Warm water, time and patience. Wallcoverings for the last 30 years or so have been available in two pre-pasted types; Peelable and strippable. Peelable types will remove as one surface without delaminating from the backing. Dampen the surface for a minimum of 20 minutes with warm water. Peel from the wall as you go but keep the surface ahead of you damp to keep the process moving.

Strippable wallcoverings will allow the surface (printed face) to delaminate from the backing. Again, dampen the surface with warm water for a minimum of 20 minutes. Start at a seam and begin pulling the printed surface from the backing. Once you have the printed surface removed, dampen the backing and keep damp for 6 – 7 minutes then remove. What works best for us is the use of what we call a 5-in-one. These unique tools are quite handy for a huge variety of jobs. Be careful, they are quite sharp.