Older St. Louis homes often have wallpaper over plaster, sometimes in several layers and sometimes painted over. We test how it comes away, remove the paper and the paste, repair the wall and prime it so new paint goes onto a clean, sound surface.
Wallpaper turns up all over older St. Louis homes: in dining rooms and stair halls of city houses, in the bathrooms and kitchens of county ranches, and sometimes under several coats of paint where no one expected it. On plaster it usually comes away well, because plaster is hard and does not soak up water. On drywall that was never primed, the paper can bond to the wall face and pull it off in strips. We test a hidden corner first.
We cover the floors, turn off power to the outlets on that wall and take the plates off. Strippable papers are pulled dry. Others are scored lightly, wetted with a removal solution or steamed, and scraped with a wide blade held flat. Then comes the step that is often skipped: washing off the paste. Paint over leftover paste crackles and peels. When the wall is clean and dry we fill the gouges and sand.
What the wall looks like under the paper sets the rest of the job. Sound plaster may only need a few patches and a primer. Torn drywall paper has to be sealed and then skim coated with thin layers of compound to make it smooth again. Painted over wallpaper is slower to remove, and we tell you up front if sealing and skim coating over it is the more sensible route. The quote names the rooms and the repair allowed for.
Wallpaper removal in St. Louis: common questions
There are three layers of wallpaper on my plaster walls. Can it all come off?
Yes. It takes longer, since each layer has to be wetted and lifted, and the oldest paste is the most stubborn. Plaster stands up well to the water and scraping involved.
Someone painted over the wallpaper. What now?
We test a patch. If it lifts cleanly, we remove it. If it is bonded hard, the seams can be cut back and filled, the surface sealed with an oil based primer and skim coated. We explain which route we suggest and why.
How soon can the walls be painted after the paper is off?
After the paste is washed off and the wall has dried, usually the next day. Repairs and skim coats add drying time. The walls are primed before any finish paint goes on.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.