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Old Wallpaper Removal in Edgewood, FL

The short answer

We strip old wallpaper, borders and painted-over coverings from Edgewood walls, then clean off adhesive and repair the surface so it is ready for paint or new paper. A quick test patch tells us which removal method the wall needs.

Many houses in Edgewood have been through several owners, and each one may have left a layer behind: a border along the kitchen soffit, a floral in the guest bath, a faux-texture vinyl in the hallway that someone painted over instead of stripping. Taking that material off cleanly is slower and messier than most people expect, and rushing it is the most common way drywall gets gouged. Since our shop sits only a couple of miles southwest of Edgewood, we can stop by to test a corner, tell you what kind of paper you are dealing with, and give you a realistic picture of the work before anything is torn.

Identifying what is on the wall

Wallpaper removal starts with a small test. We lift a corner near a seam and see what happens. Strippable papers peel away in full sheets, leaving a thin backing. Peelable vinyls lose their top layer but leave paper behind that has to be soaked. Older pulp papers tear into small pieces and may sit directly on unprimed drywall, which is the hardest case.

Paint over wallpaper adds another layer of difficulty because it seals the paper and blocks water from reaching the paste. In those rooms we score the surface lightly, using a tool designed not to cut into the wall beneath, so the softening solution can penetrate.

  • Strippable: dry peel, minimal residue
  • Peelable vinyl: face peels, backing needs soaking
  • Traditional paper: soak and scrape in sections
  • Painted-over paper: scoring, extended soaking, careful scraping

Protecting the house during removal

Removal uses a lot of warm water, and that water runs down walls toward baseboards and outlets. We turn off power to the affected circuits, tape plastic over outlet boxes, and lay absorbent drop cloths topped with plastic along the floor. Furniture is moved out or covered.

In Central Florida we also think about drying time. During humid summer months the wall can take much longer to dry out after soaking, so we plan removal days with your air conditioning running and, where needed, fans moving air across the wall. Painting or papering over a damp surface invites bubbling and mildew.

After the paper comes off

Getting the paper off is only half the job. Old adhesive left on the wall will reactivate under fresh paint and cause cracking or a crazed finish. We wash the walls with a paste remover, rinse, and check by touch for any slick areas that remain.

Then comes repair. Older Edgewood homes sometimes reveal surprises under the paper: patched holes from previous fixtures, torn drywall face paper, or plaster cracks. Torn paper facing is sealed with an oil-based or shellac-based primer before patching, because water-based compound applied directly to raw drywall paper will bubble. Patches are sanded smooth and the whole wall is primed so it is ready for its next finish.

Removal followed by new wallpaper

Many Edgewood clients want the old paper off so new paper can go up. Doing both with one crew lets us prepare the wall to the standard new wallpaper needs, choose the right primer, and schedule hanging as soon as the surface is dry. If you plan to paint instead, we leave the wall primed and smooth so your painter can start right away.

Why DIY stripping often goes sideways

Plenty of homeowners start pulling paper on a Saturday and call us on Sunday. The usual story is that the top layer came off easily, the backing would not budge, and a putty knife pushed too hard tore the brown paper face of the drywall. Once that face is torn, the wall will bubble under paint unless it is sealed properly, and the repair takes longer than the removal itself.

Steamers can help, but they also soften drywall quickly if held in one spot. Chemical strippers vary in strength and some leave a film that must be neutralized. In a closed bathroom during a humid Edgewood summer, the combination of steam, heat and moisture makes the room uncomfortable and slow to dry. If you have already started and hit a wall, so to speak, we can pick up where you left off, assess any damage, and bring the surface back to a sound, smooth condition without starting over.

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What to expect

How a visit goes

  1. Honest prep advice

    If your wall has glossy paint, torn drywall facing or a lingering moisture problem, we say so before work starts and suggest the fix that makes sense for that surface.

  2. Patterns that line up

    We plot where the repeat falls at eye level and in corners, so the match holds across the whole room instead of drifting by the last strip.

  3. A tidy work area

    Drop cloths go down first, scraps leave with us, and paste residue is sponged off trim and ceilings before we call the job done.

FAQ

Common questions

Don’t see your question? Call (561) 944-3314 and we’ll talk it through.

Can I just paint over the old wallpaper?

We advise against it. Paint can loosen the paste, seams often show through, and removing painted paper later is much harder.

How long does wallpaper removal take?

A small bathroom may take a few hours; a large room with painted-over paper can take a full day or more, plus drying time.

Will removal damage my drywall?

Some surface damage is common with older papers hung on unprimed walls. We repair and seal any torn areas as part of the job.

Do you remove wallpaper borders too?

Yes. Borders are often glued with stronger adhesive, so they get the same test-and-soak approach as full walls.

Do you work in areas around Edgewood?

Yes, we also serve Belle Isle, Sky Lake, Winter Park, Eatonville and Maitland.

Tell Us About Your Walls

Send a few photos and the room dimensions, mention the paper you have in mind, and we will reply with questions and next steps for a visit.

Request Service Call (561) 944-3314
Call (561) 944-3314 Request Service