How to Remove Peel and Stick Wallpaper
The angle to pull at, warming a section that resists, dealing with residue, and why the paint underneath decides how the wall looks afterwards
Lift a top corner with a fingernail or a filling knife, then pull slowly downwards at a shallow angle, keeping the paper close to the wall rather than pulling it outwards. Warm any section that resists with a hairdryer on a low setting. It comes off dry. No water, no steamer, no stripper.
The angle is the whole technique
Pulling outwards puts the force into the paint film and can lift it. Pulling downwards, with the paper folded back against itself and kept close to the wall, puts the force into the adhesive instead.
Slow matters as much as the angle. A fast pull concentrates the stress in a narrow line; a slow one lets the adhesive release progressively.
Step by step
- Start at a top corner. Work a fingernail or the corner of a filling knife under the edge.
- Free the top 10cm across the width of the length.
- Fold the freed paper back on itself so it lies against the paper still on the wall.
- Pull slowly downwards, keeping that fold close to the wall, with even pressure across the width.
- If a section resists, stop pulling. Warm it with a hairdryer on a low setting for twenty or thirty seconds and start again.
- Take each length off separately, in the order it was hung if you can remember it.
Do not try to speed it up with a scraper. A blade under a peel and stick edge goes into the paint.
If it tears
Longer or older installations sometimes come away in pieces rather than lengths. Work patiently, warming ahead of yourself with the hairdryer, and lift each piece from its top edge rather than picking at the middle.
Adhesive residue
Some walls come away perfectly clean and some carry a faint tacky film.
- Start with warm water and a little washing-up liquid on a cloth, worked gently.
- Let it soften for a minute before wiping.
- For anything stubborn, an adhesive remover used sparingly. Test it in a hidden spot first, because some will take paint off.
- Rinse with clean water and let the wall dry completely.
What decides how the wall looks afterwards
The paint, not the paper. What removable wallpaper is bonded to is the paint film, so the outcome depends on how old that paint is, how good it was, and how well it was bonded to the plaster in the first place.
- Well-applied, fully cured paint usually comes through it well.
- Paint that was less than thirty days old when the paper went up may lift, because it had not finished curing.
- Chalky, powdery or old distemper-type finishes can come away with the paper.
- Areas that were damp behave unpredictably.
This is why testing one length in an inconspicuous corner is worth twenty minutes before papering a whole room, and why photographing the wall first is sensible in a rented home.
Making good
If some paint has lifted: fill any deeper damage, sand the edges of the lifted area so they do not read as a step, and repaint. It is a straightforward job on a wall you were going to redecorate anyway.
Can you re-use it?
It is possible, but not something we would recommend. The adhesive picks up dust the moment it leaves the wall, and a length that has been handled twice rarely lies as flat as it did the first time. If you are moving a design from one room to another, treat it as a fresh start.
How do you remove peel and stick wallpaper?
Lift a top corner and pull slowly downwards at a shallow angle, keeping the paper close to the wall. Warm stubborn sections with a hairdryer.
Do I need to wet it or steam it?
No. It comes off dry. Pasted papers are a different job entirely.
Will it take the paint off?
On well-bonded, fully cured paint, usually not. On fresh, chalky or poorly bonded paint, it can.
How do I get rid of sticky residue?
Warm water and a little washing-up liquid first; an adhesive remover sparingly and tested first if that is not enough.
Can I re-use the wallpaper somewhere else?
Possible, not recommended, because the adhesive collects dust as soon as it is off the wall.
How long does it take to take a room down?
Far less time than it took to put up. An hour or two for an average room.
