Removing Bathroom and Shower Wall Coverings
We want to make your wall surfaces as smooth as possible. Remove old tile and wallpaper, sand painted surfaces, and repair cracks and holes. If you've planned to install recessed items, a tub, or a shower stall, do so before repairing walls.
Tools: Tile, screwdriver, chisel, hammer or mallet, Wallpaper-sprayer; stiff-bladed scraper; paint-putty knife. Paneling: pry-bar; nail puller, hammer.
Supplies: liquid wallpaper remover; sponge, sand-paper; wire-mesh screen, spackling compound, epoxy
- Remove thew alls in exactly the same way as you would a tile floor. You may have wall damage caused by moisture accumulating behind the tiles. Repair minor damage as shown below. Before removing these tiles, take off accessories. Metal accessories attached with screws are easily removed, but you will have to chip ceramic accessories free.
- Remove stubborn patches of wallpaper by spraying them with a liquid wallpaper remover solution - enough for the moisture to reach the paste underneath. Scrape the soaked paste underneath. Scrape the soaked paper from the wall, beginning at the floor and working at an angle towards the ceiling. If spraying doesn't loosen the paper, soak a sponge in the solution, apply directly to the paper, and then scrape; if all fails, rent a steamer. If your old wall surface is paint, you should chip away any loose, flaking areas with a putty knife, and sand the areas immediately surrounding them very lightly.
- Remove paneling with a pry-bar and nail puller. Sometimes the glue will pull out sections of the wall. Work carefully to minimize this problem.
- Repair cracks or holes in the wall before applying a new wall surface. Small holes can be covered over and allowed to dry. Open larger cracks farther, using a chisel or putty knife, so that you can clean them out and smooth their edges before patching. If the holes or cracks are too large to use spackling compound, buy a small section of ordinary window screen or some other wire mesh in a non-rusting material.
