Using a Heat Gun to Remove Wallpaper

Common Hurdles When Removing Old Wallpaper (And How to Get Around Them!)

Let’s be honest—removing old wallpaper is rarely as easy as giving a corner a tug and peeling it off in one dramatic, satisfying sheet. More often than not, you’ll run into a few surprises along the way. Here are some of the common headaches you might face, plus what’s actually worked for us (and what hasn’t):

Multiple Layers and Strange Textures

Sometimes, you’ll discover more than one layer of wallpaper (apparently, redecorating was a sport here in the ‘80s). To make matters more interesting, textured finishes or even paint could be hiding on top of the wallpaper. If you’re met with layers upon layers, don’t immediately panic and reach for the sledgehammer. Start by seeing if you can pull off the top one or two layers—often, moisture or heat (like a trusty heat gun or steamer) will help loosen them up.

Of the many things we’ve experimented with, this one turned out to actually work: removing wallpaper with a heat gun.

Just to recap, here is a pic of the master bathroom from when we moved in:

It was very beautifully done (I’m not being sarcastic) in that all the blue tiles matched the blue toilet and the blue stripes in the wallpaper background… it just wasn’t David’s and my taste.

After procrastinating and taking down wallpaper for what seems like the past 7 months straight, we decided to tackle this room.  Part of David’s attempt to earlier this winter was using a heat gun to literally heat the copper pipes.  While he was researching that online, he found out you can use a heat gun to remove wallpaper, too!

Here’s the heat gun we used: https://amzn.to/2WjcYji

SEEKONE Heat Gun 1800W Heavy Duty Hot Air Gun Kit Variable Temperature Control with 2-Temp Settings 4 Nozzles 122℉~1202℉（50℃- 650℃）with Overload Protection for Crafts, Shrinking PVC, Stripping Paint
We decided to give it a go, and it worked!

My tips for removing wallpaper with a heat gun:

1. Don’t use anything other than the heat gun and a paint scraper/ wallpaper scraper.  (Scoring won’t help, it will just make it worse.),
2. Hold the heat gun about 6″ away from the wallpaper and keep it constantly moving.  Don’t let it sit too long over a piece of wallpaper or it might start to burn.  (Learned this the hard way… but thankfully it just smoldered and didn’t catch on fire!)
3. After about 15 seconds of heat, start slooooowly pulling the wallpaper away while continuing to heat up the area you’re about to pull.
4. Take your time.  If you rush and the wallpaper isn’t heated (and the glue isn’t melted), you’ll just rip it and then it’s like peeling a sticker… frustrating and manicure-ruining.
5. This goes for every kind of wallpaper removal, but have a trash bag handy so you can put the wallpaper straight into the trash rather than letting it fall on the floor or attempting to make a pile.  It makes clean-up SO much more bearable!
6. Ventilate the room… don’t know what’s melting in that wallpaper glue but I certainly don’t want to be breathing it in!
7. Try to take pleasure in the process!  It’s much easier to clean up that wet patches of scored wallpaper you’d otherwise be removing.

Stubborn Backing That Refuses to Budge

Even after you get the pretty part off, you’ll usually find a stubborn paper backing glued on like it was meant to last forever. This is when patience becomes your best tool. Lightly mist the backing with warm water (sometimes with a bit of vinegar or dish soap mixed in), let it soak for 10–15 minutes, and then use a wallpaper scraper to gently coax it off the wall. A heat gun can also soften the glue and make the job a bit less like medieval punishment.

Adhesive Residue

No matter how carefully you peel, you’ll likely be left with a sticky, gummy film from the old wallpaper glue. Don’t skip this step or you’ll curse yourself next time you try to paint! Mix a tablespoon of dish soap in hot water and use a sponge to scrub away the residue. For super-stuck spots, a little white vinegar in your solution helps, too.

Drywall and Paint Damage

Older homes are especially notorious for paper-thin drywall or walls that haven’t seen primer in decades. If you’re not careful, overzealous scraping or too much moisture can lift off the drywall paper. Work slowly, keep your scraper flat (to avoid gouges), and if you do nick the wall—no worries. Let everything dry, then patch with a little spackle and sand smooth before moving on.

Possible Non-Removable Wallpaper

In the golden era before “removable wallpaper” was a thing, adhesive was strong enough to double as super glue. If all else fails, and patches just won’t lift, try scoring the paper lightly with a wallpaper scoring tool. This lets moisture or heat penetrate deeper, loosening the paper backing from the wall beneath.

With a little experimentation and a lot of perseverance, you’ll watch that dated wallpaper come off—sometimes in satisfying swaths, sometimes in teeny-tiny pieces. But hey, that’s what podcasts (or the occasional chocolate break) are for.

What about the leftover wallpaper glue?

Now, once you’ve peeled off every last inch of wallpaper (and possibly broken a sweat), you might notice a surprise bonus layer: sticky leftover glue clinging to your walls. Don’t panic! This stage is actually far less infuriating than it sounds.

Here’s what worked for us:

• Grab a bucket of hot water and add a generous squirt of dish soap (the cheap stuff works just as well as anything fancy).
• Use a regular sponge (preferably one that’s seen better days), dip it in the soapy water, and start wiping down those gluey patches.
• For stubborn spots, let the soapy water sit and soak in for a few minutes, then hit them again with a little more elbow grease.
• Swap out your water as it gets murky—a clean start always speeds things up.

After the walls are clean and glue-free, let everything dry out. Now you’ve got paint-ready walls without any mysterious lumpy residue haunting your renovation dreams!

Pros and Cons of Common Wallpaper Removal Methods

After our own saga with wallpaper removal, we’ve tried (or considered) just about every method under the sun. Each one has its glittering moments and its not-so-glamorous drawbacks. If you’re weighing your options, here’s a quick rundown to help you decide which approach might work best for your own wall adventure.

Steamer Method

A wallpaper steamer—think of it as a glorified tea kettle—can make quick work of stubborn wallpaper. They’re relatively affordable (especially compared to hiring pros), plus you can often rent one at your local hardware store.

Pros:

• Minimal chemicals involved, so it’s a bit more family-friendly.
• Works well on both older wallpaper and walls that have seen some history.
• Reusable investment if you have lots of wallpaper to tackle.

Cons:

• Can get heavy and a little unwieldy after a while (hello, arm workout).
• Produces quite a bit of steam, so things tend to get humid—open a window, or risk spa-level condensation.
• Takes time to heat up and can get messy if you’re not careful.

Chemical Stripper

There are a few bottled solutions designed for dissolving wallpaper glue, and they do cut down on muscle power.

Pros:

• Potentially speeds up the loosening process if you’re dealing with wallpaper that just refuses to budge.
• Sometimes works better on certain adhesives than water or steam alone.

Cons:

• Can get expensive depending on your square footage.
• Involves strong-smelling chemicals (not the best for small, unventilated rooms).
• Spray bottles can leave your hands tired after big jobs, and cleaning up the residue isn’t exactly fun.

Homemade/DIY Mixes

For the thrifty or sensitive-to-chemicals crowd, options like fabric softener, vinegar, or just dish soap mixed with hot water have their place.

Pros:

• Budget-friendly—most recipes call for stuff you probably already have in the laundry room or pantry.
• Lower in harsh fumes (unless you go heavy on the vinegar—then you’ll know it).

Cons:

• The smell can really linger (especially fabric softener—your bathroom might smell “fresh” for a month).
• Usually takes longer to soak in and might require multiple tries.
• May not be quite as effective as commercial strippers on wallpaper from previous decades.

So, all methods will get the job done eventually, but the right approach really depends on your patience, what you have on hand, and how eager you are to get the wallpaper into the past tense.