As makers of the world’s finest, renter-friendly, totally luxurious peel-and-stick wallpaper, we devote a lot of space and breath to the peeling and the sticking. Like, will it stick? Or, how to stick it. A little tour around the web shows that so many people are stressed about how to line up the pattern, how to avoid wallpaper bubbles or wrinkles, and how to ensure it stays stuck to the wall.
But one of the most amazing things about Otto Studio peel-and-stick wallpaper is that when you’re ready to move to a new space, you can unstick it. That is, you can take it down without ruining the walls underneath.
How easy is it to take down? Well, that depends.
How easy is it to take down peel-and-stick wallpaper?
Otto Studio wallpaper comes with adhesive pre-applied. You just peel off the backing and start hanging. But while your wallpaper is actually on your walls, a lot of different factors can affect that adhesive, which can change the ease with which you can take it down when you’re ready. Factors like…
Paint
The quality of the paint underneath your wallpaper can affect how easy it is to remove. If you didn’t allow your paint to cure fully before applying wallpaper, it’s possible that it could bond very tightly to the adhesive, making takedown a tougher chore than it needs to be. So before you put up your wallpaper, make sure your wall surface is prepped properly. Satin or eggshell paint is also the best to work with – if you have matte paint under your wallpaper, there is a higher chance it will come up with the wallpaper when you remove it!
Surface texture
While surface textures like orange peel, slap brush, knockdown, and popcorn aren’t great for wallpaper application, if you took the risk and your wallpaper stayed up, it’s pretty likely that it will be fairly easy to take down, since there is much less surface area for the adhesive to bond to.
Time
The length of time your wallpaper has been hanging might be the most important factor in ease of removal. Generally speaking, peel and stick wallpaper glue can start to crystallize or harden after two years. It’s just a reality of exposing adhesive to the air. So it’s a good idea to check on how yours is doing at around the two-year mark. Test a small area that isn’t usually visible, like behind a piece of furniture. Then you can decide if you’re comfortable letting it ride a little while longer.
A technique to take down wallpaper
Taking down your wallpaper is a pretty straightforward operation. In fact it’s so quick that the instructions fit into a TikTok video:
@_ottostudio More details in the FAQs on our site – this is the premium vinyl wallpaper type. (Lava Lamp in Orange Crush from the @taybeepboop collection!)
Basically, get the top edge started, then fold the wallpaper flush against the wall as you slowly pull straight down at a steady pace. This technique makes it less likely that you’ll lift any paint off your walls and it won’t leave any adhesive residue. Nice!