How to remove wallpaper from gypsum board without damaging it?

In order for new wallpapers to be laid on the walls smoothly and beautifully, it is recommended to clean the wall by removing the old layer. And if from a brick or concrete wall old coverings of this type are removed quite easily, then with gypsum cardboard there are often some problems. Although it is a strong and reliable material, it does not withstand mechanical damage and negatively perceives humidity. Therefore, when repairing, a question may arise as to how to remove wallpaper from gypsum board without damaging it. There are some useful tips on this topic, which we will share with you in this article.

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Why do I need to delete the old layer of wallpaper?

Who ever worked with gypsum cardboard, knows that this is an even, pliable material, which will easily lay a new layer of wallpaper or paint, even if you do not remove the old one. This is true, however, this method can lead to some problems:

• New material can lie with defects - go bubbles, appear bulges and unevenness. Even if the previous layer was glued perfectly, the appearance of flaws is guaranteed.
• Adhesive, which is under a layer of decorative coating, has in its composition a small amount of water. As a rule, this depends on the density of the glue, its quality and composition. For this reason, new wallpaper can sometimes just fall off the wall.
• On the ground floors, kitchens and in places of high humidity under the wallpaper often appears mold, fungus, various microorganisms, harmful to health. Therefore, applying a new layer without deleting the previous one can be unsafe.

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Preparing to remove the

Before you remove the wallpaper from the drywall, you need to prepare well. To do this, you need to acquire the following tools:

• Wide and narrow spatulas;
• Painting Scotch tape;
• Construction knife with a thin blade;
• Paint roller and water tray;
• Household steam generator - for this purpose you can use a steam mop or a conventional steamer.
  

The process of removing these coatings varies greatly, depending on the material from which they are made. But in any case, the process of preparation of the premises is identical:

• Seal the floor, to avoid damage and contamination. You can, for example, lay down old newspapers and close the floor with a plastic wrap.
• All the outlets are covered with paint tape - this will help you avoid getting water, which can cause a short circuit.
• Remove all unnecessary items from the room, and take away the furniture. If this is not possible for some reason, the furniture must be covered with protective material - again, you can fix the newspaper or tape with tape.

Important! Before removing old wallpaper from gypsum cardboard, it is extremely important to make sure that they have been pasted onto the layer of plaster applied to the walls. Otherwise - it will be almost impossible to remove the material, from whatever material they are.

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How to remove vinyl wallpaper from gypsum board?

If the past decor - vinyl or non-woven coatings, then we can say that you are very lucky. These materials are removed with one single layer.

In this case, just follow these guidelines to remove wallpaper from gypsum board without damaging it:

1. First, you must scratch the old layer very badly to break its integrity. To do this, you can use a roller with needles or a so-called building "tiger".In the end, shallow furrows should be formed on the wall, which greatly facilitate the removal process.

Important! Observe that the pressure of the cutting tool on the wall is strong, but not excessive, because gypsum board is quite easy to damage. Be sure to cut only the wallpaper, not the wall.

1. After the old cover is well scratched, you can start shooting it. The easiest way to do this, starting with the ceiling. Hook your hand for any cut piece and just pull the wallpaper off the wall. Remove the remains of the decor with a spatula and a construction knife.

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Removal of paper wallpapers

Coating with paper wallpaper is the most common variant of wall finishing. Therefore, the question of how to remove wallpaper from plasterboard, without damaging it, is relevant for many repairers. First of all, it is worth understanding that the paper does not tolerate moisture. This means that this is the easiest way to remove the past layer. By the way, in the same way shoot and wallpaper, because they are usually made of paper.

Here are a few simple options:

• Thoroughly moisten the wall with water using a rag or sponge. Wait for about half an hour, so that the material has time to absorb the liquid. After that, they will begin to fall off the wall. With the help of a wide spatula, this process can be accelerated.
• Using a steam generator will greatly speed up the removal of paper decor. In addition, this method allows evenly distribute moisture throughout the wall surface, and also affect the old coating with the help of temperature. The removal algorithm is similar to the manual option - moisten the wall, wait for a certain time, remove the remains of the material with hands or spatula.

Important! When using water on gypsum board, make sure that under the layer of wallpaper there is plaster. Otherwise - you can ruin the drywall wall.

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Removing liquid and washable wallpaper

When working with these types of wallpaper it is important to know that they repel water perfectly. But if competently to approach this issue, then there will be no problems with how to remove old wallpaper from drywall in this case:

1. To begin with, take a knife, roller with needles or a construction "tiger".
2. Scratch the wall, as in the case of vinyl wallpaper. Operate very carefully so as not to damage the surface of the wall.
3. Damaged wallpapers should be damped with water with the help of a tool - sponge, rag or roller. Or with a steam generator.
4. Wait half an hour, and then proceed with the removal. Using a spatula in this case will greatly speed up the process.

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Alternative methods of

If none of the above methods has helped, despair is not necessary. There are several alternative methods that you might find useful:

• If the paper wallpaper is very tightly held on the wall, and there is not a layer of plaster underneath, then do not even try to tear them off. It is necessary to walk a layer of a primer over old wallpaper - this will protect against mold and fungus, and prepare a wall for gluing. After completely drying, simply glue a new layer. This method is suitable only for paper wallpapers.
• In any construction shop you can buy a special solution for wallpaper. Sometimes it's called smything. As a rule, such a tool perfectly helps to remove wallpaper from plasterboard. However, before applying, you need to make sure that the wash is suitable for your type of wallpaper.
• You can use an iron as a steam generator. It not only helps to moisten the wall, but also due to high temperature will kill some kinds of bacteria. In addition, a large degree of steam contributes to the fact that the wallpaper will fall off faster.

Now you know how to remove wallpaper from gypsum board without damaging it. When choosing the right way, proper preparation and the availability of the necessary tools, repairs will become easy and fast. If none of the methods help you, contact the help of professional masters, they certainly will help in your situation.