Perhaps it's ugly, dated wallpaper that came with your home, or merely a change of décor. Regardless, removing wallpaper can be a tough task, especially if you didn't put it on yourself and don't know what you're working with. No matter the task ahead of you, we've got a guide for you to follow! Say goodbye to your old faded wallpaper, and say hello to your new custom wall mural from Limitless Walls!
Protect your room and furniture.
Move furniture from the area of the wallpaper you are removing from the wall. If you have any electrical outlets in the area, remove the outlet cover as to remove the wallpaper underneath, and cover the outlets with a piece of duct tape.
How to Remove Peel-and-Stick Decals and Murals
Our peel-and-stick wall murals are designed to peel away from a wall without leaving any residue. However, we cannot guarantee complete removal due to the unknown nature of the underlying surface and unexpected environmental factors that could impact the adhesive.
Heating the mural before removal should decrease the potential for any sticker residue to get left behind on a wall. We recommend using a hairdryer to heat each section as you remove it slowly. Begin in a top corner of the mural on a low-temperature setting.
Aim the blow dryer directly at the wall sticker. It may take a few minutes, but once the decal feels warm to your touch, use your fingernail to very gently pull it away from the wall. Pull down from the corner at a 45-degree angle at a steady pace. For this project, you'll need an extra pair of hands as you remove the mural. Remove the decal in a 45-degree angle at a medium pace while your partner leads with a hairdryer. Do not remove too quickly or too slowly.
Remove Removable/Strippable Wallpaper
Test your wallpaper to determine whether it is removable and to the degree that it is removable. Use a small putty knife to pull a corner from the wall and slowly pull down from a top corner at a 45-degree angle. If it comes off fairly easily with occasional tougher moments, follow the above peel-and-stick wallpaper instructions. If you are having extreme difficulty in removing the wallpaper, move down our "Removing Non-Strippable Wallpaper" section.
If it comes off easily, congratulations! You have fully strippable wallpaper. Finish removing your wallpaper.
Remove Removable/Strippable Wallpaper
Test your wallpaper to determine whether it is removable and to the degree that it is removable. Use a small putty knife to pull a corner from the wall and slowly pull down from a top corner at a 45-degree angle. If it comes off fairly easily with occasional tougher moments, follow the above peel-and-stick wallpaper instructions. If you are having extreme difficulty in removing the wallpaper, move down our "Removing Non-Strippable Wallpaper" section.
If it comes off easily, congratulations! You have fully strippable wallpaper. Finish removing your wallpaper.
Once you have entirely removed the wallcovering , spray down the wall with a mixture of warm water and dish soap. If the water-dish soap mixture is not removing the adhesive well, we recommend using Zinsser Dif® Ultra wallcovering removal liquid. Spray on the adhesive spots, let sit, and then remove.
Use a sponge and warm water to rinse off the wall. Let sit for 48 hours before making any changes to your wall—adding a new wall mural, painting, putting up wallpaper, or any other sort of wall décor.
Remove Non-Strippable Wallpaper
What if your wallpaper is not strippable? To know how to remove a wall mural that is not strippable or is just plain stubborn, use to use a softening agent to loosen up the adhesive to remove it from the wall. These next few steps guide you through on how to remove wall stickers without peeling paint if they are a tough nugget.
Removal Steps
Note:
If you find that there are multiple layers of wallpaper underneath, do not try to remove them all at once. Only do one layer at a time; it is hard to gauge how much pressure to push with without gouging the drywall underneath.
Step 1
Go to a local hardware store or find a wallpaper stripping liquid online. We recommend Zinsser Dif® Ultra. You need a scoring tool to poke holes in the surface of the wallpaper so the liquid can penetrate the adhesive. Once you've used the scoring tool to poke small holes in the surface of the wallpaper, spray the wallpaper with the stripping liquid of your choice.
Step 2
Allow the mixture to soak as per the manufacturer's directions.
Step 3
Use a paper scraper and test one of the wallpaper seams to see if the wallpaper is coming off easily. If not, try to score and spray the wallpaper one more time. Once you're able to remove the wallpaper comfortably, use the paper scraper to remove large swaths of wallpaper. Do not press too hard against the wall, as that may damage the underlying surface.
Step 4
Once the wallpaper is gone, spray the wall one last time with the stripping mixture and scrape off any missed spots.
Use a sponge and warm water to rinse off the wall. Let sit for 48 hours before making any changes to your wall—adding a new wall mural, painting, putting up wallpaper, or any other sort of wall décor.
If you have any wall mural, sticker, or decal residue remaining on your wall, check out our residue removal article, so you can get started on your next project!
5 ADDITIONAL HELPFUL TIPS AND TRICKS
- Blow Dryer Trick - Using a blow dryer (on a low temperature) to heat the wall decal helps to keep the adhesive soft. Softer adhesive means you can remove the mural more easily! Start by aiming the blow dryer at one corner of the mural or decal, and once it feels warm to the touch, use your fingernail to pull it from the wall slowly. Remember, slow and steady wins the race! Your goal is to get the entire decal off in one try, so be sure to take your time as you begin removing more of the decal If there is still adhesive left on the wall, we recommend using soap and water to remove it all. If that doesn't work, use Zinsser Dif Ultra Wallpaper Removal spray to get the last of the adhesive off. Pro tip - when peeling off, stay as close to the wall as possible to not cause any extra stress on either the wall or decal.
- Hot Towel - Place a warm, damp towel over your wall sticker to dissolve the glue of the adhesive. After you’ve thoroughly ran the towel over your entire decal, slowly peel it from the wall using your fingernail or a pair of tweezers. Note: this process will protect your wall, but you won’t be able to reuse the wall decal afterward.
- 45-Degree Pull - Pulling off a wall mural can vary in its difficulty depending on the material you chose. Across the board, however, pulling on a mural slowly but firmly at a 45-degree angle from the corner will make removal easier. Unlike pulling horizontally from the top down or from the side, pulling in this manner will prevent it from ripping or tearing.
- Iron Off - To remove your decal without damaging it or the wall, try using an iron over a semi-wet (not dripping) washcloth. Place the washcloth on the sticker and iron it. Unlike the hot towel method, the steam melts the glue so as not to ruin your decal or the wall. Pro tip - start at the edges and work in for the best results.
- Wax On - If you're planning to reuse your murals at a later date, save the backing paper the peel-and-stick came on! Don't worry if you threw them out, however! If you know in advance that you threw them out, contact us here at Limitless Walls, and we can send you backing paper for just the cost of the shipping. If you're really in a pickle, use wax paper! Be extra sure not to get any dirt, dust, or handprints on the mural. Ensure that the corners of the mural are covered by wax paper, as well.
When/if the time comes to take down or move your wall decals, we hope our five tips and tricks help you out! If you have any further questions for the Limitless Walls team or need a new wall decal for your room, feel free to contact us. We’re happy to help!