The exterior paint had faded badly from years of sun exposure. After the project was completed, our home had stronger curb appeal and a fresh, updated appearance. The trim work looks especially sharp.
Wallpaper Removal and Repainting in Santa Monica, CA, Down to a Clean Flat Wall
Santa Monica Expert Painting is Los Angeles County's trusted expert in wallpaper removal and wall restoration, specializing in steam stripping, scoring and chemical softening, and adhesive residue removal. We offer skim coating, full wall rebuilds, and shellac and oil-based sealing over stubborn paste. Fully licensed, insured and bonded.
From softening a 1970s solid vinyl over unprimed board to rolling two finish coats on a rebuilt wall, our team handles every detail. Serving Santa Monica and nearby Beverly Hills, Pacific Palisades and Manhattan Beach, we test a corner first, tell you what is behind the paper, and quote removal, wall repair and paint as one number.
- Free estimate, corner tested first
- Walls skimmed where the face is torn
- Test area before we quote the method
- Licensed, insured and bonded
Reviews
What clients say about our wallpaper work
Our bathroom painting project came out beautifully. Clean edges and a flawless finish!
We needed our office repainted without creating a major disruption for employees. Santa Monica Expert Painting handled the project efficiently and gave the entire workspace a brighter, more professional appearance.
The painters took great care around our furniture, flooring, and fixtures. Our walls and ceilings look fantastic, and there were no drips or messy edges left behind.
Our new accent wall looks perfect. It completely changed the feel of the room.
Santa Monica Expert Painting helped us choose colors that complemented our flooring and natural lighting. The finished interior feels warm, coordinated, and much more inviting. We are extremely happy with the transformation.
Beautiful exterior painting and excellent workmanship from beginning to end.
We hired the team to paint several units in our rental property. The walls, doors, and trim were finished neatly, and each space looked fresh and ready for new tenants. The results made a noticeable difference.
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Wallpaper removal services we offer
We test a corner first, tell you what is behind the paper, and quote removal, wall repair and paint as one number.
Steam stripping
A steamer drives moisture through the paper to soften the paste. It is the workhorse method for older non-vinyl papers hung with a heavy wheat paste.
Scoring and chemical softening
Vinyl and washable papers repel water by design. We perforate the face with a scoring tool, then apply an enzyme or gel stripper so it reaches the adhesive beneath.
Adhesive residue removal
The paper coming off is half the job. Paste left behind stays sticky, reactivates under wet paint and shows through as a glossy, mottled pattern. Every wall gets washed and rinsed.
Skim coating and wall rebuilds
Where the face paper tore or the surface is left rough, we skim the wall flat and sand back to a paintable plane.
Condo, rental and turnover work
Single units on a schedule, with building notice, elevator protection and a hard finish date.
| Product | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Steamer and scoring tool | Softening paste, perforating vinyl | Gets liquid past a waterproof face without cutting the drywall |
| Enzyme or gel stripper | Stubborn adhesive | Breaks down paste chemically rather than by soaking the board |
| Setting-type and topping compound | Torn face paper, gouges, skim coats | Sets chemically for stacked repairs, then feathers wide and sands clean |
| Shellac-based primer | Residual paste, stains, odour | Seals residue completely and stops it reactivating under latex |
| Oil-based stain-blocking primer | Residue plus water or tannin staining | Hard sealing film, excellent hold-back on old stains |
| 100% acrylic latex, flat to eggshell | Finish coats | Rule 1113 compliant low-VOC, eggshell washes, flat hides |
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Our process
Eight stages. Washing the paste off is the most commonly skipped step, and the one that decides the finish.
Test patch
We pull a section in a hidden corner to learn the paper type, the adhesive, the number of layers and the substrate.
Protect
Floors, baseboards and fixtures covered, outlets taped, water contained.
Score or steam
Vinyl gets scored, older paper goes straight to steam.
Strip
Face layer, then backing paper, worked in sections so nothing dries back down.
Wash the paste off
Hot water with stripper, sponged and rinsed twice.
Repair and skim
Torn face paper filled, gouges patched, then a skim coat where the wall needs one surface.
Sand and prime
Sanded flat, then sealed with shellac or oil-based primer.
Paint
Two finish coats, corner to corner, so repaired and untouched wall read the same.
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When wallpaper was hung over unprimed drywall
This is what turns a two-day job into a five-day job, and it is common in work done quickly in the 1970s and 1980s.
Drywall has a paper face. Paste applied straight onto it, with no primer or sizing between, bonds the two papers into one. There is no release layer, so pulling the wallpaper takes the drywall face with it and leaves fuzzy brown gypsum core exposed in patches.
That wall cannot simply be painted. Exposed core is porous and soft, and moisture in a topcoat raises the torn fibres. The fix is to seal the torn face with shellac or oil-based primer, skim coat the whole wall, sand it flat, then prime again before paint. That is why we test a corner before quoting rather than after.
When to paint over wallpaper instead
Removal is not always right. Painting over paper works when it is well adhered across the whole surface, non-vinyl, a single layer, and when the alternative is tearing up a plaster wall in a pre-war home. Seams get caulked or skimmed, the paper is sealed with oil-based or shellac primer so the paste cannot reactivate, then painted.
It flips when the paper is vinyl, when layers are stacked, when corners lift, or when there is any sign of moisture behind it. Painting over loose paper locks a failure into the wall. If the paper should stay, we say so at the estimate.
Sealing after removal
Latex primer is not enough over old adhesive, because water-based products soften residual paste rather than sealing it. Shellac-based primer dries fast, locks residue down, blocks stains and shuts off the musty odour of paper stripped from a bathroom wall. Oil-based stain-blocking primer is the alternative where a harder film suits the substrate. Either one decides whether the wall stays flat or goes blotchy in month two.
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Condo and rental unit work
Santa Monica is a renter city. About 72.9% of its 47,438 households rent, and the Rent Control Board counted 27,589 controlled units as of December 31, 2025.
That produces a steady supply of dated wallpaper in units changing hands, especially in the Wilshire corridor and along Ocean Avenue.
Unit work runs on different rules than a house. Buildings restrict work hours, elevators need protection and reservation, and low-odour products matter when neighbours share a hallway. We schedule to the building's requirements, issue a certificate of insurance before load-in, and finish on the date given to the leasing office.
What shapes the estimate
Layer count, whether the paper is strippable or bonded, whether the drywall was primed before hanging, ceiling height, how much skimming follows, and building access rules. Removal, repair and paint are quoted together, so there is no second invoice when the wall needs skimming.
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Why Santa Monica homeowners choose us
Fully licensed, insured and bonded, with certificates sent to building management before the first day.
Coatings meet South Coast AQMD Rule 1113 limits, and pre-1978 buildings get lead-safe RRP handling. One crew stays on the job from start to finish, surface prep is documented before coating, and removal, repair and paint are quoted as one scope.
What we usually strip, by neighbourhood
North of Montana and along Montana Avenue it is 1980s dining and powder room papers, often in multiple layers. In Ocean Park and Sunset Park it is paper over plaster in 1903 to 1915 bungalows, handled carefully. Mid-City and the Pico Neighborhood bring rental turnovers and vinyl over unprimed board. Downtown and along Ocean Avenue it is condo units with building work-hour rules.
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Frequently asked questions about wallpaper removal
How long does wallpaper removal take?
A single room is often one to two days. Multiple layers, vinyl over unprimed drywall, or a full skim coat push it to four or five.
Can wallpaper just be painted over?
Sometimes. Single-layer, well-adhered, non-vinyl paper can be sealed with oil or shellac primer and painted. Vinyl, multiple layers or lifting corners should come off.
Why does the wall need skim coating afterward?
Removal often tears the drywall face paper or leaves an uneven surface. Skimming restores one flat plane so paint does not telegraph every scar.
What primer goes over old adhesive?
Shellac-based or oil-based stain-blocking primer. Latex primer softens residual paste instead of sealing it.
Will removal damage my plaster walls?
Older plaster in Ocean Park bungalows needs a lighter hand with steam. We test first, and where the risk is high we discuss sealing and painting over the paper instead.
How is removal priced?
Usually by the square foot of wall area, with repair and paint quoted separately once we see what is behind the paper.
Do you work in condos and rental units?
Yes, regularly. We work to building hours, protect elevators and corridors, provide a certificate of insurance to management, and hit the leasing office's date.
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Related services and service areas
We cover all five residential ZIP codes, 90401 through 90405.
- Interior House Painting
- Drywall Repair & Painting
- Ceiling Painting
- Kitchen Cabinet Painting
- Venetian Plaster & Specialty Finishes
- Historic Home Restoration Painting
Every painting service we offer.
Service areas
We also work in Beverly Hills homes, across the village and canyons of Pacific Palisades, and in walk-street houses in Manhattan Beach. The full coverage map lists every city we reach.
Book your wallpaper removal and repaint
We test a corner, identify the paper and substrate, and put removal, repair and two finish coats into one written scope.
- Free written estimate with a contingency line
- Adhesive fully washed off before priming
- Licensed, insured and bonded