Wallpaper Removal in Metro Atlanta
Southern Perfection Painting Inc. (SPPI) removes wallpaper across metro Atlanta and leaves the wall paint-ready, not gouged and patched, because finishing the wall is the whole job. We steam, score, and strip the paper, wash off every trace of adhesive, then skim-coat, sand, and prime. SPPI has served metro Atlanta since 1984 with trained W-2 crews supervised by English-speaking foremen and a written workmanship warranty on every job.
Here is the part most removal listings skip. In the pre-war bungalows and mid-century homes inside the perimeter, from Druid Hills and Decatur to Kirkwood and East Atlanta, the wall behind the paper is often plaster over lath, not drywall. Plaster does not forgive aggressive scraping or over-soaking the way drywall does, and that difference is what separates a clean removal from a wall that needs real repair afterward. Because we are the same crew that paints the room, we scope the wall condition before we quote and we own the whole result. Call 770.985.3075 or request a free, itemized estimate with a 48-hour response window.
Our Wallpaper Removal Service: Steam, Score, Strip, and a Paint-Ready Wall
A professional wallpaper removal service is not just pulling paper off a wall. It is removal plus the wall repair and priming that make the next coat of paint or the next wallpaper look right. Here is how our crews work a room from start to finish.
1. Wall assessment first. Before anything gets wet, we lift a corner to identify the wallpaper type (strippable, peelable, or vinyl), check for a second or third layer underneath, and determine whether the wall is drywall or older plaster over lath. On inside-the-perimeter homes this step decides the whole approach, plaster gets gentler treatment than drywall.
2. Room protection. We move and cover furniture, mask floors and trim, and tape plastic over outlets and switches so moisture stays out of the electrical.
3. Score and steam. For paper that will not lift cleanly, we score the surface and use commercial steamers to soften the adhesive rather than soaking the wall to the point of damage. Steam is what removes stubborn vinyl and painted-over wallpaper that a spray bottle never will.
4. Strip top to bottom. With the adhesive softened, we lift the paper with wide, dull-edged scrapers held at a shallow angle so the drywall facing or the plaster stays intact.
5. Adhesive cleanup. This is the step DIY jobs and low-bid crews skip. Old glue left on the wall keeps primer and paint from bonding, so we wash the wall until it is no longer slick or tacky and let it dry fully.
6. Skim-coat, sand, and prime. We patch torn facing, gouges, and old anchor holes, skim-coat where the wall needs it, sand smooth, and prime so you get one continuous paint-ready surface.
Ready to have us handle the whole thing instead of fighting a wall all weekend? Call 770.985.3075 and we will look at your walls before quoting.
Wallpaper Stripping in Older Atlanta Homes: Plaster Changes Everything
Wallpaper stripping in a 1990s North Fulton subdivision home and stripping in a 1920s Druid Hills bungalow are two different jobs, and the wall material is why. Newer suburban homes are drywall, which handles scoring and steam well. The pre-war and early mid-century homes inside the perimeter are frequently plaster over wood lath, which cracks and separates under the moisture and scraping that drywall shrugs off.
"The single most common way a DIY wallpaper job turns into a repair job is over-soaking plaster. Once the plaster loosens from the lath, you are no longer stripping paper, you are rebuilding a wall."
Because we work these older neighborhoods constantly, our crews adjust technique to the wall in front of them: controlled steam instead of heavy soaking, shallow scraper angles, and a slower pass on plaster. When removal does expose damaged plaster or torn drywall facing, we handle the repair as part of the same project rather than sending you to find a second contractor. That is the advantage of hiring the painter to do the removal, one crew owns the wall from the paper coming off to the primer going on, and one written warranty covers the finished result.
When You Should Not Hire Us for Wallpaper Removal
We would rather tell you the truth than book a job you do not need. Wallpaper removal is a real weekend DIY project when all of these are true: it is a single small room, the paper is a modern strippable or peelable type that lifts in large sheets when you test a corner, and the wall behind it is sound drywall, not plaster. In that situation you can rent a steamer, take your time, and save the labor. Our DIY wallpaper removal guide walks through the steps if you want to try it yourself.
Call a professional, us or anyone, once any of these show up:
- The home predates the 1960s and likely has plaster walls
- You peel back one layer and find a second or third layer underneath
- The adhesive will not release even after scoring and steaming
- The drywall facing or plaster starts coming off with the paper
Those are the jobs where a pro saves you money instead of costing it, because fixing a failed removal takes longer than doing it right the first time. If you are unsure what is behind your paper, a quick assessment before you start is worth it.
Why Remove Wallpaper Before Painting Instead of Painting Over It
We strongly recommend removing wallpaper before painting rather than painting over it, and we say that even though painting over it would be the faster invoice for us. Paint traps moisture against the old adhesive, and the seams, edges, and any bubbles telegraph straight through the new finish, usually within a few months. A wall that was painted over dated wallpaper almost always looks worse a season later than it did the week we finished.
"Painting over wallpaper is the faster invoice for us and the worse wall for you. The seams and any trapped moisture telegraph through the new finish within a season."
Full removal, adhesive cleanup, skim-coating, and priming give you a stable surface that holds paint for years. We use premium Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore products as our standard, never builder-grade, so once the wall is paint-ready the finish lasts. If your plan is a fresh repaint after the paper comes down, folding removal and painting into one project means one crew, one schedule, and one written workmanship warranty on the whole job. Want a firm number instead of a guess? Request a free estimate online and we will come back with an itemized quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you remove old wallpaper, and when should I hire a pro instead?
Our crews score the paper, use commercial steamers to soften the adhesive, then strip it top to bottom with wide, dull-edged scrapers held at a shallow angle so the wall stays intact, followed by adhesive cleanup, skim-coating, sanding, and priming. DIY makes sense for a single small room of modern strippable paper on sound drywall. Hire a pro once the home predates the 1960s and likely has plaster walls, you find multiple layers, the adhesive will not release, or the drywall facing starts tearing off with the paper. Those are the jobs where a professional saves you money rather than costing it.
Does the wall need repair after wallpaper removal?
Often, yes, and that repair is part of what a real removal service includes. After the paper is off, the wall almost always needs the adhesive residue washed away, torn drywall facing or gouged plaster patched, a skim coat where needed, sanding, and priming before it is genuinely paint-ready. Older inside-the-perimeter Atlanta homes with plaster over lath tend to need more of this than newer drywall homes. Because SPPI is the painting contractor doing the removal, we handle the wall repair and the priming in the same project so you get one smooth, paint-ready surface from one crew under one written warranty.
Do you serve my area for wallpaper removal in metro Atlanta?
Yes. SPPI provides wallpaper removal across the metro Atlanta area, from the pre-war bungalows and mid-century ranches inside the perimeter in Druid Hills, Decatur, Brookhaven, and Buckhead to the 1990s and newer subdivisions in North Fulton and Gwinnett. We have served the greater Atlanta area since 1984 with trained W-2 crews supervised daily by English-speaking foremen. Call 770.985.3075 or request an estimate online and we will visit your property within 48 hours.
Should I remove wallpaper before painting a room?
Yes. We strongly recommend full removal rather than painting over wallpaper. Paint traps moisture against the old adhesive, and the seams and any bubbles show through the new finish, usually within a few months. Full removal, adhesive cleanup, skim-coating, and priming give you a stable surface that holds premium Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore paint for years. When you plan to repaint anyway, folding removal and painting into one project means one crew and one written workmanship warranty on the finished wall.
Do you offer a free estimate for wallpaper removal?
Yes. SPPI provides free, detailed, itemized estimates with a 48-hour response window. We inspect the wallpaper type, check for multiple layers, and assess whether the wall is drywall or older plaster before we quote, because the wall behind the paper drives the real scope. There are no generic square-foot prices over the phone, every wall is different. Call 770.985.3075 or request your free estimate online.
Ready to get the wallpaper gone and the wall paint-ready in one project? Call 770.985.3075 or request your free, itemized wallpaper removal estimate online. SPPI responds within 48 hours, uses premium Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore products, and owner Sabrina Williams stands behind every job with a written workmanship warranty.