How To Remove Sure Strip Wallpaper

So you decided to jump on the wallpaper trend, but turns out it's just not for you. 

Well, if your new wallpaper is Sure Strip, that's not a problem.

I removed mine in about an hour with soap and water and almost no damage to my wall.


Ok, so here's a post I never expected to write.

You see, when I decided to wallpaper the family room, about two years ago, my husband was not excited about it.

The guy who has no problem with all the crazy DIYs I dream up said, We've taken wallpaper down before and I'm not doing that again.

I didn't blame him, it was a nightmare.

But. I knew - without a doubt - that I would never, ever want to remove those gorgeous flowers. So I was safe.

Until I wasn't.

I tried to love that paper, I really, truly did, but no matter how many times I changed things up in effort to find a way to make it work, it just never sat right with me.

So a few weekends ago, I woke up at 6:30am and took it down. In one hour, the deed was done. Yup...60 short minutes later, that room was ready for its new look.


How'd I do it? What was my secret? Well, I'll tell you, it was something called Sure Strip and I didn't even know I had it. I just got lucky.

Apparently, it's a special adhesive on York brand wallcoverings that is made to release easily. Magnolia Home and my beloved floral pattern were part of the Sure Strip collection.

And when they say it was easy to remove, they weren't kidding.

Here's How I Removed My Sure Strip Wallpaper

Before I start, I'll repeat that I had no idea this was the product I had purchased. I only realized it, when I got the bee in my bonnet to remove the paper and wanted to read what the manufacturer recommended. 

So before you think it's not on your walls, I'd investigate. Apparently, it's been around since at least 2013, so it's very possible you might be lucky, too.

Honestly, though even at that point, I was skeptical. As I said, I've been down this road before with many products.

Peel and stick wallpaper, like the one in my pantry, can damage the paint and sheetrock and trying to remove the gummy adhesive that's often left behind is impossible. As a matter of fact, many rental properties now have it in their lease agreements that peel and stick anything is prohibited.

Older wallpaper can be troublesome and come off in small pieces, requiring steamers and scraping. The same can happen with newer traditional wallpapers...and don't get me started about the glue they leave behind.

But this removal was a dream.

The Supplies:

• Gloves
• Sponges
• Bucket, water, dishwashing soap
• Towel
• Screwdriver
• Step ladder

I also had some large garbage bags to toss the paper and protect the floor from any water that might drip.

The Step By Step:

Taking down the Sure Strip wallpaper was so easy, that I highly recommend checking out the brand if you're going to paper your walls. 

It went up like a dream and came down the same way and that's important, because while wallpaper is being featured everywhere right now, decor trends are cyclical.

And as that old saying goes, what goes up, (eventually) must come down.

Even if you weren't originally planning on it. 🫣 

Plus, it definitely makes me more willing to try wallpaper again, knowing it's this easy to change to my mind...but let's just keep that information between us for now, shall we?

1. Remove Light Covers, Etc.

I did this as I went along, but it's much easier to do it first and all at once before your hands get wet and sticky.

2. Grab A Corner

As per the instructions, to get started, I used my nail to peel up one corner of the paper.

Then I just pulled on it until the entire sheet sheet was released.

I have to say I was amazed, because that paper was on tight. The seams were flawless and it was stuck to the wall like nobody's business.

However, it came off just the way the website said it would.

I didn't need to steam it or spray it or scrape it.

3. Peel In Full Sheets

I repeated the process, working slowly so the paper didn't tear or rip.

If I did feel resistance, I took a wet paper towel and gently dampened the area that wouldn't budge, until it did.

However, that only happened once or twice.

I continued along until all the paper was gone.

4. Wash The Adhesive Away With Water

At this point the room looked dreadful.

There was a lot of glue on the wall that needed to go, but that also proved to be rather effortless, 

I used a damp sponge and simply wiped it away.

In spots where the glue was very heavy, I used a bit of dishwashing soap, no scrubbing or fabric softener needed.


Hint: Having more than one sponge is helpful. They soaked up the glue and without a ton of rinsing, the glue would just get deposited on the wall again. 

5. Rinse And Dry

Since I did use the soap, on part of the wall, I decided to give the entire surface one last quick rinse with a fresh sponge and plain water. 

Then I used an old cotton towel to dry it...and I was done.

6. Touch Up Paint

Well, nearly.

You see, we'd painted the entire room before we put the paper up, and miraculously, the wallpaper removal didn't damage any of the sheetrock.

There were, however, two spots where the paint came off with the paper and they needed to be touched up. Both were areas where we'd put hooks in the wall to hang things.


I believe that those nail holes cracked or chipped the paint and when I pulled the wallpaper off, the damaged paint came with it. It was minor, but something to keep in mind.

My husband also drew a guideline on the wall, during installation, which had to go, as well. 

I waited several hours until I was sure the walls were fully dry and touched up those spots.

And then I was done.

Like I said, quick and easy. 

WAY better than expected and I did it all by myself. 

No DIY guy.

No hired help.

And now, no flowers.

Well, not on the wall anyway.


Stay tuned...

😉

How do you feel about wallpaper? 

Happy DIYing, Friends!