Wallpaper Removal and Skim Coat — Paper Off, Walls Smooth for Paint
One room of paper you have been meaning to take down, a border from the nineties, or a whole house of it — stripped, skimmed and primed so a coat of paint is all that is left.
JMB Builders does wallpaper removal across the Twin Cities metro: the paper is scored and steamed or soaked off, the paste washed off, torn drywall paper sealed, and the walls skim coated, sanded and primed so they take paint like new drywall. Painting is its own line on the quote. Priced per room, quoted from your photos of the walls within one business day.
- Priced per room
- Paste washed off, walls skimmed and primed
- Painting quoted as its own line
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Wallpaper comes off two ways. Paper that was hung over primed or painted drywall peels in sheets with a little steam and a scraper. Paper that was hung on bare drywall, or over an old layer of paper, takes the drywall face with it, and then the wall is torn and fuzzy and no amount of paint fixes that. You do not know which you have until a corner comes up, and that is where most do-it-yourself wallpaper jobs stall.
We take it off either way and then deal with the wall. Paste gets washed off, because paint over paste bubbles and peels. Torn spots get sealed with an oil or shellac primer so the skim coat does not bubble. Then the whole wall gets a skim coat, sanded flat and primed. What you get is a wall that paints like new drywall. Painting is on the quote as its own line, or the walls are ready for you to paint.
What you supply
- The room cleared to the middle and pictures off the walls, or tell us and we handle it
- A word on whether the paper was painted over, or there is a second layer under it, if you know
- Your paint color if we are painting — painting is quoted as a separate line, or paint it yourself
What JMB supplies
- Floors covered, outlets taped, furniture wrapped in plastic
- Steamer, scoring tool, scrapers and stripper solution, whichever the paper needs
- All paper, backing and paste removed and the walls washed
- Sealer primer on any torn drywall paper so the skim coat holds
- Skim coat over the full wall, sanded flat, with a vacuum sander
- Repairs to nail holes, dents and anchor holes uncovered under the paper
- Primer on all skimmed walls
- Painting of walls, ceiling and trim as its own line on the quote
- Debris bagged and hauled, room cleaned
- Photos of the finished room in your job folder
How it is priced: per room
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Room size, ceiling height and how many walls are papered
- Paper on primed walls that peels vs. paper stuck to bare drywall that tears the face
- Layers: one paper, paper over paper, or paper that was painted over
- Vinyl-coated paper that has to be scored before steam gets through
- Border only vs. full walls
- Damage under the paper: old anchor holes, cracks, water stains
- Skim coat of the whole wall vs. spot repairs where the wall came through clean
- Painting after the skim, quoted as a separate line
Peel a corner of the paper near an outlet and photograph what is under it, plus one photo of each wall. That corner tells us whether it is a strip job or a skim job.
How long it takes
One bedroom or bath: a day to strip, a second visit to skim and sand, a third short visit to prime. About a week end to end with drying. A whole floor of paper is scheduled room by room.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Paper over primed walls
The easy case. Score, steam, peel, wash the paste, spot-skim a few tears and prime. The wall is ready for paint in two visits.
Paper on bare drywall
The paper takes the drywall face with it in patches. Torn areas get sealed so they do not bubble, then the whole wall is skimmed, sanded and primed. This is most of the wallpaper jobs in newer suburbs.
Painted-over wallpaper
Paint seals the paper so steam cannot reach the paste. Every inch gets scored, then stripped slowly. Some painted paper is better skimmed over than removed, and we tell you which after a test patch.
Border removal
A border around the top of the room or at chair-rail height comes off the same way. The band it leaves is skimmed and blended, and the wall is repainted corner to corner so the band does not show.
Wallpaper Removal and Skim Coat — Paper Off, Walls Smooth for Paint: questions, answered
How do you remove wallpaper without damaging the drywall?
Score the paper lightly so the steam and stripper get behind it, let it soak, and pull at a low angle with a wide scraper. Working dry or rushing it is what tears the drywall. When the paper was hung on bare, unprimed drywall, some tearing is unavoidable; those spots get sealed and skimmed so the finished wall is smooth.
Do you have to skim coat after removing wallpaper?
Usually. Even paper that comes off clean leaves paste residue, small tears and the old texture of a wall that was never meant to be painted. A skim coat over the whole wall, sanded and primed, is what makes it look like new drywall. If a wall comes through clean, we spot-skim instead and the price drops.
Can you paint over wallpaper instead of removing it?
It can be done when the paper is tight, the seams are sealed and the wall is skimmed over it, but the paper is still under there and the next owner has to deal with it. Removal is the right answer in almost every room; painting over is for old, painted paper that would destroy the plaster or drywall to strip.
What is under the wallpaper in a bathroom?
Often the worst wall in the house. Moisture gets behind paper in a bathroom, so the drywall face is soft and there may be mildew. We strip it, let it dry, treat any mildew, seal the drywall, skim and prime with a bathroom primer. If the drywall is soft through, that section gets replaced.
How long does wallpaper removal and skim coating take?
A single room is three visits over about a week: strip, skim and sand, prime. The gaps are for the walls to dry. Paint can go on right after primer. Several rooms are staged so one is drying while the next is being stripped.
Is it worth removing a wallpaper border?
Yes. A border is the first thing that dates a room and it is a short job. It is stripped the same way as full paper, the band gets skimmed flush with the wall around it, and the room gets repainted so the line does not show through.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All drywall pages
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