How Do I Remove a Room Border?

We use to soak them with a wet rag until the paper began to get soggy. I've always had a hell of a time removing borders and wallpaper. Oh soapy water is best. Use liquid dish soap.

It depends on the type of glue and how long it's been there. You can try getting it damp - spray water on it and use a plastic putty knife from the bottom to try and scrape it off. Just be careful not to gouge the wall too much.

If water doesn't work you can try getting it damp with white vinegar which usually loosens the glue. I think they also make a chemical to remove wallpaper glue but I don't know how much it costs.

I thought you were talking about a room border (boarder) in the sense of a person who isn't paying rent or something.

Brain and Angie have the solution to remove your border, and the only thing I'd add is to make sure the water is very warm, almost too hot to touch.

Oh, yes, thank you SK - I forgot to mention the water should be warm.

And it would be an interesting thread if it were about removing unwanted boarders.

I thought that too. I was gonna suggest giving them a kick in the ass!

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=HomeDecor/removewallpaper useful link

Hunt down the fools who put it up and kidnap them. Make them take it down.

I could give you a link for how to do that, but the government is already watching my internet traffic...

My workroom was obviously the previous owners childrens room. I now have circus animals ringing the room. I hate it but have not mustered up the ambition to remove it.

Richard

We lived in a 200 year old house with All Kinds Of Icky Wallpaper!!!

*breathes deeply*

Warm water applied liberally works well. Let it soak in and then try to peel it away. What you can't peel, use a scraper. You'll also need a good dose of patience and bourbon. You're lucky it's just a border.

My office has the ugliest border I've ever seen - and now I know how to make it gone...

Another thought...is it a plaster wall or wallboard?

It's easier to remove wallpaper from plaster. With wallboard (is this the correct term? drywall?) the top layer might peel off when you scrape it.

Silver King said:

Brain and Angie have the solution to remove your border, and the only thing I'd add is to make sure the water is very warm, almost too hot to touch.

Click to expand...

Yes, this works like a charm. Been there, removed ugly wallpaper.

steam works well too. it's a tad less messy than water. i've done it both with a device i rented that shoots out steam and by holding a boiling kettle up to it. the proper device is way better...and we used it for a room done in wallpaper...but it would be a lot easier and cheaper to use the kettle on just a border.

We hired a steaming device and used a paint scraper. Absolute pain in the butt. From the day we moved into the house I knew we'd have to face those borders one day...

step A: knock down all the walls.

Step 2: before knocking down the walls, remove any furniture or valuables.

C: ensure that there isn't anything over the room like a ceiling or second story.

4th step: put up new walls.

cinqo: repaint.

One word - Dynamite