Steam Cleaners - A Beginner's Guide
Steam cleaners come with plenty of benefits. Here is all you need to know about steam cleaning, how to use a steam cleaner & how to look after yours.
Becoming a first-time buyer is a rite of passage. It’s an experience filled with joy, relief, and anticipation. But if it’s a property that’s time-worn, this new, exciting chapter of your life can quickly become arduous where redecorating is concerned.
Perhaps you’ve got a spare room that needs a fresh lick of paint or an entire house that’s a tad too retro for your tastes. Whatever the project, there’s a good chance wallpaper crops up along the way. And as the saying goes, what goes up must come down!
Papering or painting a stripped wall gives you a lovely bubble-free finish that’s both smoother and easier to execute. It also typically lasts longer. So, what’s the best way to remove wallpaper without tearing your hair out in the process? In this article, we’ll take a whistle-stop tour of steamers, stripping, and removal solutions, offering up a hatful of wallpaper removal tips.
While it’s all too tempting to start tearing down that garish 1970s wallpaper hanging in your front room, you first need to make sure the area is safe.
Believe it or not, around 48,000 people a year end up in A&E because of avoidable home ladder accidents. So, with that in mind, please carefully run through the following safety precautions before moving on to our wallpaper removal tips:
The key to quickly removing wallpaper is first to assess the room. Which method you use will depend on several factors, including what material your walls consist of and how easily the paper peels away. Therefore, you should start by using a putty knife to gently loosen a corner of the paper before slowly peeling it back; if you tear it straight off, it could damage the wall.
If it comes away from the wall easily, then you have strippable wallpaper—an easier material to remove. Likewise, if a paper backing is left on the wall when you strip away the pieces, you’re probably dealing with peelable wallpaper.
The most enduring wallpaper to remove is the traditional type, which doesn’t budge a millimetre when tested with a dry putty knife. In these instances, you’ll need a chemical stripper, but more on that shortly.
You can find out what materials are used in your wall by simply giving it a tap — if it sounds hollow, it’s probably drywall.
If it is, you won’t want to risk using any heavy detergents or excessive water when stripping wallpaper. Drywall typically consists of mineral gypsum, which isn’t as hardy as plaster, and therefore damages easily when over soaked.
If your wall has a much denser, colder finish, it’s most probably plaster. This material is typically constructed with robust sand, cement, lime, and water, which affords more options when finding the best way to remove wallpaper.
Once you’ve identified the materials used in your walls, you need to settle on a method for removing the paper. There are generally two options for wallpaper stripping:
Let’s discuss the merits and limitations of both methods.
If you have strippable or peelable wallpaper, the chances are that you can remove the bulk of it with an electric steamer. These devices consist of a water tank connected to a steam plate. Steaming works best on large surfaces, and, particularly, drywalls, reducing the risk of damage.
If used correctly, the steam will enter the perforated wallpaper and activate its adhesive, causing the paper to slide away. This makes stripping wallpaper faster, easier, and less stressful than using traditional methods.
Best of all, wallpaper strippers are relatively inexpensive to hire and are ready to use in just 15 minutes. Head to our store to find professional wallpaper strippers built for removing everything from vinyl to woodchip.
If you don’t have a steamer or there’s wallpaper that won’t budge, you might need to resort to using a bit of old-fashioned elbow grease mixed with some stripping solution. These ready-to-use chemical liquids help dissolve wallpaper adhesive and are ideal if you’ve got more than one layer to remove.
Many stripping solutions come in a spray bottle for easy application, while others need diluting with water, so read the label before applying. However, if you’re in a rush or don’t have access to chemicals, it’s pretty easy to make your own solution. Simply mix liquid detergent and hot water in a bowl.
Just a word of warning: some untested detergents may not work as well as the best wallpaper removal solutions and could damage your walls — so buy an over-the-counter product where you can.
If you have strippable or peelable wallpaper, the chances are that you can remove the bulk of it with an electric steamer. These devices consist of a water tank connected to a steam plate. Steaming works best on large surfaces, and, particularly, drywalls, reducing the risk of damage.
If used correctly, the steam will enter the perforated wallpaper and activate its adhesive, causing the paper to slide away. This makes stripping wallpaper faster, easier, and less stressful than using traditional methods.
Best of all, wallpaper strippers are relatively inexpensive to hire and are ready to use in just 15 minutes. Head to our store to find professional wallpaper strippers built for removing everything from vinyl to woodchip.
If you don’t have a steamer or there’s wallpaper that won’t budge, you might need to resort to using a bit of old-fashioned elbow grease mixed with some stripping solution. These ready-to-use chemical liquids help dissolve wallpaper adhesive and are ideal if you’ve got more than one layer to remove.
Many stripping solutions come in a spray bottle for easy application, while others need diluting with water, so read the label before applying. However, if you’re in a rush or don’t have access to chemicals, it’s pretty easy to make your own solution. Simply mix liquid detergent and hot water in a bowl.
Just a word of warning: some untested detergents may not work as well as the best wallpaper removal solutions and could damage your walls — so buy an over-the-counter product where you can.
Once you’ve removed all the paper and residual glue, the hard work is over. But there’s one thing left to do, and that’s clean the walls. It might sound pretty trivial and unnecessary after sweating over a stripping knife for several hours, but if you don’t clean the walls, you’ll never get a smooth finish.
So, here’s what to do:
That’s it! A clean, smooth, paper-less wall ready for redecorating. If you’re working on a bigger DIY project, why not check out some other how-to articles on the HSS Hire Blog? Alternatively, head to our store, and you’ll find all the tools you need to complete your dream project.
Steam cleaners come with plenty of benefits. Here is all you need to know about steam cleaning, how to use a steam cleaner & how to look after yours.
One way to care for your soil is to try and take control of pesky weeds. Making sure you get them while they are still small will help to ensure they don’t overtake your flowers and borders and restrict the growth of other plants. Use a hoe or hand weeder tool
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