The Complete Guide to Wallpaper Removal in Georgia Homes

Removing wallpaper well comes down to three things: knowing what kind of paper and wall you have, choosing the gentlest method that works, and repairing and sealing the wall properly afterwards. Strippable papers peel off dry; most others are scored and soaked with a remover or steamed, then scraped carefully. Professional removal costs about $0.60 to $3 per square foot nationally, and the repairs after removal are often what make or break the next finish.

1. Identify the paper and the wall

Two questions decide everything: what kind of wallpaper is on the wall, and what is underneath it.

The paper

The wall

• Drywall (most Gwinnett County homes): its paper face can tear if the wallpaper was hung on an unprimed wall.
• Plaster (older intown Atlanta and historic homes): tolerates water better but gouges when damp.
• Paneling: sometimes hidden under paper in older rooms.

Check behind an outlet cover to see the edge of the wall material.

2. Removal methods compared

Sherwin-Williams recommends holding a steam plate on the wall no longer than about 30 seconds at a time and scoring vinyl papers first. Adhesive maker Roman recommends gel removers on plaster because they stay wet longer and do not run.

3. Step-by-step removal

1. Protect floors with drop cloths and plastic, turn off power to outlets you will wet around, and remove plates.
2. Test a corner to see whether the paper strips dry.
3. Peel the face layer if it comes off.
4. Score lightly if the surface resists water; heavy scoring cuts into drywall.
5. Apply remover to a manageable section and give it time to soften the paste.
6. Scrape gently at a low angle, starting at seams.
7. Repeat on stubborn spots rather than forcing them.
8. Wash off residue with warm water and a little dish soap, then rinse and let the wall dry fully.

4. Plaster walls and older homes

Plaster is harder than drywall but damp plaster gouges easily, so keep the scraper low and work in small sections. Older homes often have several layers of paper and paint.

Lead paint: the U.S. EPA notes that homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint. Wallpaper itself is not lead, but painted layers under or over it may be. Test before sanding, scraping or steaming painted surfaces, and use lead-safe practices if lead is present. See removing wallpaper from plaster.

5. When the drywall tears

If brown paper shows after removal, the drywall's face has torn. Painting straight over it with water-based paint makes it bubble. The fix:

1. Cut away loose, curling paper with a sharp blade.
2. Seal the area with a shellac-based or oil-based primer.
3. Skim with joint compound, let it dry and sand smooth.
4. Prime again before paint or new wallpaper.

6. Repair, clean and prime

• Clean every trace of paste; leftover adhesive makes paint crack and new paper fail.
• Fill and sand nicks and gouges.
• Skim if the wall is uneven or textured.
• Prime with the right primer for the next finish: a paint primer for paint, a wallcovering primer for new paper.

Repainting? Prime the whole wall so old border lines and patches do not show. See removing borders.

7. Cost and timing

Source: Angi, 2026. Repairs after removal add roughly $150 to $1,000 nationally. A typical bedroom takes about a day to strip and another for repairs and primer. See removal cost in Gwinnett.

8. DIY or hire a pro

Strippable paper in good condition is a reasonable DIY project. Consider a professional when the paper is painted over or multi-layered, the walls are plaster, the home predates 1978, the walls are tall, or new wallpaper will follow and the wall needs to be prepared to a high standard. See our removal service.

9. Tools and supplies checklist

• Drop cloths and plastic sheeting, painter's tape
• Scoring tool (used lightly)
• Wide and narrow scrapers with rounded corners
• Garden sprayer or sponge for remover
• Wallpaper remover (gel for vertical surfaces and plaster)
• Steamer for stubborn, multi-layer or painted-over paper
• Buckets, sponges, dish soap for residue
• Utility knife with fresh blades
• Shellac-based or oil-based primer for torn drywall
• Joint compound, knives and sanding sponges
• Lead test kit for homes built before 1978

10. Room-by-room notes

11. Troubleshooting

12. Mistakes to avoid

1. Painting over wallpaper instead of removing it.
2. Scoring so hard the drywall is cut.
3. Soaking a large area at once, letting it dry before you reach it.
4. Steaming one spot too long.
5. Painting over torn drywall paper with water-based paint.
6. Leaving paste residue on the wall.
7. Sanding painted layers in a pre-1978 home without testing for lead.

13. What comes next: paint or new wallpaper?

For paint, use a quality primer over the whole wall so repairs and old border lines do not flash through. For new wallpaper, the bar is higher: the wall should be smooth, sound and primed with a wallcovering primer, and any texture skimmed. Booking removal and installation together saves a second setup and ensures the wall is prepared for the paper. See the complete installation guide.

14. Why some wallpaper is so hard to remove

How easily paper comes off depends less on the paper than on what happened before it was hung. When paper is hung over a properly primed wall, the paste bonds to the primer, and the primer protects the drywall. Remover softens the paste and the paper releases. When paper is hung straight onto bare drywall, the paste soaks into the drywall's own paper face. Now the wallpaper and the drywall face are effectively glued together, and pulling one tends to pull the other.

That is why two houses on the same street can behave completely differently. In one, a bedroom strips in an afternoon; in another, the same job takes two days and ends with sealing and skimming. A small test area at the start tells you which kind of job you have before you commit to a method or a schedule.

Painted-over wallpaper is a special case. Paint seals the surface, so water and remover cannot reach the paste. The paint layer has to be broken (by scoring or careful scraping) before anything can soak in, and older paint layers raise the lead question in homes built before 1978.

15. Worked example: estimating a bedroom

This is an illustration of how to estimate, not a quote. Take a 12 by 12 foot bedroom with 8-foot ceilings, one door and two windows.

1. Wall area: perimeter 48 feet × 8 feet = 384 square feet.
2. Openings: subtract roughly 20 square feet for the door and 30 for two windows, leaving about 334 square feet.
3. National removal range: at $0.60 to $3 per square foot (Angi), removal alone would fall around $200 to $1,000.
4. Repairs: if the drywall face tears in places, add sealing, skimming and primer; Angi puts post-removal repairs at roughly $150 to $1,000 nationally.
5. Time: about a day for removal, and often another day for repairs, drying and primer.

The spread is wide because the wall decides the job. A professional estimate after a test patch narrows it.

16. Drying, humidity and timing in Georgia

Removal is wet work, and everything that follows (sealing, skimming, priming, painting or papering) needs a fully dry wall. In Metro Atlanta's muggy months, roughly late May through September, joint compound and patched areas dry more slowly, especially in closed rooms. Keep the HVAC running, use fans to move air once the paper is off, and allow extra time between steps. Sealing over damp drywall or hanging new paper on a wall that is not fully dry are two of the most common causes of problems after removal.

Next step: see our wallpaper removal service or request a free estimate.

About WallPros. WallPros LLC is a wallpaper installation company based in Grayson, Georgia, serving Gwinnett County, North Atlanta, Alpharetta, Roswell, East Cobb, Cumming and the rest of Metro Atlanta for 10 years. We install, remove and prepare walls for homeowners, interior designers and builders.

Sources

1. Angi — Wallpaper removal cost (2026 data)
2. Sherwin-Williams — How to remove wallpaper
3. Roman — Removing wallpaper from plaster walls
4. U.S. EPA — Lead