The short answer
We remove old wallpaper and borders from Miami Gardens homes, wash away the leftover glue and repair any wall damage. The walls are primed at the end so you can paint or hang new paper without problems showing through.
Taking down old wallpaper is one of those jobs that looks simple until you start. A corner peels away nicely, then the next strip tears into small pieces, leaves a sticky brown backing, and pulls up a patch of drywall along with it. In Miami Gardens, where many homes have seen several owners and several rounds of decorating, it is common to find borders, painted-over paper or even two layers stacked on top of each other. Our crew comes from Hialeah, around 7 miles away, to strip wallpaper in homes throughout 33055, 33056 and 33169 and hand back walls ready for the next finish.
Signs it is time to remove it
Some homeowners want a fresh look. Others are dealing with paper that has started to fail. In South Florida, the long humid season from May through October and frequent storms can push moisture into walls and loosen older papers, especially in bathrooms and near exterior doors.
- Seams lifting or edges curling at the ceiling or baseboard
- Bubbles or soft spots in the middle of strips
- Faded, yellowed or water-stained areas
- Dated borders at the ceiling or chair-rail height
- Paper that was painted over and now shows its seams
- Plans to paint, which requires removing the paper first
How we take it down
The method depends on the paper and the wall beneath it. We test a small area first. If the paper is strippable, the top layer often comes away dry in large pieces, leaving a backing we soak and scrape. Older traditional papers and anything painted over need water or steam to soften the adhesive, and we score the surface lightly so the moisture can get through without gouging the wall.
Borders get their own attention. They were often hung with a stronger adhesive, sometimes directly over paint or over another wallpaper. We work them slowly with steam and a wide scraper to avoid lifting the paint around them.
Cleaning off the glue
This step is skipped more than any other in do-it-yourself removals, and it causes the most problems later. Wallpaper adhesive left on the wall reactivates when new paint or primer hits it, which leads to cracking, peeling and a crazed, alligator-like surface.
We wash every wall with warm water and an adhesive remover, rinse, and check by running a hand across the surface. If it feels slick or tacky, we wash again. The walls then need to dry thoroughly. During the humid months, that means keeping the air conditioning running and the doors closed so the walls dry out evenly.
Repairs and priming
Drywall that was never sealed before the original wallpaper went up will often lose patches of its paper face during removal, leaving brown, fuzzy spots. Those must be sealed with an oil-based or shellac-based primer before patching, or the joint compound will bubble. After sealing, we skim the damaged areas, sand smooth and apply a primer suited to your next finish.
If removal uncovers a damp wall, soft drywall or staining that looks like mildew, we point it out before continuing. Those are usually signs of a leak or moisture issue worth addressing first.
- Seal torn drywall paper
- Patch and sand gouges and holes
- Prime for paint or for new wallpaper
Getting the house ready for a wet job
Removal puts a lot of water on the walls, so we set up carefully before any scoring or soaking begins. Floors get plastic sheeting topped with absorbent canvas, baseboards are taped, and outlets and switches on the work walls are covered after we switch off those circuits at the panel. Furniture is moved to the middle of the room and wrapped, or carried to another room if you prefer.
It helps if you take down pictures, mirrors, curtains and rods ahead of time, and clear the tops of dressers and vanities. In bathrooms, remove towels, rugs and anything on the counter. Pets and small children are happier in another part of the house while scrapers and steamers are in use. Scraps and old glue are bagged as we go and leave with us at the end of each day, so you are not left with a pile of debris in the garage.
Miami Gardens and nearby areas
We remove wallpaper throughout Miami Gardens in ZIP codes 33055, 33056 and 33169. We also handle removals in Opa-locka, Miami Lakes, North Miami, Miramar and Hialeah Gardens. If you plan to install new wallpaper afterward, we can schedule both so the same crew handles removal, prep and hanging.
More services in Miami Gardens
- Wallpaper Installation in Miami Gardens
- Accent Wall Installation in Miami Gardens
- Mural Installation in Miami Gardens
- Grasscloth Wallpaper Installation in Miami Gardens
