First: Should you remove the wallpaper? Usually the answer is yes, whether you want to paint or hang new wallpaper.<\/p>\n
Why wouldn\u2019t you want to remove the wallpaper?<\/p>\n If your house is old and the walls are made of lath and plaster, you can make the plaster dissolve and fall off the walls if you try to remove old wallpaper. Sometimes those layers of old wallpaper are the only thing holding the walls together.<\/p>\n If you try to get all of the wallpaper off the walls, you may pull the plaster off the walls, too. (If the plaster is really loose, cracked and falling off the walls, these instructions are not for you.)<\/p>\n There is an alternative at the bottom of this page.<\/p>\n Things you will need:<\/p>\n Things you probably need:<\/p>\n (I would turn this job down. Or hire someone to prepare the walls for me.)<\/p>\n How can you tell if your walls are lath and plaster? If the house isn\u2019t old, it\u2019s really unlikely. If there is a way, try seeing inside the wall. Take off a switch plate cover and shine a flashlight into the wall. If there is a medicine cabinet installed in the wall, take it out and look.<\/p>\n If the walls are lath and plaster, feel over your walls and see if the wallpaper is on tightly.<\/p>\n Unless you don\u2019t care at all about the floor, lay down drop cloths. Keep your work area picked up. It\u2019s easy to trip over piles of pulled off wallpaper.<\/p>\n If there are a lot of layers, see if some of it can be stripped off. Tear off anything that you can just tear off. But if it is really stuck, don\u2019t gouge the walls to get it off. Either glue back or lift off loose pieces. Make sure you get behind any switch plate or outlet covers.<\/p>\n Pour some Mr. Clean into a bucket of cool water and wash the walls thoroughly. Hot water is more likely to melt the glue. Don\u2019t soak the wall. You are trying to clean the wall, not remove the paper. Go back and rinse until the rags rinse clear.<\/p>\n Wash everything. Don\u2019t hang wallpaper over dirty, oily walls. Don\u2019t just paint over it. Really don\u2019t try to paint over old wallpaper glue. It is really likely to peel off and then you have a REALLY hard job getting the peeling paint and glue off the walls. Wash any trim as long as you are at it.<\/p>\n Watch for places that bubble up as you are washing. Is it just little spots? Or are there big places? Is it loose wallpaper? Or is it just absorbing water? If it is soaking up water, wait until the walls are dry again before you move on.<\/p>\n You may want to inject a little glue if there are loose spots. If the spots are really small, you probably don\u2019t need to. To inject glue, don\u2019t stab it in at a 90 degree angle. Slide it under at an angle close to the wall, so you are just going under the paper, not into the wall.<\/p>\n Give things time to dry. This is a good time to clean the area you are working in, throw all your rags in the washer and take a break. Take a shower, wash the glue out of your hair. Take a nap. Come back to it tomorrow.<\/p>\n Once the walls are dry again, lightly sand down any bumps that are going to show. Use some spackle to smooth things. If you are experienced, you can use shrink-free spackle. If you aren\u2019t, you are probably better off using plaster you can sand.<\/p>\n Wait for the plaster to dry.<\/p>\n Paint on primer. Use wallpaper primer if you are going to hang wallpaper, paint primer if you are going to paint. Take note of any areas that puff up again. Be sure that as the primer dries, they tighten up again. If these areas are large or near an edge, glue them down securely.<\/p>\n Once the primer is dry, look for anything that is going to show under the new wallpaper or paint. Use plaster or spackle to smooth the walls. Then prime again over these areas.<\/p>\n Once everything is dry, you can paint or hang new wallpaper.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t rush this. Make sure things have time to dry. Keep your work area clean and safe.<\/p>\n There is an alternative. You can replaster the walls. Or you can put new drywall over the walls. Screw on a layer of thin drywall, tape, sand\u2026 the whole thing. Hopefully there is enough wire to move the outlet boxes out\u2026<\/p>\n Wait for it to dry. WAIT FOR IT TO DRY. Prime. Wait for it to dry. Then paint or hang wallpaper.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/wallpaper-lath-plaster.jpg?resize=500%2C375&ssl=1\")
Photo by Scott Harn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nLath and Plaster Walls<\/h2>\n
\n
\nSynthetic sweatshirts make really good rags for this because they are easy to rinse. Cut them to manageable sizes. If you don\u2019t have any, thrift stores sell old sweatshirts cheap. Don\u2019t bother with the cotton ones. The synthetic ones really make the job easier.<\/li>\n
\nUse wallpaper primer if you are going to hang wallpaper, paint primer if you are going to paint.
\nI like Zinsser.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nFlavor injectors work great for this. They have a pointy tip and hold enough glue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/back_of_lath-plaster.jpg?resize=500%2C375&ssl=1\")
Photo by Asmithmd1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/flavor_injector.jpg?resize=500%2C300&ssl=1\")
They sell injectors for glue, but these work the same and are easier to find.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/spackle-plaster.jpg?resize=500%2C375&ssl=1\")
DAP Patching Compound takes longer to dry, but can be sanded smooth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAlternative<\/h2>\n