Removing renovation fleece: can it be done without damaging the wall?

Is renovation fleece easy to remove?

It is trickier than paper wallpaper, but quite doable with the right approach. Renovation fleece is fixed to the wall with a generous layer of glue and then painted. That paint layer keeps water out, so a sponge with warm water does little.

On the other hand, renovation fleece is strong. Where paper wallpaper tears into scraps, renovation fleece can often be pulled off the wall in whole strips once the glue has softened. Most of the work is therefore in soaking it loose, not in pulling it off.

That is also why renovation fleece appears in our price list in the highest price line together with fibreglass wallpaper. Both are painted and firmly attached. With removing fibreglass wallpaper, there is also the question of whether it itches.

Does renovation fleece have to come off, or can you repaint it?

Not always. Renovation fleece is made precisely so that you can paint a new colour over it later, without replacing the material. If it is firmly attached, repainting is the quickest and cheapest route. There are a few things to watch for when repainting renovation fleece, though.

Removal is necessary in these situations:

• The seams are coming loose or there are bubbles in the fleece.
• There is mould on or behind the renovation fleece.
• You want a smooth plastered or painted wall without wallpaper.
• The renovation fleece is damaged by building work, holes or a leak.

In the case of mould, we remove the wallpaper and sand and treat the wall, for an extra charge. How far that needs to go is always assessed first during the site visit.

How do you remove renovation fleece without damaging the wall?

The secret is patience in the first steps. If you pull too quickly, you take the top layer of the wall with you.

1. Cover up. Cover the floor and unscrew the cover plates from switches and sockets.
2. Open up the paint layer. Lightly score or perforate the paint layer so that moisture can reach the glue.
3. Soak the glue loose. Steam a strip with a wallpaper steamer or apply stripping liquid and let it soak in.
4. Pull off the strip. Start at a seam and pull slowly and at an angle. If you feel resistance, stop and let it soak in for longer.
5. Clear the glue residue. New wallpaper or paint does not stick well to old glue.
6. Let it dry and assess. Give the wall at least 24 hours and only then look at what it needs.

That last step is not a formality. You only know what is under renovation fleece once it is off, and that determines the next layer.

What do you find once the renovation fleece is off?

In new-build homes, renovation fleece is often applied directly to plasterboard or concrete. That is where the greatest risk lies. Plasterboard has a cardboard facing, and if it gets too wet or is stressed too hard, a piece of cardboard comes away with the fleece. With renovation fleece on plasterboard walls, patience when soaking it loose is therefore most important of all.

Also expect to see hairline cracks reappear. New-build homes settle and shrink in the first years, and traditional plasterwork and joints crack along with them. Renovation fleece bridges those cracks and makes them invisible, so once it is removed they come back into view. Do not be alarmed: new-build walls cracking is part of the first years.

If you then want a smooth wall again without visible hairline cracks, new renovation fleece is the logical choice. If the surface is damaged or uneven, a thin plaster layer goes on first as a repair base.

What does it cost to have renovation fleece removed?

Removing renovation fleece costs €10.99 per m² with us. If there is more than one layer on the wall, a surcharge applies for each extra layer.

Prices exclude VAT. For renovation work on a home over 10 years old, VAT is usually 6%, otherwise 21%. The exact rate is shown in your quote.

An example: removing renovation fleece in a bedroom with 30 m² of wall costs 30 × €10.99 = €329.70. On average, our team removes wallpaper at a rate of 100 m² per day. Sanding is always included with new renovation fleece.

If a thin plaster layer is needed first, it costs €17.49 per m² for 100 to 200 m², decreasing to €14.49 per m² from 401 m², materials included. Other types of wallpaper each have their own price by type and number of layers, and if you want to see everything side by side, there is our prices page.

Who removes your renovation fleece and applies the new layer?

One of our 40 wallpaper hangers, from a team of 97 tradespeople on permanent contracts. If a thin plaster layer then has to go on, one of our 32 plasterers does that. Removal, plasterwork if needed and new renovation fleece on the wall thus fit into one schedule. Hanging, filling and painting new renovation fleece takes 3 days for a complete home; the drying time of the plaster layer comes on top of that.

In your request, tell us why the renovation fleece has to come off, for example loose seams, mould or a leak, and whether there is more than one layer. The right rate will then already be in the free quote you receive within 24 hours. During the site visit, we check whether removal is really necessary or whether repainting will do.

The new wallpapering work carries a 1-year guarantee. And if other wallpaper also has to come off the wall, you can have us remove that wallpaper in the same schedule.