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Wallpaper Removal in Winter Garden, FL

The short answer

We remove wallpaper, borders and painted-over paper from Winter Garden homes. The method depends on the paper type; we finish with adhesive cleanup, drywall repair and primer.

Buying a home in Winter Garden often means inheriting someone else's taste. It might be a faded floral in a guest bath, a fruit border running around the kitchen soffit, or a dark plaid that a past owner tried to paint over. Taking it down is slow, wet work, and the condition of the wall afterward depends almost entirely on how it is done. We come out from Orlando, about 14 miles away, to strip wallpaper in houses all over this Orange County city and leave walls smooth, clean and primed.

What kind of wallpaper do you have?

Knowing the type of paper explains why one room takes an hour and the next takes a full day. Pick a hidden corner, lift the edge with a putty knife and see what happens.

  • Strippable: the whole sheet peels away dry, leaving little behind. This is common with newer non-woven papers.
  • Peelable: the printed top layer comes off, but a paper backing stays stuck to the wall and must be soaked off.
  • Traditional paper: tears in small pieces and needs moisture to release.
  • Solid vinyl: the face is waterproof, so it has to be peeled or perforated before water can reach the paste.
  • Painted-over paper: paint seals the surface, making it the slowest type to remove.

When a previous owner painted over it

This is one of the more common situations in older Winter Garden ranch homes. Someone decided removal was too much trouble and rolled paint straight over the paper. Over time, seams show through as faint lines, edges peel near the ceiling, and bubbles appear in humid weather.

Paint blocks water, so we have to break through it first. We lightly perforate the surface, then use steam and warm solution to soften the layers underneath. It takes patience, and we work slowly near corners and outlets where the drywall is most fragile. Where paper was hung over unprimed drywall, some facing usually comes away; we repair that before anything else goes on the wall.

How the work unfolds

We begin by covering floors with absorbent drop cloths and taping plastic along baseboards so water does not soak into flooring or trim. Power to outlets on the work walls is switched off, and covers are removed.

Next comes the actual stripping, using the method that fits the paper. Dry peeling handles strippable papers. Soaking with a warm remover solution loosens backings and traditional paper. Steam takes care of thick vinyl, multiple layers and painted paper. Softened material is lifted with wide, rounded scrapers held flat to the wall to avoid gouges.

The last and most overlooked step is washing. Dried wallpaper paste is nearly invisible but causes paint to crack and new paper to fail. We wash every wall until it feels clean and no longer slippery, then rinse.

After the paper is gone

Bare walls almost always need some attention. Kitchens may reveal unfinished drywall above cabinets where a border once hid it. Bathrooms may show minor mildew where steam reached behind loose seams. Builder-grade homes sometimes have rough taping that was never meant to be seen.

We seal any torn drywall facing with a stain-blocking primer, fill holes and dents, sand smooth and skim where needed. Walls are then left to dry fully with the air conditioning running before a final primer coat. During the humid months, that drying time matters even more, so we plan for it instead of rushing.

Before your appointment

Take down mirrors, art, curtains and shelves. Empty bathroom counters and kitchen backsplash areas. If there are spots of water damage you already know about, show us so we can work around them and let you know if a repair is needed beyond our scope.

We also strip wallpaper in Windermere, Ocoee, Bay Lake, Lake Buena Vista and Eatonville, and if you would like a new wallcovering after removal, we can schedule installation right after the prep is done.

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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.

Is it hard to remove wallpaper that was painted over?

It is slower because paint blocks moisture. We perforate and steam it, then repair any drywall damage underneath.

How do I know if my wallpaper is strippable?

Lift a corner and pull gently. If the full sheet peels off dry with little residue, it is strippable.

Will there be damage to my drywall?

Some is common when paper was hung without primer. We seal and patch torn areas so the wall is ready for paint.

Do you remove kitchen borders?

Yes. We remove the border, clean the adhesive and prepare that strip of wall to blend with the rest.

How messy is wallpaper removal?

It is wet work. We protect floors and furniture and clean up the debris before leaving.

Can I paint right after the wallpaper comes off?

Only after the adhesive is washed off, the wall is fully dry and a proper primer has been applied.

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