Tips to Get Through Painting Prep Faster

If you’ve been putting off a room because of wallpaper that has to be removed, don’t let the task overwhelm you. Wallpaper steamers can be as easy to use as an iron or garment steamer, and they allow smart do-it-yourselfers to quickly remove old wallpaper and begin decorating the room of their dreams. Simply fill the wallpaper steamer with tap water, plug in and steam away. No buckets, brushes, rollers, or mixing needed!

Compared to chemical wallpaper removal products, wallpaper steamers are faster, safe and more effective on all types of wallpaper, including vinyl, painted wallpaper and multiple layers.

Wallpaper steamers require about 20 minutes to warm-up each time the tank is refilled (generally, two tankfuls will do a 10-foot by 12-foot room). During warm-up time, the user can prepare the walls by using the edge of a scraper or running a special wallpaper “scoring tool,” over the wall to create perforations in the paper. This will allow the steam to penetrate the vinyl or multiple layer wallpaper. Scoring tools and scrapers are sold at home improvement, hardware and paint stores.

Once the steamer is warmed up, the steamplate is held over a section of wallpaper for about 15 seconds. When the wallpaper is damp, the user scrapes off the paper with one hand, while the other hand works ahead with the lightweight steamplate to soak the next section of paper -- a continual process. Since there is no need to coat the wall with chemical solutions, which can be runny or drippy, the workspace is left clean.

At about $49 the Wagner Model 705 Power Steamer is very economical when compared to other wallpaper stripping alternatives. If the leading chemical stripper is used to remove wallpaper from a 10-foot by 12-foot room, the gel and required equipment will retail for $28 to $32 and often is not effective on multiple layers and stubborn papers. If a power steamer is rented, the daily rental rate will be $20 to $25 and the unit will, most likely, be heavy and difficult to maneuver. The power steamer can be used over and over. The Wagner Power Steamer provides fast, chemical-free wallpaper removal in a lightweight, portable unit that can be used over and over again. It comes with an 8-inch by 11-inch steamplate and 11 feet of hose.

Even projects you thought were for the pros may be simpler than you think if you have the right tools. For example, heat tools are a multi-purpose tool that many homeowners use for prep. They can be used for removing adhesive backed floor covering, stripping paint, loosening rusted nuts and bolts, drying paint or plaster, shrinking electrical tube, defrosting freezers or sealing the ends of a nylon rope. If you live in a cooler climate, they can also be used to shrink plastic around windows or around boats, thaw frozen locks and water pipes or wax skis/snowboards.

Heat tools are used in large or small home improvement or household projects. Wagner’s HT 3500 Digital Heat Gun is one of Wagner’s most powerful and versatile heat guns producing 1500 watts of power and 5100 BTUs. With 12 distinct temperature settings ranging from 250 F to 1350 F, it sets the precise temperature for every application, eliminating guesswork. All it takes is the touch of a finger to set the gun to 550 F for removing linoleum, 850 F for removing paint, 450 F for defrosting a freezer -- and the list goes on. Auto cool-down and shut off is yet another distinct advantage of the Digital Heat Gun for the consumer.