We would like to remove our wallpaper and paint the walls. When we peel the wallpaper it comes off pretty easily, but there's another "paper"on the sheetrock. Are we supposed to take this "paper"off also, or can we leave it on, prime then paint? Any help will definitely be appreciated! Thanks! [email protected]

I had to strip a whole room that had wallpaper straight on the sheet rock... it's a pain in the butt! I went to the Lowe's and they have something that you can spray on it... I can't think of the name of it but it's worth every penny. Spray it on and let it sit for a moment then the paper comes off a bit easier.

Not an expert in this area, but here's my understanding.

If the paper left behind is part of the wallpaper application, you'll need to remove it. If you prime over it and its actually part of the wallpaper the moisture in the primer will seep into the paper... at least at the seams in not right through, and loosen its bond to the wall.

Have you tried scoring the paper and spraying very hot water or fabric softener? They have scoring devices... I think the one I used was called tiger claw... basically little rollers with points mounted on a hand held grip. Run it over the wall to score the paper. Then wet the paper. I've used hot as you can get water. Some say fabric softener does a lovely job. You just need to be sure to not put a lot of pressure on the scorer... you're trying to make holes in the paper, not the wall.

After you saturate the paper you should find it easier to peel off. Then wash down the walls, removing any residue.

Hope that helps. Others will chime in their opinions soon enough I expect, if I'm wrong about the primer loosening the paper too much.

I've tried spray stuff but had much better luck with a gel. It is called E-Z Gel Wallpaper remover. It comes in a box that has a packet of power and a packet of liquid. You pour them into a bucket of water and it forms a gel. Brush the gel on, wait five minutes and hit it with a paint scraper... it just peels right off the wall.

Okay, thank you all for your help! I'll try removing the paper then. We'll see what happens! Lol

You should be careful. Its possible to remove too much paper! Sheetrock is made of gypsum bonded on two sides by paper. So if you remove paper and the wall begins to look rough and crumbly (or muddy) then you are probably removing too much!