Wallpaper removal is one of those jobs that looks like a weekend project and turns into three weekends and a damaged wall. The paper is the easy part. The adhesive residue, the torn drywall face paper, the layers underneath, and the plaster that comes away with it are the actual work - and if any of it is left behind, everything you put on that wall afterwards will show it.
We identify what we are dealing with first: strippable vinyl, non-woven, paper-backed vinyl, foil, grasscloth, or the pre-1980s paper that was hung directly onto unprimed drywall, which is the worst case. We score only where necessary, steam or use enzyme solution appropriate to the type, and strip in full sheets where the substrate allows. Then we remove all remaining adhesive with a wash - because primer and paint over old paste will bubble, and new wallpaper over old paste will not bond.
Torn drywall facing gets sealed with an oil or shellac-based primer so it does not lift, then skim coated. Gouges, seams and old repairs get filled and floated. Where the paper was hung on unprimed board and has taken the face off in large areas, we skim the whole wall - which is honestly the difference between a wall that looks new and a wall where you can see thirty years of history in raking afternoon light. Los Angeles homes have a lot of raking afternoon light.
Modern wallpaper is having a real moment and a feature wall is one of the cheapest high-impact design moves available. We prime with a wallpaper primer so it can be removed cleanly in future, plan pattern repeat and centring before the first drop, book and paste according to the manufacturer's method rather than a default, and produce tight butt seams rather than overlaps. Grasscloth and natural material need panel sequencing and colour matching between rolls because variation is inherent. Murals need layout planning against furniture and outlets. Peel-and-stick needs a properly sealed and cured wall or it will fail, which is why most peel-and-stick complaints are actually prep complaints.
Many Los Angeles walls are orange peel or knockdown textured. Removing wallpaper from a textured wall or wanting a smooth wall afterwards means a skim and texture decision. We will show you both options and price them separately so you are choosing, not discovering.
Typically $3.50 to $7 per square foot of wall depending on the type of paper, how many layers there are and whether the substrate was primed before it was hung. We can usually tell within a few minutes on site which end of that range you are at, and we will test a small area before committing to a price.
It is possible with the right primer and it is sometimes the pragmatic choice on a large commercial job. In a home it is a decision you will regret - seams telegraph, edges lift, and removing it later becomes far harder and more expensive. We will do it if you insist, after telling you this.
Some substrate damage is normal and expected, particularly on unprimed drywall. That is why removal and wall restoration are quoted as one job rather than two. When we are finished the wall is skim coated, primed and ready for paint or paper.
For renters and for short-term looks, yes. It needs a smooth, fully cured, properly primed wall - it will not stick to texture and it will pull paint off a wall that was recently painted. Most failures we are called to fix are preparation, not product.
Yes, and it is the best value in decorating. One accent wall behind a bed, a dining room, a powder room or an entry typically runs $650 to $1,600 installed including prep, excluding the paper. Powder rooms are more per square foot because of all the cuts.
