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Wallpaper Removal Services in Ocoee

The short answer

We remove wallpaper and borders from Ocoee homes, clean off the leftover paste, and repair any drywall damage. You end up with walls ready for paint or new wallpaper, without glue residue causing problems later.

Buying a home in Ocoee sometimes comes with a surprise: a border around the kitchen ceiling, a dated print in the guest bath, or a whole dining room of paper the previous owners loved. Removing it well is mostly about patience and protecting the drywall underneath. We strip wallpaper in homes across ZIP code 34761, roughly 12 miles northwest of our base in Orlando, and leave walls clean, repaired and primed. If you are planning to paint or hang something new, the work below is what sets you up for a smooth finish.

Borders, vinyl and painted paper

Wallpaper borders, popular in kitchens, bathrooms and kids' rooms years ago, are often the toughest small job. They were usually hung with strong adhesive, sometimes over paint that was never primed, and the glue line can be stubborn. We soften and scrape them carefully so the paint underneath is not ripped away in strips.

Vinyl wallpaper in bathrooms and laundry rooms often peels off cleanly on the surface but leaves a paper backing glued to the wall. That backing has to be soaked and removed. Paper that has been painted over is a third common case. The paint layer blocks water, so we score the surface lightly, then soak or steam until the adhesive lets go.

How a removal job runs

Most removal days follow a similar order, adjusted to the paper and wall type:

  • Protect floors, cabinets and fixtures with drop cloths and plastic
  • Turn off power to outlets in the room and cover them
  • Peel any strippable top layers dry first
  • Apply warm water and a removal solution to the backing, letting it soak
  • Steam areas that resist, including borders and painted paper
  • Scrape with broad, angled blades to protect the drywall
  • Wash walls thoroughly to remove every trace of paste

What happens after the paper is off

Once the walls are bare and dry, we inspect them in raking light. Drywall in many houses was never primed before the original paper went up, so small tears in the drywall's face paper are common. We seal those areas with a shellac-based or oil-based primer to keep them from bubbling, then patch with joint compound and sand.

If you are repainting, we can blend repairs into the surrounding knockdown or orange-peel texture typical of local homes, so the wall looks consistent. If new wallpaper is next, we leave a smooth surface and apply a wallpaper primer.

Drying time in a Florida house

Wallpaper removal puts a lot of moisture into a room. From June through September, when Central Florida is hot, humid and stormy most afternoons, walls take longer to dry. We use fans and rely on steady air conditioning before any patching or priming begins. Mild, dry winter months generally speed things up.

Wet drywall in a house without cooling is a recipe for mildew, so during hurricane season, June 1 to November 30, we plan around any storm that might knock out power.

Why DIY removal often stalls halfway

Plenty of homeowners start a removal project on a Saturday with a spray bottle and a putty knife. The top layer comes off and it feels like progress. Then the backing refuses to budge, the knife starts gouging the wall, and a room that seemed like a one-day job turns into a weeks-long half-finished mess. Rented steamers help, but they are heavy, hot and slow to use in a tight bathroom.

Another trap is stopping once the paper is gone and painting right over the remaining paste. It looks fine for a while, then the paint begins to crackle or peel in patches, sometimes within days. Thorough washing is the unglamorous step that prevents that, and it is one we never skip.

Scheduling removal with a new install

Many Ocoee homeowners pair removal with new wallpaper or painting. Doing both in one project keeps the schedule tight and avoids a second round of setup. Tell us what is going on the wall afterward, and we will prep it for that specific finish. For a room getting new paper, we can often remove, repair, prime and hang within the same week, allowing drying time between steps. For a room getting paint, we will let you know when the walls are ready for your painter, or for you. We also offer removal in Winter Garden, Windermere, Eatonville, Maitland and Winter Park.

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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 you remove just a wallpaper border?

Yes. Border removal is a common small job, and we repair and touch up the strip of wall it leaves behind so it is ready for paint.

What if my wallpaper has been painted over?

We score the surface so moisture can reach the adhesive, then soak or steam it off. It takes longer than unpainted paper but is very doable.

Will there be damage to my drywall?

Minor surface tears are common, especially on unprimed drywall. We seal and patch those areas as part of the job.

Is wallpaper removal messy?

It involves water, paste and scraps, so we cover floors and fixtures and clean up at the end of each day.

How soon can I paint after removal?

Once walls are clean, dry, repaired and primed. Depending on humidity and the amount of patching, that is often a day or two.

Do you haul away the old wallpaper?

Yes, we bag and remove the scraps and debris from the job.

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