Wallpaper removal, down to a wall that’s ready to paint.
Full rooms, borders and stubborn bathroom paper, taken down without tearing up the drywall underneath. Then the wall is cleaned, repaired, primed and painted by the same person who stripped it.
Why wallpaper removal goes wrong.
In a lot of homes the wallpaper went up straight onto unprimed drywall. Pull it off and the paper face of the drywall comes with it, leaving torn, fuzzy patches that bubble the moment paint touches them. That damage is the real cost of a rushed removal, and it is why the job is mostly about protecting the wall.
Then there is the glue. Paste left behind looks invisible when the wall is dry and reactivates under fresh paint, causing cracking and peeling within weeks. Getting the adhesive off completely is the step people skip, and the step that decides whether the paint lasts.
What wallpaper removal includes.
From the first scored strip to the final coat of paint:
- Floors, trim and furniture protected before any water comes out
- Paper scored and softened, then lifted rather than torn
- Borders and multiple layers taken down
- Every trace of adhesive washed off the wall
- Torn drywall face sealed with a primer made for it
- Dings, gouges and old anchor holes repaired
- Walls primed and painted, or left primed if you are papering again
Remove it, or paint over it?
Full removal
The right answer almost every time. The wall comes back to a sound surface, and the paint bonds to the wall rather than to paper that can let go later.
Borders only
A strip of border in an otherwise painted room is a common job in homes from the 1990s. It comes down, the adhesive line gets cleaned, and the wall is repainted so there is no ghost line where the border was.
Painting over paper
Sometimes possible when the paper is tightly bonded and smooth, but seams and edges tend to show through, and it makes any future removal much harder. We will tell you honestly if your walls are a candidate.
How the job runs.
- Score & soften
- Wash off adhesive
- Prime & paint
Removal is wet work, so floors and outlets are protected first and the room is kept tidy as the paper comes down. The walls then need to dry fully before priming, which is why a room is usually stripped one day and primed and painted after.
Bathrooms take extra care. Paper there often went up over painted walls in steamy conditions, and the drywall underneath can be softer than in the rest of the house.
Wall prep that customers notice.
What it looks like when the removal and the paint come from the same person.
“Mike removed wallpaper and painted my guest bath, replaced drywall and painted my kitchen. Very meticulous with wall prep. Showed up on time, cleaned to a broom-clean standard, reasonable price.”
“Really great experience. Mike is excellent with communication, expectations and timeliness. Very fair, up-front pricing. Diligent work and the finished product is fantastic. We'll use him again soon.”
Mike has painted out of Grayslake since 1986. Every estimate is his, and so is every wall he strips.
Meet MikeWhat wallpaper removal costs.
Every job is priced on site, in a written estimate. What moves the number:
- Wall area
- Full rooms take longer than a border or an accent wall.
- Layers and paper type
- Vinyl, painted-over paper and multiple layers all add time.
- Condition of the wall
- Paper on unprimed drywall usually needs repairs after it comes off.
- Paint or just prime
- Most jobs end painted; leaving walls primed for new paper costs less.
Estimates are free and come with no obligation. Mike looks at the walls himself and puts the scope in writing.
Wallpaper removal near you, across Lake County.
We take down wallpaper and borders from our Grayslake shop across Lake County, including the 1990s subdivisions where builder-era borders are still common.
See all service areasIt can, if the paper was hung on unprimed drywall, because the drywall face comes away with the paper. Done carefully, damage is kept to a minimum, and any torn areas are sealed with a primer made for it and repaired before painting.
Sometimes, but it is rarely the better choice. Seams and edges tend to show through, moisture can make the paper bubble, and it makes the paper much harder to remove later. We will tell you honestly if your walls are a candidate.
Paste that stays on the wall reactivates when it gets wet from paint, which causes cracking and peeling. Washing every trace off is a step that gets skipped often, and it is the one that decides whether the new paint lasts.
A typical room is stripped in a day, then primed and painted once the walls are fully dry. Multiple layers, painted-over paper or a lot of wall repair add time. You get a realistic schedule with the written estimate.
Yes. Borders are common in homes built in the 1990s. The border comes down, the adhesive line is cleaned off, and the wall is repainted so no ghost line is left behind.
Ready to see the wall under the wallpaper?
Free, itemized estimates across Lake County. Mike looks at every room himself.