpaper

Knowledge of the GKL structure will help to understand the intricacies of the process of removing old wallpaper. Wallpaper strip most often has paper base, therefore, when gluing two surfaces, we get a thicker layer of cardboard. It is this construction that we have to separate.

Drywall structure

In the photo, the process of forming a drywall sheet

So, the gypsum filler, called sludge in production, is closed on both sides thick paper or cardboard like a sandwich and pressed.
All drywall is divided into several categories: wall, ceiling, moisture resistant and fire resistant. Regardless of the various additives used for one or another type, the basic instruction for the manufacture of sheets remains unchanged and the top layer will necessarily be paper. Therefore, the price of old wallpaper or their type does not matter when dismantling.

Dismantling process

We shoot wallpaper with the whole family

If you are deciding how to remove wallpaper from drywall, then the main problems usually arise when their surface does not allow water to pass through or they are pasted on non-standard compositions, such as PVA. After all, the dismantling of such a lining occurs with the help of water and there is an urgent need for its penetration into the adhesive base.
Of course, if the wallpaper was glued to putty drywall, then there are no particular difficulties in removing them, even if the surface is difficult for water to penetrate. From such a base, they can simply be scraped off with a short spatula. If damage to the puttied surface occurs during dry or wet dismantling, do not worry, you can hide scratches, chips and even potholes with a liquid solution.

The photo above shows how to remove the wallpaper from a plasterboard wall if it was poorly glued.. But this happens extremely rarely, and paper glued to a homogeneous structure either does not come off at all, or pulls part of the base along with it. Surely I had to deal with a situation where the removal of the coating from the gypsum plasterboard ended up in contact not with the sludge (filler), but with the lower part of the light brown cardboard.
If you remove wallpaper from drywall in this way, then the sheets will weaken and will not withstand the layer of putty. In such situations, under mechanical load (impact, push), the puttied surface will crack. As a result, the entire wall may be unusable and require complete dismantling.

For dismantling, the wallpaper is soaked

Advice. Before removing wallpaper from drywall vinyl backing, think about how to retain moisture on their surface.
The need for repeated soaking is justified by the fact that vinyl is completely inert to moisture.
To prevent water from draining from a vertical plane, you need to add a little glue to it, with which you previously glued the wallpaper. In this case, the liquid will not drain, and you can remove the wallpaper from the drywall without much difficulty.

Dismantling wallpaper with a steamer

Vinyl is more or less susceptible to water penetration, but even professionals think about how to tear off wallpaper from drywall, if they are washable. To do this, usually use one of three rather effective ways, which allow moisture to penetrate to the adhesive base and dissolve it.
The most reliable of all three methods is the use of an electric steamer, however, such a tool is quite expensive and rare. Nevertheless, removing wallpaper from drywall using such a device is very convenient and the whole procedure is quite fast.
Before tearing off the wallpaper from the drywall, try to delaminate them by hooking the top layer with a spatula. After that, the remaining layer is removed using ordinary soaking, without attaching special efforts. (See also the article Wallpaper Wall Design: Features.)

To hold water on washable wallpaper, cuts are made

But not all washable wallpapers can be layered, because there are also quite thin specimens. In this case, you can apply the third, last option- notch. Horizontal cuts are made along the entire plane on the wall with a paint knife, then moisture, getting into them, lingers and dissolves the adhesive base.

Drywall under the wallpaper is better to putty

Even at the stage of wallpapering, be prudent and be sure to pre-putty the plasterboard wall with a thin layer of satengypsum applied directly to the pre-primed surface.
If you still decide not to putty GKL, use non-woven wallpaper that delaminates, and the base itself is removed in the usual way. Some interesting solutions we have prepared for you in the video in this article. But be that as it may, each situation is individual and requires the same individual solution.

Advice. If you still need a steamer, but there is nowhere to get it, you can use an electric iron with a similar function.
The process will turn out to be quite long, but you will carry out the dismantling with high quality.

Conclusion

We looked at how to remove wallpaper from drywall on our own, using the usual tools at hand for this. But there is another method - this is special remedy ATLAS ALPAN, which can be purchased at hardware stores. The liquid has excellent penetrating properties and quickly dissolves the adhesive base.

We hope our article was useful to you. In order to more accurately understand the technological and practical issue, our website contains a detailed photo and video instruction, in which you will find useful information on this issue.

Ways to remove wallpaper from drywall

This variation is very popular due to its affordability and ease of installation. To remove such a finish, the following work is carried out: Sometimes it is impossible to accurately determine the most appropriate method, in this case several options or a combination are used, taking into account the best result. This problem occurs when the coating of the GKL plates and the glued canvases are securely bonded. In this case, the decorative layer can be removed only with a serious violation of the structure.

Such a defect, especially with large-scale damage, will significantly reduce the reliability of the walls. Specialized chemicals are considered highly effective tool wallpaper remover, but such liquids tend to have a strong odor and can be toxic

The dyed coating is carefully pry off. First you need to remove areas that easily move away.
The remaining places are being processed hot water or ferry.
The base can have a strong adhesion to the GKL, then it will not be possible to peel off the layer, so it is polished and the putty surface is recreated.

As for the workflow, you can do it yourself, but bring gloves and goggles for work. Still, hot steam is used, and there is still a risk of burns. Do not use toothed rollers, knives and other devices for cutting through the wallpaper.

You can damage not only the coating, but also the drywall base and ruin all the walls. In our case, we need a wallpaper tiger that carefully pierces the top layer.

How to remove old wallpaper from drywall effortlessly

Soaking with subsequent reuse;
Exposure to a building hair dryer;
Sawing with a grinder;
Manual removal with a scraper and trowel after applying the acrylic primer solution.

Before Getting started, consider the surface of the wall: if the drywall sheet is covered with putty, then specialized chemical solutions should be used for work, under the action of which the adhesive layer is destroyed. After wetting the surface of the walls, you should wait about half an hour - then the old wallpaper will literally just “slide onto the floor.

If plaster was applied to drywall before laying the tiles, you can try to remove one tile at a time, picking them with a sharp chisel;
Cut along the tile with a grinder, if it doesn’t work without a base, then together with drywall.

So, the ways were discussed above on how to properly remove old wallpaper from the wall. But what if another surface is pasted over, for example, drywall? The number of wetting procedures will be determined by the degree of density of the wallpaper material. The higher it is, the longer the wetting process will take.

Hence, expectations. Wetting wallpaper is best done in rows. Each canvas is moistened from the top to the bottom. What is not less important. Before removing wallpaper from drywall, stock up on the following arsenal of tools and materials: wallpaper tiger, a knife and a construction spatula, a roller or sponge, dishes with warm water.

At the same time, the use of potent adhesives makes the process of their removal extremely painful. In such conditions, it is very important not to damage the underlying paper layer covering the gypsum. Before gluing new wallpaper on drywall, the old coating should be completely removed. Can water be used to remove it?

The paper base of the GKL is very difficult to get wet through. Moderate exposure to moisture is absolutely harmless to the material. If the services of professionals are not affordable, and you do not have enough skills to plaster the surface yourself, it is better to stick non-woven wallpaper. Subsequently, they can be removed without problems and a thin substrate can be used as the basis for new ones. You can safely glue new wallpapers on the old non-woven layer if it is securely attached to the drywall sheets and has not been damaged during dismantling.
But when the integrity of the interlining is broken, it must be removed in the same way as vinyl wallpapers. It can also be difficult to remove wallpaper from drywall for the reason that PVA building glue is often added to it to reinforce the wallpaper composition, or the canvases are completely glued to PVA.

If the old paper wallpaper is tightly pasted on a plasterboard wall
How to remove old non-woven wallpaper
How to remove old vinyl wallpaper from drywall
How to remove washable wallpaper from drywall
How to remove old wallpaper with a special liquid
How to remove old wallpaper with a steamer
To easily remove old wallpaper from plasterboard walls

Decorative coating on any basis can be easily removed with the help of special liquids that can be purchased at construction markets and in household goods departments. Removing glass wallpaper for painting will require special efforts. In some cases, it is easier to close the decorative layer with a primer and stick new wallpaper on it, since it is almost impossible to remove such a specific composition without damaging the drywall.

Start removal paper wallpaper consists in wetting the entire canvas with water. You can do this with a rag or sponge. After wetting the wallpaper and waiting half an hour, you will see that in some corners the paper itself will begin to lag behind. You just have to tear it off to the end with a spatula.

If you need to speed up the process, then experts recommend using a steam generator. Since it distributes moisture evenly, the wallpaper will be removed in the same way. The process is the same as with water, after moistening the surface, it is worth waiting and proceeding with the removal. Sometimes the wallpaper can be removed by simply tearing it up with a spatula and pulling it away from the wall.

But such situations do not happen often, especially when it comes to drywall. This is the easiest option. Obviously, paper is not friendly with high humidity.

Therefore, you need to use anything that can soak the wallpaper sufficiently so that it swells and easily comes off the surface. For soaking, you can use a variety of devices.

How to remove wallpaper from drywall without damaging the surface is one of the most pressing problems cosmetic repairs. Careless actions when removing the old coating can lead to deformation of the GCR surface, the appearance of scratches, cracks, chips, which subsequently manifest themselves in the most negative way after gluing new canvases. It is expensive and time-consuming to completely change the drywall in the room, and in some cases in the entire apartment, so it’s better to spend a couple of hours studying the issue and choosing the most suitable option for yourself.

Why remove wallpaper from drywall before sticking new ones

many lovers self repair may be of interest to the question: "Why remove the old wallpaper, if they hold up perfectly?" Sticking new wallpapers on old ones is, of course, much faster, but it won’t take even a week for excessive impatience to bring the first results:

A new layer of wallpaper will lie unevenly - with bubbles and other defects that are unpleasant to the eye.
The old coating may fall behind along with part of the drywall under the weight of the new sheets and adhesive layer.
Under the wallpaper, especially in apartments with increased level humidity, tend to nest and multiply microorganisms dangerous to the health of the inhabitants of the apartment, the existence of which can be recognized by the characteristic smell of dampness and ugly spots on the walls and ceilings. After removing the old layer, the infection sites should be treated antiseptics safe for people and animals.

Important! If the old coating was applied with high quality, without prior puttying and is integral with the surface of the drywall, it is necessary to apply a layer on it to improve the quality of adhesion of the new wallpaper, wait until it is completely dry and proceed with gluing.

How to remove old wallpaper from drywall

The complexity of resolving the issue of how to remove old wallpaper from drywall depends on the material from which they were made. Thus, there are different ways removal of decorative coating, namely wallpaper:

paper;
non-woven;
liquid;
washable - acrylic, vinyl, glass.

Tools and materials

You will need:

wide paint roller;
masking tape;
needle roller or "wallpaper tiger";
PVC film roll;
wallpaper knife;
wide and narrow spatulas;
household steam generator - steamer, steam mop;
water container;
garbage container.

Room preparation

Before embarking on rather laborious and dirty work, it is necessary to protect yourself by de-energizing the network, remove curtains, paintings, tapestries, take out furniture, cover the floor and built-in furniture with plastic wrap. Working under the ceiling is easier and safer with a stable wide ladder with a comfortable platform.

Removing paper wallpaper

Attention! If you wet the entire wall at once, then the drywall will get wet along with the paper sheet and the adhesive layer, which will lead to unfortunate results, up to irreversible damage to the material, requiring replacement of all the drywall in the room.

With the help of wallpaper plywood, you can quickly change the design of the room, but before sticking new canvases, you need to remove the old ones from the walls. When it comes to concrete or plastered surfaces, everything is simple here - just wet the annoying finishing material, and he himself will move away from the wall. But if there is drywall under the wallpaper, the work of removing the wall covering is much more complicated: from water or any careless mechanical impact, the drywall surface can deform, crack, split and even fall off in large pieces. If you dismantle the wallpaper unskilledly, you can completely ruin the walls, and then you have to change the plasterboard throughout the room. To prevent this from happening, you need to study the technology of removing wallpaper from drywall and choose the appropriate method.

Before removing wallpaper from drywall, you need to prepare the tools and materials that will be needed during work. The list of them is quite large, however, depending on the type of wallpaper, some of them may not be useful:

wide paint roller with a thick coat for applying water, primer or weak adhesive to walls.
wallpaper knife, wallpaper tiger or needle roller for perforating old wall covering;
wide and narrow metal spatulas for prying and removing cloths;
bucket, basin or any suitable container for water;
garbage bag or container;
warm water (35-40°C);
cheap wallpaper paste
polyethylene film to protect furniture and flooring from water, glue and dirt;
adhesive tape for fixing the protective film;
masking tape to protect electrical outlets;
steam generator, steam mop or iron for difficult cases;
a stable stepladder or construction goats for working under the ceiling.

After that, you need to prepare the room in which the repair will take place:

remove tulle, curtains, paintings and other interior items;
take out all the furniture or move it to the center of the room and cover with polyethylene;
protect the floor with a film by attaching it with adhesive tape to flooring and skirting boards;
dismantle decorative trims from sockets and switches, and seal the devices themselves with masking tape to prevent liquid from getting inside.

In addition, you need to de-energize the room by turning off the power supply, so all work on removing old wallpaper is best done during the daytime.

paper wallpaper

Paper wallpapers can be easily removed with water. When it comes to drywall, you need to be very careful, as a large amount of moisture can ruin drywall sheets. If the walls were pre-puttied before sticking the wallpaper, you can not be very afraid - a layer of putty will protect the cardboard from the harmful effects of water. But many unscrupulous builders often putty only the corners and joints of the sheets, leaving most of the wall surface untouched.

After gluing paper wallpaper directly onto drywall, an almost inseparable union of paper and cardboard is created. However, do not be upset, there is a proven way that will help free the wall from old canvases. To avoid soaking GKL and remove annoying wallpaper, you need to use warm water or a weak solution of wallpaper paste. Its semi-liquid consistency will allow the wallpaper to be soaked so that the old adhesive composition dissolves under them, but the cardboard sheets do not deoxidize.

For fast and high-quality softening decorative finishes should be added to water detergent- liquid soap, fabric softener, dishwashing liquid or shampoo. It won't let the paper dry before it gets wet. old glue.

The principle of operation is simple:

visually divide the wall surface into sections;
via paint roller apply warm water or highly diluted wallpaper paste to one fragment of the wall;
after 15-20 minutes, gently pry the canvas from the side of the seam with a sharp spatula, trying not to damage the drywall, and remove;
if the canvas is not wet enough, wet the paper again and repeat the procedure;
in the same way, it is necessary to process the remaining sections of the wall one after another.

With the help of water and a spatula, liquid wallpaper can also be removed. After 7-10 minutes after getting wet, they become elastic and can be easily peeled off the wall surface.

Vinyl, washable, paintable

Vinyl wallpapers are waterproof, so any wetting is useless. In order for the liquid to get on the wall and dissolve the old glue, you need to make perforations - cuts or notches. For this, any cutting tool or spiked roller will do, but it is more convenient and safer to use a wallpaper tiger - special device which allows you to quickly process a large surface. Due to its design, the wallpaper tiger perforates the wallpaper, but does not harm the drywall.

It is not advisable to use water as a liquid for removing vinyl wallpaper - it will simply drain from a waterproof canvas. For this type of finish, it is recommended to use a weakly concentrated solution of wallpaper paste.

Remove vinyl wallpaper from drywall in stages:

add a little wallpaper glue to the water - about 1/3 of the amount needed to prepare the adhesive;
stir and hold for 30 minutes to swell;
wet the perforated canvases with a roller or foam sponge, leaving no dry areas;
after 10-15 minutes, make 2 horizontal cuts on the wallpaper with a knife - under the ceiling and along the floor plinth;
from the side of the cuts, pry off the wallpaper with a wide metal spatula and separate the canvas from the wall.

If everything went well, the vinyl wallpaper will easily peel off and fall to the floor in solid sheets. If one application of the adhesive composition was not enough, the procedure will have to be repeated. The same must be done with pieces of the paper base, which in some places remained on the wall.

Silk-screen printing, washable wallpaper and paintable are removed in the same way. The key to success is a combination of mechanical perforation and retting.

Non-woven coating

This type of "clothing" for walls has a two-layer structure: the decorative layer is applied to the non-woven base. During repairs, old wallpaper can be easily and without extra effort simply remove it with your hands - just pry off the top decorative layer and pull. At the same time, the non-woven backing will remain on the wall and will serve as the basis for new wallpaper. It will strengthen the drywall surface, prevent cracking, and will not swell or go in waves.

You can safely glue new wallpaper on the old non-woven layer, if it is securely attached to the plasterboard sheets and has not been damaged during dismantling. But when the integrity of the non-woven fabric is broken, it must be removed in the same way as vinyl wallpaper.

Steamer

To remove old finishing material from plasterboard walls, builders sometimes use a professional steamer. For domestic purposes, such a device is not useful, so there is no point in buying it specifically for repairs. A steam mop or an iron with a steam function can replace the appliance.

With the help of steaming, you can remove any perforated wall covering from the plasterboard - hot steam penetrates under the canvas through the notches, dissolves the dried glue, and the wallpaper easily moves away from the base. However, you should not apply a hot iron directly to the wall - you need to lay a piece of cotton fabric between the canvas and the sole of the iron.

Special funds

At home, you can use not only improvised means, but also special washes designed to remove old wallpaper. They are not as cheap as we would like, but they are able to cope with any type of finishing material and remove it from any surface, including drywall. The most popular drugs of this type are:

ATLAS ALPAN;
Axton;
Rustin Wallpaper Remover;
Metylan;
neomid;
KLEO;
Dissoucol;
Quelyd;

Acquired chemical agent diluted in water according to the instructions attached to the package, and the canvases are moistened with the resulting solution. After 10-20 minutes, the wallpaper can be easily removed, while the drywall surface remains intact.

The disadvantage of chemical "washes" for wallpaper is their toxicity. Therefore, when working with them, you need to protect your eyes, respiratory tract and hands.

In order not to suffer after 5 years with the removal of old finishing material from plasterboard walls, it is worth heeding the advice of professional builders and carrying out Finishing work right:

Before gluing the wallpaper, pre-prime and putty the entire surface of the wall by buying a special putty for drywall. A layer of putty will protect the cardboard from damage, soaking and deformation, and any potholes or punctures can be easily masked with the same building material.
During the repair, use wallpaper glue designed for a particular type of wallpaper. Do not use non-standard adhesives, such as bustilate, PVA or flour paste - they tightly glue the canvases to the wall, so tearing them off without damaging the drywall is unrealistic.

If the services of professionals are not affordable, and you do not have enough skills to plaster the surface yourself, it is better to stick non-woven wallpaper. Subsequently, they can be removed without problems and a thin substrate can be used as the basis for new ones.

Conclusion

There are several ways to remove old finishing material from drywall, but each of them is suitable for a certain type of wallpaper. The easiest way to deal with non-woven fabrics. In all other cases, you will have to make some effort and spend time. But the surface of the walls will not suffer and you will not have to spend money on expensive replacement of drywall sheets.

To understand how to remove wallpaper from drywall, you need to understand the structure of the plasterboard, because you, in fact, have to separate the glued paper. Experts advise resorting to such a procedure only in case of emergency, for example, when there is a greasy stain on the wall or you decide to putty it. But if you suddenly want to update the wallpaper, then you better paste the new ones on top of the old ones so as not to create unnecessary problems for yourself.

Plasterboard sheets and wallpaper

Knowledge of the GKL structure will help to understand the intricacies of the process of removing old wallpaper. The wallpaper strip most often has a paper base, so when gluing two surfaces, we get a thicker layer of cardboard. It is this construction that we have to separate.

Drywall structure

In the photo, the process of forming a drywall sheet

So, the gypsum filler, called sludge in production, is closed on both sides with thick paper or cardboard like a sandwich and pressed.
All drywall is divided into several categories: wall, ceiling, moisture resistant and fire resistant. Regardless of the various additives used for one or another type, the basic instructions for making sheets remain unchanged and the top layer will necessarily be paper. Therefore, the price of old wallpaper or their type does not matter when dismantling.

Dismantling process

If you are deciding how to remove wallpaper from drywall, then the main problems usually arise when their surface does not allow water to pass through or they are pasted on non-standard compositions, such as PVA. After all, the dismantling of such a lining occurs with the help of water and there is an urgent need for its penetration into the adhesive base.
Of course, if drywall, then there are no particular difficulties with their removal, even if the surface is difficult for water to penetrate. From such a base, they can simply be scraped off with a short spatula. If damage to the putty surface occurs during dry or wet dismantling, do not worry, you can hide scratches, chips and even potholes with a liquid solution.

The photo above shows how to remove the wallpaper from a plasterboard wall if it was poorly glued.. But this happens extremely rarely, and paper glued to a homogeneous structure either does not come off at all, or pulls part of the base along with it. Surely I had to deal with a situation where the removal of the coating from the gypsum plasterboard ended up in contact not with the sludge (filler), but with the lower part of the light brown cardboard.
If you remove wallpaper from drywall in this way, then the sheets will weaken and will not withstand the layer of putty. In such situations, under mechanical load (impact, push), the puttied surface will crack. As a result, the entire wall may be unusable and require complete dismantling.

Advice. Before removing wallpaper from vinyl-based drywall, think about how to retain moisture on their surface.
The need for repeated soaking is justified by the fact that vinyl is completely inert to moisture.
To prevent water from flowing from a vertical plane, you need to add a little glue to it, with which you previously glued the wallpaper. In this case, the liquid will not drain, and you can remove the wallpaper from the drywall without much difficulty.

Vinyl is more or less susceptible to water penetration, but even professionals think about how to tear off wallpaper from drywall, if they are washable. To do this, one of three fairly effective methods is usually used, which allow moisture to penetrate to the adhesive base and dissolve it.
The most reliable of all three ways- the use of an electric steamer, however, such a tool is quite expensive and rare. Nevertheless, removing wallpaper from drywall using such a device is very convenient and the whole procedure is quite fast.
Before tearing off the wallpaper from the drywall, try to delaminate them by hooking the top layer with a spatula. After that, the remaining layer is removed using ordinary soaking, without making any special efforts. (See also the article.)

But not all washable wallpapers can be layered, because there are also quite thin specimens. In this case, you can apply the third, last option - a notch. Horizontal cuts are made along the entire plane on the wall with a paint knife, then moisture, getting into them, lingers and dissolves the adhesive base.

Even at the stage of wallpapering, be prudent and be sure to pre-putty the plasterboard wall with a thin layer of satengypsum applied directly to the pre-primed surface.
If you still decide not to putty GKL, use non-woven wallpaper, which delaminate, and the base itself is removed in the usual way. We have prepared some interesting solutions for you in the video in this article. But be that as it may, each situation is individual and requires the same individual solution.

Advice. If you still need a steamer, but there is nowhere to get it, you can use an electric iron with a similar function.
The process will turn out to be quite long, but you will carry out the dismantling with high quality.