How to Prep Your Walls for Wallpaper (Yes, Even the Scary Ones)

Chances are, if your home was built or redecorated in the late 80s, you’ve got some wallpaper lurking beneath the surface — or worse, staring you right in the face — that absolutely needs to go. We’ve done our fair share of wallpaper stripping, wall washing, patching, and re-papering around here.

Whether you’re planning to paint or you’ve fallen head-over-heels for the most stunning wallpaper you’ve ever laid eyes on (we’re not judging — we’ve been there), one thing is non-negotiable: your walls need to be properly prepped before any new wall coverings goes up.

Here’s the thing people forget — your gorgeous new walls will only look as good as the surface underneath. So before you get swept up in the fun part, let’s talk about the less glamorous (but absolutely essential) groundwork.

Here are our top six prep steps to get your walls ship-shape and ready for whatever comes next.

Strip the Paper

Start at a seam and give it a test peel — you’ll know within about thirty seconds whether this is going to be a breezy afternoon project or a full-on weekend battle.

Fill some squirt bottles with hot water, lay towels along the base of your walls, and drench a section. Let it sit. If that doesn’t do the trick, it’s time to call in reinforcements: the Wallpaper Tiger. You can pick one up at any hardware or paint store. It scores the paper to help water penetrate — just be gentle, because it can nick drywall if you go too hard.

The goal is getting that hot, steamy water through all the layers down to the glue. If you’re still fighting it, consider renting a steamer. Messy? Yes. Cumbersome? Absolutely. But it will dissolve that adhesive. Scrape every last scrap of paper and glue from the walls. Every. Last. Bit.

Wash the Walls

Once the paper is gone, it’s time to wash. Mix up detergent or Soilex with hot water, then scrub with a green scrub pad. Rinse thoroughly with a big sponge dipped in fresh cold water, then dry the walls down with a towel. Here’s an easy test: run your bare hand along the surface. If it feels even slightly tacky, there’s still glue hanging around. Keep washing until your walls pass the smooth-hand test, then step back and assess what you’re working with.

Sand Down Any Stubborn Sections

If there were spots where the paper absolutely refused to budge, grab an orbital or belt sander and sand down the edges of those remaining pieces until no ridge or edge is visible — or detectable by touch. Once everything is perfectly smooth, prime right over those old sections before moving on. This is the step that separates a professional-looking finish from one that haunts you every time you walk in the room.

Patch and Fill

Here’s the part where you channel your inner perfectionist. Gouges, dings, holes — all the imperfections coming to light now, and every single one needs attention.

Lightweight spackle is our go-to: it goes on easily and sands like a dream once dry. For larger holes, you’ll need a proper drywall patch kit. Once everything is patched and completely dry, sand it all to a smooth texture using a sandpaper sponge or a sanding attachment on a pole (your arms will thank you).

Wipe down the walls with a damp cloth and clean up every trace of dust before moving forward.

Prime the Walls

Don’t skip this step. Primer seals the pores of the wall and creates an even, smooth surface that gives your new wallpaper the best possible foundation. Let the walls dry completely and thoroughly before you even think about moving on. You want to ensure there’s absolutely no moisture present.

This is a great time to do something else entirely. Make a snack. Take a walk. Come back fresh.

Measure, Plan, and Snap Your Plumb Line

Start in a corner and snap a plumb line to establish a perfectly vertical reference point for the first piece of wallpaper. Then measure the full width of your paper and map it around the entire room — this lets you figure out how many pieces you’ll be hanging and where you’ll need custom cuts for light switches, outlets, and other cutouts. Planning this out ahead of time saves you from unpleasant surprises mid-hang.

Since the tear-off and prep work is genuinely exhausting, give yourself permission to take a real break before you start papering. Seriously. You want to be rested, focused, and in a good headspace for the hanging portion — this is where all your hard work pays off, and it deserves your best attention.

How to Prep a Wall for Wallpaper: Step-by-Step Directions

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Whether you’re painting,re-papering, or finally dealing with that late-‘80s floral situation you’vebeen ignoring, proper wall prep is everything. Your new walls will only look asgood as the surface underneath — so let’s get it right.

Follow these six steps inorder. Don’t skip ahead. We promise it’s worth it.

Materials

• Squirt bottles filled with hot water
• Old towels
• Wallpaper Tiger scoring tool (available at hardware/paint stores)
• Wallpaper steamer (rental, if needed)
• Wide putty knife or scraper
• Soilex or dish detergent + green scrub pad
• Large sponge + bucket of cold water
• Orbital or belt sander
• Lightweight spackling compound
• Drywall patch kit (for larger holes)
• Sandpaper sponge or pole-mounted sanding attachment
• Primer (wallpaper-grade)
• Chalk line (for snapping a plumb line)

Instructions

Strip the Paper

1. Start at a seam and give the paper a test peel. You’ll know within seconds whether it’s coming off easily or if you’re in for a battle.
2. Fill squirt bottles with hot water, lay towels along the base of the walls, and saturate a section thoroughly. Let it soak. If the paper still won’t budge, bring in the WallpaperTiger — a scoring tool that helps water penetrate the paper. Use it with avlight hand to avoid perforating the drywall beneath.
3. Still not cooperating? Rent avwallpaper steamer. It’s messy and cumbersome, but it will dissolve stubborn adhesive every time.
4. Scrape every last scrap ofpaper and glue from the walls before moving on.

Wash the Walls

1. Mix Soilex or dish detergent with hot water and scrub the walls using a green scrub pad. Rinse thoroughly with a large sponge dipped in fresh cold water, then dry with a towel.
2. Run your bare hand along the surface. Any tackiness means glue is still present. Keep washing until the wall feels completely smooth. Then step back and assess.

Sand Stubborn Sections

1. If any sections of paper refuse to come off, use an orbital or belt sander to smooth down the edges until no ridge is visible or detectable by touch.
2. Once everything is flush and smooth, apply primer over those old sections before moving forward. This is the step that separates a professional finish from one that haunts you every time you walk in the room.

Patch and Fill

1. Deal with every gouge, ding, and hole. For larger holes, use a drywall patch kit.
2. Sand smooth using a sandpaper sponge or a pole-mounted sanding attachment. Wipe down and remove all dust before proceeding.

Prime the Walls

Apply a coat of primer. This seals the wall’s pores, evens out the surface, and gives your new wallpaper (or paint) the smoothest possible foundation to adhere to.

Let the walls dry completelyand thoroughly. This is a great time to step away, make a snack, and come backrefreshed.

Measure, Plan, and Snap Your Plumb Line

Start in a corner and snap a plumb line to establish a perfectly vertical reference for your first piece of wallpaper.

Then measure the full width of your paper and map it around the room. This lets you plan how many pieces you’ll be hanging and identify where you’ll need custom cuts for outlets, light switches, and other openings. Plan this before you start hanging — it saves real headaches later.

Pro Tip

Since the tear-off and prep work are genuinely exhausting, give yourself permission to take a real break before you start hanging wallpaper. You want to be rested, focused, and in a good headspace for the hanging portion — that’s where allthis hard work finally pays off.

Now step back and take a good look at those walls. Smooth, primed, and ready for whatever you throw at them — that’s the result of doing the unglamorous work right. It’s not the most exciting part of a room refresh, but it’s the part that makes everything else possible.

So go find that perfect paper and enjoy every second of the fun part. You’ve earned it.