The Uses of Wallpaper

Like paint, wallpaper requires proper surface preparation before application. Additionally, wallpaper is not suitable for all areas. For example, bathroom wallpaper may deteriorate rapidly due to excessive steam. In fact, one of the ways to remove wallpaper is to apply steam, usually from a wallpaper steamer that consists of a reservoir of water, an electric heating element, and a hose to direct the steam at the wallpaper. The steam dissolves the wallpaper paste, allowing the wallpaper to be peeled off. However, care must be taken to prevent damage to the drywall underneath.

A newer method of wallpaper stripping is the Wallwik approach, which is to apply damp sheets of wallwik fabric to the wallpaper. It uses no caustic chemicals and no heavy steam equipment -- just water, and a small amount of solution and a scoring tool. The drywall remains undamaged, whereas often with steaming approach underlying plaster can end up crumbling leaving an uneven surface.

Old paper can also be scored with a tool that looks like a hand sander with sharp wheels/teeth, then sprayed with warm water or a mixture of warm water and vinegar. After about three applications, the paper (even multiple layers) can be removed easily with the aid of a putty knife.......

Source: Wikipedia.

All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.