Using a Steam Stripper Harlow
Using a Steam Stripper
There are several ways to strip wallpaper, but the fastest way by far is to use a steam stripper. These can be bought or hired and will come will all the attachments you need. The only thing you need to add is the water.
Safety Tips
As you will basically be applying water to the wall, and there are probably going to be light switches and sockets on the wall, you need to think about safety. Consider cutting a square of plastic from a carrier back and taping it over sockets and switches before you start. Make sure you switch off the power at the consumer unit if working anywhere near electrical fixtures with steam or water.
Make the room ready as you normally would for any decorating task. Put dust sheets down and wear old clothing. It is also a good idea to have some old rubber gloves to wear whilst using the stripper.
Fill the tank on the stripper to the indicated level, switch it on and wait for the Ready light to come on. Whilst you are waiting, use a paper scoring tool to score the surface of the paper on one wall of the room. Paper scoring tools sometimes come with the steam stripper, but if not they can be bought cheaply from most DIY stores.
When the steam stripper is ready to go, choose a sheet of wallpaper to start with and, with your left hand, hold the steam plate of the stripper flat against the paper at the bottom right corner. Hold the plate in place for about a minute or until signs of damp start to show around the edge of the plate. Move the plate across to the next dry area of paper with your left hand and use a paper knife in your right hand to strip the steamed paper you have just revealed.
Work your way across one sheet of wallpaper in this way and then move up to the next dry area and work your way across the sheet again. In no time at all you should be able to work your way up a full sheet and strip it away from the wall. If you encounter any particularly tough areas, simply hold the steam plate over that area for a bit longer before trying to strip with the paper knife.
When the steam stripper starts to run low on water, turn it off for a minute before filling the tank back up with cold water. Turn it on and let it heat the water up again before you continue.
If the paper is stuck directly to plasterboard rather than a plaster skin, you will need to be a bit more careful with the stripper and especially with the paper knife. Keep the knife as flat as possible and try not to let the corners dig into the surface.