Norminn wrote:
Harry K wrote:
Need to re-paint the kitchen. Had been wallpapered yay many years ago
and a patch of the vinyl coating had pulled off. Aha, thinks I, "I'll
just pull off all the vinyl coating and then use sponges and soak off
the paper backing". No sooner said than done, at least the pulling
portion.

Even using two sponges I couldn't keep the paper wet enough with warm
soapy water to strip. Off to the rental place for a steamer. Yep it
worked but...the paper backing comes off in small pieces and the job
took three times longer than if I had done it right to begin with.


Harry, too soon old, too late smart, K


Only way I have ever removed wallpaper, and always works, is to spray
the paper backing with a windex or similar spray with warm water. Let
it rest about 5 minutes, spray again, wait, and start scraping gently
until the goop comes off. If the outer layer doesn't pull off, I use
coarse sandpaper to score the surface VERY CAREFULLY, horizontally,
spray and let soak as above. Scoring it horizontally keep the water
from all running off and it will soak into the paper/paste. Never had
paper that would not come off using this method, including two layers
that had both been painted over. I usually wait a day to wash remaining
paste from wall to avoid getting the paper coating of the wallboard too
wet. I do one or two strips at a time so's the first doesn't dry too
much before I get back to it.

The real ****er is that I knew better. This isn't my first time I have
pulled wallpaper in this house using a steamer. My surprise was the
way the paper backing acted. Wet with two sponges to the point water
was dripping, grab my spatula, one scrape and the paper was already
dried back on the wall. Didn't think to try the spray bottle but doubt
it would have helped.

Harry K