You are only halfway done when the wallpaper is off., there will always be some wallpaper glue to remove. Hopefully, the wallpaper came off without too much trouble. If not, you are probably ready to give up at this point, but painting over glue will cause lots of problems both now and down the road. Take a break if need be, then get back at it and get the glue off.
The glue must come off
One of the most common causes of paint problems is wallpaper paste or residual paste left on the wall. Wallpaper paste is rewettable, if you paint over it, the paint will re-wet the glue causing a variety of possible paint problems - see below:
- Cracking
- Paint and primer pulling off the wall as you roll the paint on
- Uneven paint appearance
Water and electricity = a hazard
Be sure to turn off the power to the room at the circuit breaker, and cover the electrical openings and outlets and switches with masking tape (or duct tape) to prevent water entry into the openings.
Cover the floors
Tape a plastic drop cloth **runner (3’ wide strip) down to the floor with blue painter’s tape. I use the plastic carpet shield on carpeted rooms, it is self adhesive and waterproof, this acts as a final protective barrier. I then put a disposable paper drop (3’ wide runner strip) on top of this to catch the majority of the “slop”. Be careful walking on the paper drop as it may be slippery on top of the plastic, it really depends on the type of “paper” and what backing there is on underside of the paper, if any. I roll up the paper drop when done and dispose of it. I leave the plastic carpet drop down for the painting that will follow. If you got any glue on the plastic drop, you can use a damp sponge to clean it off.
Wallpaper glue removers
Forget the fabric softener and vinegar. Save the vinegar for the salad, and the fabric softener for the laundry as they was intended to be used. Use a product made for the specific purpose of wallpaper removal. Wallpaper removers are not expensive and will get the job done better
There are two types of removers, liquid and gel. The same remover used for wetting and removing the wallpaper itself is used for removal of the glue. Follow up with a clean water rinse after the glue is off..
Pre-pasted wallpaper will as a rule, have only a thin layer of glue to remove, unless it was applied over old heavy duty glue from a previous wallpaper installation. Heavy duty clay adhesive will be thick and require wetting and scraping off with a spackle knife to get the majority of the glue off.
The Tools: a spackle knife scour pad, and sponge
The removal tools-of-the-trade are a spackle knife, scouring pad, and a sponge. You will apply the remover with either a roller and brush (gel) or pump sprayer -or a sponge mop (liquid).
Liquid removers
Some prefer liquid removers, I find them too messy. The most productive way to use liquid removers is to apply them with a spray bottle or clean, new pump sprayer (don’t use a pump sprayer that has been used with garden chemicals). Since the liquid remove will run down the wall, you can apply the liquid heavier at the top, and lighter near the bottom to minimize run off onto the floor plastic.
Gel removers
Gel removers are thick and roll on like paint (use a brush for small or narrow areas), they are easier to control and make much less mess than standard liquid removers. Roll the remover on one wall, let it dwell for 5 or 10 minutes, then re-apply and begin removing the glue.
Heavy duty glues require push “scraping” off with a spackle knife because the glue is so thick, particularly if there are a couple of layers of glue (from two different wallpaper installations where the glue was applied over glue).
Light to medium glue applications will come off fast with a scour pad only, no need to use the spackle knife.
Very light (many pre-pasted papers) glue applications will come off with a warm water washing and rinsing with a sponge, often without the need for the glue remover..
Rinse well sponge change water often
Do a final warm water rinse with a sponge to clean off any residual film left by the remover. A good sponge holds more water than a rag and drips less as long as you don’t squeeze it against the wall.
Change the water often or you will end up smearing thinned glue residue all over the wall rather than rinsing it off.
Prime
The BIGGEST MISTAKE that most DIY’ers make after removing wallpaper is that they don’t prime or use the wrong primer. You MUST prime. Primer seals off the surface preventing all of the above outline problems from occurring. You must use the right primer.
Prime with a solvent primer, either an oil or pigmented shellac primer. Don’t use a latex primer. Latex primers will re-wet any residual water soluble glue that may have been missed and will not effectively seal off the residual glue.
Recommended primers
Zinsser Coverstain - quick drying oil based primer
Zinsser BIN - pigmented shellac primer
I have use both of these primers for post wallpaper priming for years, they won’t let you down.
Notes:
Be sure the walls have dried before priming
Don’t use BIN in high humidity areas like a bathroom, use Coverstain instead
Provide for good ventilation during and after priming with these products, they both have a strong solvent odor. See Eliminating Paint Odor
Painting
You can finish with any latex or oil paint of your choice.
Removing Wallpaper Glue
... and painting after
wallpaper paste removal
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** Note: A "runner" is a narrow (about 3' wide x any length) drop cloth.
Runners are used to protect the floor along the perimeter of a room, leaving the center of the room uncovered. When working on walls only, you usually don’t need to cover the center of the room.
