Removing wallpaper before painting a house

Painting a house is a cost-effective way of revitalising your interior, which can be a great project if you are intending to put your home on the market.

Before embarking on some DIY painting work however, you may need to remove some existing wallpaper.

Here are some top tips for removing wallpaper so that you have a fresh canvass on which to apply your new coat of paint.

Hiring a wallpaper steamer should be the first item on your agenda, as this piece of equipment will minimise the damage to the surface underneath that generally occurs when scraping off wallpaper.

Even with a steamer you will require some patience - the process can be pretty slow. Any leftover wallpaper paste residue can be removed by applying sugar soap.

Taking down wallpaper that has a vinyl coating can be a little trickier, but is still possible with a steamer.

Before you start the steaming process, make sure to use a perforated roller over the area you need to remove.

This will form pinholes in the surface that steam can penetrate, ensuring the job is made that much easier.

Once you've removed all of the wallpaper, you're ready to begin painting your house!