Taking wallpaper down is usually the easy part. The real work is what is left behind: paste residue, torn drywall paper, and sometimes a second or third layer of paper underneath. In dining rooms and powder rooms from the 1980s and 1990s around Rockville, Olney and Silver Spring, and in older plaster homes in Chevy Chase and DC, we find all three.
We test a small area first so the estimate reflects what the wall is actually like. After removal, damaged areas are sealed and skim coated through the same methods as our drywall and plaster repair work, then primed and finished by our interior painting crew. If you want some character back on the wall, a decorative finish or limewash is a durable alternative to new paper.
What removal includes
Strippable and non-strippable paper
Vinyl, grasscloth, borders and painted-over paper removed by the right method for each.
Paste and adhesive removal
Walls washed until no residue is left to reactivate under new paint.
Torn drywall face repair
Exposed brown drywall paper sealed with an oil-based or shellac primer before patching.
Plaster walls
Old plaster cleaned, cracks bridged, and loose areas reattached.
Skim coating
Thin coats of compound over the whole wall where needed to get it flat again.
Priming and painting
Primed for even sheen and finished in the color you choose.
Local insight: what is under the paper
Paper hung on bare drywall tears the wall
In many homes built in the 1980s and 1990s, wallpaper went straight onto drywall that was never primed. When it comes off, the drywall's face paper often comes with it. Those torn brown areas have to be sealed with an oil-based or shellac primer before any water-based compound, or the patch will bubble.
Older layers may include lead paint
In pre-1978 homes, painted-over wallpaper and the walls under it can carry lead paint layers. Steaming and scraping those surfaces counts as disturbing paint, so we follow lead-safe work practices and test when the house age calls for it.
Leftover paste ruins the new paint
Wallpaper paste that is not fully washed off reactivates under latex paint and causes cracking and poor adhesion, sometimes months later. We keep washing until the wall no longer feels slick, then prime before any finish coat.
How removal runs
Test patch
A small section removed to see the paper type and the wall underneath.
Protect the room
Floors and trim covered, outlet covers removed, openings taped against moisture.
Remove the paper
Scored, soaked or steamed off by section.
Wash and repair
Paste washed away, torn areas sealed, cracks and gouges patched.
Skim, prime and paint
Wall leveled where needed, primed, and finished in two coats.
Wallpaper removal questions
Can you paint over wallpaper instead of removing it?
It is possible, but we rarely recommend it. Seams usually show through, moisture from the paint can loosen the paper, and removing it later becomes much harder. Removal gives a better, longer-lasting result.
How long does it take to remove wallpaper from a room?
Most rooms take one to three days including repairs, skim coating and drying time. Painted-over paper or multiple layers take longer, which is why we test first.
Is wallpaper removal messy?
It is wet work, so we protect floors and trim carefully and clean up daily. The room is closed off while we work, and the rest of the house stays usable.