Interior Painting
Walls, ceilings, trim, and doors, painted by the same crew that showed up to measure.
See detailsMadison & Dane County
Wallpaper Removal
Removed, washed, skimmed, and primed. A wall that is actually ready for paint.
The price of wallpaper removal swings enormously for one specific reason: paper hung directly on unprimed drywall tears the face paper off the board when it comes down, and repairing that is a full skim coat rather than a patch. We test a corner during the estimate to find out which situation you have, so the number you are given is the number you pay.
- Timeline
- One room is two to four days depending on whether the wall needs skim coating. Add a day for painting.
Wallpaper removal is the one service where an honest quote requires testing first. Paper that was hung over a properly primed and sized wall peels off cleanly and leaves a washable adhesive residue. Paper hung directly onto bare drywall is bonded to the paper facing of the board itself, and pulling it takes chunks of that facing with it.
The second wall is not a disaster, but it is a different job. Exposed gypsum core has to be sealed so it does not rehydrate, then skimmed to flat, then sanded and primed. It roughly doubles the labor. We steam a hidden corner during the estimate so we know which wall we are dealing with and you are not surprised by a change order on day two.
Then there is the residue, which is the step that gets skipped. Old wallpaper adhesive is water-soluble, and painting over it means the moisture in the paint reactivates it. The result is bubbling that appears a week later and cannot be fixed without starting over. Every wall gets a full adhesive wash and a sealing primer. Always.
Scope
Every kind of wallpaper work we take on.
Single Room Removal
A bathroom, dining room, or bedroom stripped, prepped, and left primed and paint-ready.
Removal and Repaint
The common package: strip, prep, prime, and paint in one project so nobody is arguing about who owns the wall condition.
Multiple Layer Removal
Older Madison homes often carry three or four generations of paper. Each layer comes off separately, priced honestly.
Skim Coating After Removal
When the drywall facing tears, the wall needs a skim coat to come back flat. Usually not optional and always quoted up front.
Border Removal
The 1990s wallpaper border. Small job, universally hated, and often leaving a bonded adhesive line that needs skimming.
Commercial Vinyl Removal
Heavy commercial wallcovering in offices and corridors, removed after hours and prepped for a repaint.
How we work
Step by step, no surprises.
You will know what is happening in your house on every one of these days before the first one starts.
- 01
Test a hidden corner
During the estimate we steam a corner behind a door to see whether the wall was primed. That single test determines the price, and quoting without it is guessing with your money.
- 02
Protect and contain
Floors covered and taped, because wallpaper removal produces a large amount of wet paper and wet paper stains everything it lands on.
- 03
Steam or soak
Vinyl paper gets scored and soaked. Traditional paper steams off. Using the wrong method on the wrong paper is how walls get gouged.
- 04
Wash the adhesive off
A full hot-water wash of every square inch. Adhesive left behind reactivates under paint and bubbles a week after everyone thinks the job is finished.
- 05
Seal, skim, and sand
Torn facing sealed, walls skimmed flat, then sanded. This is the step that turns a stripped wall into a finished one.
- 06
Prime the whole wall
A full coat of sealing primer wall to wall, so the finish coats go on over one consistent surface instead of a patchwork.
Our work
More wallpaper photosWallpaper projects.
How much does wallpaper removal cost in Madison?
It depends almost entirely on whether the drywall was primed before the paper went up. If it was, the paper steams off and the wall needs a wash and a prime. If it was not, the face paper comes off with it and the wall needs a full skim coat, which is a different job at a different price. That is why we test a corner during the estimate rather than guessing.
Can you just paint over wallpaper?
You can, and we will if you ask, but we will tell you what happens first. Seams telegraph through, the paper's texture shows in any sheen above flat, and moisture from the paint can reactivate the adhesive and cause bubbling or peeling. It is a short-term answer for a wall you plan to redo properly later.
Why does the wall need skim coating after removal?
Because when paper is hung on unprimed drywall, the paste bonds to the paper facing of the board. Pulling the wallpaper takes that facing with it and exposes the gypsum core. That has to be sealed and skimmed flat, or every torn edge will show through the paint.
How do I know if my walls were primed before papering?
Steam a small corner behind a door and pull. If the paper releases cleanly and leaves a slightly sticky but intact wall, it was primed. If the wall surface comes away with it, it was not. We do this test at the estimate so the price is real.
There are three layers of wallpaper in my dining room. Is that a problem?
It is common in older Madison homes and it is not a problem, just more work. Each layer comes off separately and the older layers are usually easier because the adhesive has aged. We count the layers during the estimate and price accordingly.