The short answer
We remove old wallpaper and adhesive from Hialeah homes, test the wall first, use steam or soaking methods suited to the paper, then wash, repair and prime the surface so it is ready for paint or new wallpaper.
Taking old wallpaper down sounds simple until the first strip tears off in a palm-sized piece and leaves its backing glued to the wall. In Hialeah, plenty of homes still carry paper hung decades ago: borders in kitchens, florals in bathrooms, vinyl in hallways, sometimes two or three layers stacked on top of each other. Some came down easily in one sheet; others were hung straight onto unprimed plaster or drywall and now fight every step. Reliable Wallpaper Installer handles removal in all four Hialeah ZIP codes, 33010, 33012, 33013 and 33016, driving in from Miami Gardens about five miles away. Our goal is not just to strip the paper but to leave a wall that is ready for paint or new paper, with the adhesive gone and the surface repaired rather than gouged.
First, a test patch
Every removal starts with a small test in an out-of-the-way spot. We check how many layers are present, whether the top layer is vinyl or paper, whether it peels dry, and what the wall underneath is made of. A strippable non-woven paper may lift off in full sheets with almost no water. An old pulp paper over unsealed drywall needs slow, careful soaking so the paper face of the drywall does not tear.
In block homes, the wall under the paper is usually plaster or a cement finish, which tolerates water better than drywall. That often means removal goes faster, though old adhesive can be thick and stubborn.
Methods we use, and when
There is no single right method for every wall. We pick based on the test patch and the room.
- Dry peeling for strippable and non-woven papers, followed by a wash to remove leftover paste
- Scoring and soaking with warm water and a removal solution for traditional papers, letting it dwell before scraping
- Steam for thick, multi-layer or painted-over paper, worked in small sections to avoid overheating drywall
- Peeling the vinyl face first on vinyl papers, then soaking the paper backing left behind
- Hand scraping with flexible blades held at a low angle to protect the surface
Why adhesive cleanup matters so much
Removing the paper is only half the job. Old paste left on the wall will crackle through new paint, show as shiny patches, or keep new wallpaper from bonding. We wash the walls with warm water and a cleaner that dissolves paste residue, rinse, and let them dry fully.
Drying time deserves its own mention in South Florida. With humid outdoor air for much of the year, a soaked wall can take longer to dry than people expect, especially in a bathroom or a room that sits closed with the air conditioning off. We keep the AC running and the room ventilated, and we do not prime until the wall is properly dry.
Repairs after the paper comes off
Old wallpaper often hides things: cracks that someone papered over, patched holes, torn drywall face paper from a previous attempt, or even mildew in rooms with poor ventilation. Once the wall is bare, we show you what we found.
Torn drywall paper gets sealed with a primer that prevents bubbling, then skimmed smooth. Cracks are filled and sanded. Where mildew appears, the area is cleaned and allowed to dry before sealing, and we will point out moisture sources such as a failing bathroom fan or a window leak that should be fixed so the problem does not return.
Signs the old paper should come down now
Some homeowners call because they simply want a new look. Others call because the existing paper has started to fail, and waiting usually makes the cleanup harder. Peeling seams let humid air reach the adhesive behind them, so a loose edge near a shower or a patio door tends to spread. Dark spots under the surface can mean moisture is trapped against the wall. Bubbles that appear every summer and flatten every winter point to a paper that never bonded well in the first place.
- Seams curling or lifting, especially in bathrooms and kitchens
- Brown or gray staining showing through the pattern
- Bubbles or soft spots that change with the seasons
- A musty smell in a papered room that has no other obvious source
- Paper that has been painted over and is now cracking
What you get at the end
When we leave, the walls are clean, repaired and primed, ready for your painter or for new wallpaper. If you are planning to paper again, we can install the new paper as the next step, which avoids a second round of prep. Floors are protected throughout, and the debris goes out with us.
Homeowners in Miami Lakes, Medley, Miami Springs, Hialeah Gardens and Opa-locka can book wallpaper removal the same way, and we schedule nearby jobs together when it makes sense.
More services in Hialeah
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