How to install new wallpaper in your house

After months in your new apartment, you cant bare the sight of the old wallpaper the previous owners has in the bedroom. You're in your mid-twenties and you're suppose to express yourself in your home, pink and blue flowers defenitely isn't your style.

Removing wallpaper seems like an easy task, how hard can it be to pull paper off the wall, right?. Think again. There are so many things that could go wrong, and if you're reading this, you have probably encountered a few of those problems by now.

There are many options to choose from, spraying with chemicals or steaming the wallpaper to remove it are two. The method you decide to use to take down your wallpaper depends on the product. Wallpapers can be stripped with a removal solution or stripped dry. The damage to the wall will also depend on how the wallpaper was installed by the previous owner. For example if the wall was no sealed with primer before the wallpaper was applied, removing it will cause damage to the wall's texture.

Using a steamer is a safe and environmental friendly process, but it is not prefered by many. It does work, but you will end up scalding you hands, and takes patience and time. Which many of us do not have.

Many people like to use a concentrated remover solution that is mixed with water. The solution dissolves the glue on the wallpaper backing, making it easier to take off. Before starting this process, gather the right tools and basic preparations, such as covering your carpet (a drop cloth or plastic sheets ). You will need one or two 3-to-6 inch broad knives, a ladder, a scoring tool, and a garden sprayer (2-gallon plastic pump). Remember to remove all outlet covers before you mix the solution and hot water together.

Test a small area of the wall, about a 3'x3' section first.  You will have to lift the edge of the wallpaper and determine what the grain is. The wallpaper can be stripped in many ways, left to right, up and down, or more. If the wallpaper does not come off easily, spray the remover-solution mixture on the area and let it soak into the paper. ( you may need to apply it several times)

If the mixture is not seeping into the wallpaper, you may need to use a scoring tool in a circular motion to many tiny punctures into the wallpaper. This will allow the mixture to saturate the wallpaper and its backing quicker.

Once the wallpaper and its backing are removed, you will need to spray the wall with the mixture one last time and scrape off any missed spots.  Wipe down the wall with a moist sponge and let it dry for a few days. Good Luck.