Wallpaper Removal
Paper off, adhesive off, walls repaired and primed — the unglamorous job that decides whether the paint that follows looks new or looks patched.
Wallpaper removal is the job homeowners most often start themselves and most often call us to finish. The paper comes off easily enough. What defeats people is the adhesive layer underneath, the torn drywall face paper that comes away with it, and the discovery that the previous owner hung paper directly onto unprimed drywall.
It's slow, messy work with no shortcut — and it's also the single biggest determinant of how the finished room looks. Paint over residual adhesive and you get a blotchy, gummy surface that never fully cures.
How we strip wallpaper properly
First we identify what we're dealing with. Strippable vinyl, non-woven, traditional paper, foil, grasscloth and old oil-based-primed installations all behave differently, and a test patch in a corner tells us how the room is going to go before we commit to a method.
Floors and trim get protected and outlets are covered — this is a wet process and the room will get wet. Non-porous papers are scored first so solution can reach the adhesive; scoring is done at controlled depth so it doesn't perforate the drywall behind.
The paper is soaked and removed, then — the step that matters — the adhesive residue is washed off completely with hot water and remover, not just knocked back. We check with a wet sponge: if the wall gets slick or tacky anywhere, there's still glue and it comes off before we go further.
Then the wall gets repaired. Torn drywall face paper is sealed and skimmed; gouges and lifted corners are filled and floated. Nearly every wallpaper removal ends in at least a partial skim coat, and we'd rather tell you that up front than surprise you mid-job.
Finally the surface is sanded smooth and primed with a product suited to what's underneath. Bare or torn drywall face paper needs sealing before it will take a topcoat evenly. Then, and only then, it's ready for paint.
Why walls need repair after wallpaper comes off
Wallpaper hung over properly primed drywall usually releases cleanly. Wallpaper hung directly onto bare, unprimed drywall — extremely common in homes papered in the 1970s through 1990s — bonds to the face paper itself. When the wallpaper comes off, it takes some of that face paper with it, exposing the soft gypsum core in patches.
Those exposed areas can't just be painted. They'll absorb moisture from the paint, bubble, and show as a visibly different texture. They need to be sealed, skimmed and sanded flat first. That's normal, not damage caused by the removal.
Similarly, plaster walls in older homes sometimes have a skim layer that's bonded to the paper. We work carefully and slowly on plaster for exactly that reason.
Should you just paint over it?
Sometimes — but rarely, and only under specific conditions. Painting over wallpaper can be defensible if the paper is fully adhered with no lifting seams, has a smooth non-textured surface, and the room isn't a bathroom or kitchen. Even then, the seams will usually read through, and you've permanently committed: removing painted-over wallpaper later is significantly harder than removing it now.
Where it's clearly the wrong call: any lifting or bubbling, textured or embossed paper, foil or vinyl, multiple layers of paper, or a bathroom where humidity will lift the seams. We'll give you a straight answer at the estimate rather than sell you the more expensive option by default.
What's included
- Test patch first to identify paper type and adhesive behavior
- Floors, trim and outlets protected before any water is used
- Controlled scoring on non-porous papers — no perforated drywall
- Full adhesive removal, verified by hand, not just paper stripping
- Torn drywall face paper sealed; gouges filled and floated
- Skim coating where needed for a uniform surface
- Sanding and a primer matched to what's underneath
- All paper, water and debris removed; room left ready to paint
Where we work
We provide wallpaper removal throughout Orange County, New York — including Highland Mills, Monroe, Central Valley, Woodbury, Harriman, Chester, Warwick, Greenwood Lake, Goshen, Middletown, Newburgh, New Windsor, Cornwall & Cornwall-on-Hudson, Washingtonville, Montgomery, Walden, Florida, NY. Based in Highland Mills, most of our work is within a short drive, which means estimates get scheduled quickly and callbacks actually happen.
Wallpaper Removal — Questions
Occasionally, if the paper is smooth, fully adhered, has no lifting seams and isn't in a bathroom or kitchen. Even then seams usually show through, and removing painted-over paper later is far harder. We'll tell you honestly which situation you're in.
It varies enormously with the paper and what's behind it. A single well-installed room can be a day; a room papered over bare drywall, or one with multiple layers, can take two to three days including the skim coat and priming that follow.
Because wallpaper hung directly on unprimed drywall bonds to the face paper and tears it on removal, exposing soft gypsum. Those areas must be sealed and skimmed flat or they'll bubble and show through the paint.
Done properly, no — but it will reveal damage that was already there under the paper. Torn face paper is a consequence of how the paper was originally hung, not of careless removal. We include the repair in the plan from the start.
Always. Residual adhesive is the main reason DIY wallpaper removal ends badly: paint over it and you get a blotchy, tacky surface that never properly cures. We wash the wall down and check it by hand before priming.
Yes. Older homes often have two or three layers, sometimes with paint between them. It takes longer and we'll price it accordingly once we've done a test patch.
You might also need
Drywall Repair & Skim Coating
Patching, crack repair, water-damage repair and full skim coats that leave walls genuinely flat before painting.
Interior Painting
Whole-home repaints and single-room refreshes with full surface prep, clean cut lines and daily cleanup.
Color Consultation
In-home color help: real sample boards, sheen guidance and a whole-house palette that flows room to room.
Trim, Molding & Custom Carpentry
Crown molding, wainscoting, accent walls and trim repair — built and finished in one visit by one crew.
Ready for a free estimate?
Tell us about your project and we'll come out, walk it with you, and put a written scope in your hands — no pressure, no sales pitch.
Serving Orange County and the Hudson Valley · Fully insured · Locally owned