The short answer
We remove wallpaper in North Lauderdale by identifying the paper and wall type, then stripping, soaking or steaming section by section. Paste residue is washed off, damaged drywall is sealed and patched, and the wall is primed for paint or new wallpaper.
Taking down wallpaper looks simple until you try it. A corner peels nicely, then the next strip tears into postage-stamp pieces, and the backing refuses to budge. In North Lauderdale, where many houses and townhomes in 33068 have passed through several owners, it is common to find paper glued straight onto unprimed drywall or hidden under a coat of paint. PrimeWall Interior Solutions handles wallpaper removal across the city, six miles west of our Fort Lauderdale base. This page explains the common problems we run into, how we work through them without wrecking the wall, and what you get at the end: a clean, primed surface ready for paint or new paper.
Problems we see often
Every house is different, but a few situations come up again and again in this part of Broward County. Knowing which one you have determines how long the job takes and how much repair follows.
None of these are reasons to leave the paper up. They simply call for a slower, more careful approach than a quick weekend scrape.
- Paper hung directly on unprimed drywall, which tears the drywall face
- Wallpaper painted over by a previous owner
- Two or three layers stacked on top of each other
- Borders glued over painted walls in kitchens and kids' rooms
- Bathroom paper with mildew behind it from years of steam
Our step-by-step approach
We cover floors and baseboards with drop cloths and plastic, shut off power to outlets in the work area when needed, and remove all covers. A test patch tells us whether the paper will dry strip, peel to a backing or need soaking.
For papers that resist, we score the surface with a tool that perforates without gouging the wall, then apply a warm stripping solution and give it time to work. The softened paper comes off with a broad scraper held flat. Steam is used only on thick or painted layers, and only in small sections, so the drywall does not soak up more moisture than necessary.
Keeping moisture under control
North Lauderdale summers are hot and humid, with frequent afternoon storms. Adding stripping solution to a closed room raises indoor humidity even more. We keep air conditioning running throughout the job and use fans to dry each section before moving on. This protects the drywall and keeps mildew from getting a foothold.
If removal reveals dark staining near a tub, toilet or exterior wall, we point it out. Small spots can be cleaned and sealed, but the source of the moisture should be addressed before new finishes go up.
Washing, repairing and priming
Once the paper is off, we wash away the leftover paste. This step is easy to skip and causes most of the problems people see later, such as paint that crackles or wallpaper that will not stick. We rinse until the wall feels clean rather than slippery.
Torn areas of drywall paper are sealed with a shellac- or oil-based primer, then patched with joint compound and sanded. On walls with widespread damage, we skim the whole surface. A final coat of primer leaves the wall ready for whatever comes next.
Drying time is built into the schedule rather than rushed. Joint compound applied to a wall that is still damp from stripping can shrink, crack or bubble, and primer brushed over wet patches tends to flash and leave dull spots. In a humid North Lauderdale summer, we let each repair dry fully under steady air conditioning before sanding, and we check the surface with a light held at a low angle so ridges and dips show up before the wall is called finished. That small pause is what makes the next coat of paint or paper look smooth.
After removal
Many clients paint once the primer cures. Others want new wallpaper right away, and we can install it as the second half of the same project. If you are preparing a home to sell or rent, a freshly stripped and primed wall is a neutral starting point that buyers and tenants appreciate.
We provide wallpaper removal in Margate, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, Oakland Park and Coconut Creek too.
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