Wallpaper stripping tools and techniques
 

I've got several rooms to redecorate, that are currently covered in
1970s textured wallpaper, some in reasonable condition, some not.

I've stripped one room so far, using a cheap paint scraping tool to
remove as much dry paper as possible, and some "Zinsser" wallpaper
stripping solution for the difficult bits. The underlying plasterboard
goes soggy easily, so I'm reluctant to use steam.

Any tips on the easiest way to strip the remaining paper, tools I could
buy?

The fancier wallpaper stripping tools on Amazon have mixed reviews.

Wallpaper stripping tools and techniques
 

"LumpHammer" wrote in message
...
I've got several rooms to redecorate, that are currently covered in 1970s
textured wallpaper, some in reasonable condition, some not.

I've stripped one room so far, using a cheap paint scraping tool to remove
as much dry paper as possible, and some "Zinsser" wallpaper stripping
solution for the difficult bits. The underlying plasterboard goes soggy
easily, so I'm reluctant to use steam.

Any tips on the easiest way to strip the remaining paper, tools I could
buy?

The fancier wallpaper stripping tools on Amazon have mixed reviews.


If your plasterboard has not been skimmed, (with plaster), you are f***d.
If it has, you can use a steamer with care.

ISTR there are products out there to put a skim layer on top of various
textured finishes but I have never used them.
I think "Polyskim/filler" makes one.

Wallpaper stripping tools and techniques
 

On Wed, 09 Apr 2014 07:00:07 +0100, LumpHammer
wrote:

I've stripped one room so far, using a cheap paint scraping tool to
remove as much dry paper as possible, and some "Zinsser" wallpaper
stripping solution for the difficult bits. The underlying plasterboard
goes soggy easily, so I'm reluctant to use steam.

Standard procedure is to get the paper wet, often using a garden sprayer. Or, in
more difficult cases, use very thin wallpaper paste on the surface, and stick
the thinnest cheapest poly dust sheet to the wall to let it soak without drying
off too soon. Try frequently to get the wallpaper off when it's just right, not
too damp and not too dry.

I have found the stripping solution to not be of any more use that a small dash
of washing-up to aid in wetting. YMMV.

Wetting is not particularly helpful for the problem of the plasterboard going
soggy. However, I think getting the plasterboard damp/wet is worth it if the
wallpaper then peels off very easily, and the plasterboard dries again whole,
IYSWIM. Scraping dry may damage the plasterboard more. Standard advice is to
paint the plasterboard with cheap diluted emulsion to size it before sticking
wallpaper to it. (Yeah, not helpful here...)

None of the tools I have used were of more utility than a scraper like these:
http://cdn.toolstation.com/images/13...bles/96313.jpg

Thomas Prufer

Wallpaper stripping tools and techniques
 

On 09/04/2014 07:00, LumpHammer wrote:
I've got several rooms to redecorate, that are currently covered in
1970s textured wallpaper, some in reasonable condition, some not.

I've stripped one room so far, using a cheap paint scraping tool to
remove as much dry paper as possible, and some "Zinsser" wallpaper
stripping solution for the difficult bits. The underlying plasterboard
goes soggy easily, so I'm reluctant to use steam.

Any tips on the easiest way to strip the remaining paper, tools I could
buy?

The fancier wallpaper stripping tools on Amazon have mixed reviews.

I've been a huge fan of steam strippers since the 1979s. They will take
gloss painted anaglypta off Victorian lath and plaster surfaces (OK in
that case the finish layer is often friable and comes off as well).

I think they work in two ways, by saturating the paper and softening
cellulose type pastes, but the heat also softens older adhesives.

I don't think I have ever had to take wallpaper off straight
plasterboard, but I would expect them to be good at that (obviously, if
the paper is painted you may need to abrade the surface). If you do it
at the right speed, you just dampen the paper but not the substrate so
you are less likely to have the "soggy plasterboard" problem than using
the wet method.

Wallpaper stripping tools and techniques
 

In message , Thomas Prufer
writes
On Wed, 09 Apr 2014 07:00:07 +0100, LumpHammer
wrote:

I've stripped one room so far, using a cheap paint scraping tool to
remove as much dry paper as possible, and some "Zinsser" wallpaper
stripping solution for the difficult bits. The underlying plasterboard
goes soggy easily, so I'm reluctant to use steam.

Standard procedure is to get the paper wet, often using a garden
sprayer. Or, in
more difficult cases, use very thin wallpaper paste on the surface, and stick
the thinnest cheapest poly dust sheet to the wall to let it soak without drying
off too soon. Try frequently to get the wallpaper off when it's just right, not
too damp and not too dry.

I have found the stripping solution to not be of any more use that a
small dash
of washing-up to aid in wetting. YMMV.

Wetting is not particularly helpful for the problem of the plasterboard going
soggy. However, I think getting the plasterboard damp/wet is worth it if the
wallpaper then peels off very easily, and the plasterboard dries again whole,
IYSWIM. Scraping dry may damage the plasterboard more. Standard advice is to
paint the plasterboard with cheap diluted emulsion to size it before sticking
wallpaper to it. (Yeah, not helpful here...)

None of the tools I have used were of more utility than a scraper like these:
http://cdn.toolstation.com/images/13.../stock/webtabl
es/96313.jpg

On embossed paper over lath and plaster, I found it necessary to scratch
the surface to allow water penetration. The tool used was something like
the largest scraper shown above but with the edge having 6mm serrations.
Dragging this across the surface created score marks which allowed water
in to soften the glue.

The plasterer employed by our builder was so impressed that he stole
it:-(

--
Tim Lamb

Wallpaper stripping tools and techniques
 

On Wed, 09 Apr 2014 07:00:07 +0100, LumpHammer wrote:

The underlying plasterboard goes soggy easily, so I'm reluctant to use
steam.

What do you mean by "soggy", actually soft an squidgy or just a
colour change and easier for a badly handled scraper to damage.
Without a skim the PB paper may well come off...

I've never used a steam stripper on PB but things don't get anything
like as wet as they do with the hand method. Also as it's hot/warm it
dries quicker. The first scrapings are preety much dry by the time
you've gone round a normal room and with a steam stripper that is a
lot quicker than manual.

Has this wallpaper been painted? The paint film will keep the steam
or water away from the paper/adhesive. Might be worth gently running
over it one of the spikey roller/wheeled things to peirce the paint.

As I have a steam stripper I'd try it even on unskimmed PB but
wouldn't get upset if it didn't work as I know there is a risk.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Wallpaper stripping tools and techniques
 

On 09/04/2014 09:30, Tim Lamb wrote:
In message , Thomas Prufer
writes
On Wed, 09 Apr 2014 07:00:07 +0100, LumpHammer

wrote:

I've stripped one room so far, using a cheap paint scraping tool to
remove as much dry paper as possible, and some "Zinsser" wallpaper
stripping solution for the difficult bits. The underlying plasterboard
goes soggy easily, so I'm reluctant to use steam.

Standard procedure is to get the paper wet, often using a garden
sprayer. Or, in
more difficult cases, use very thin wallpaper paste on the surface,
and stick
the thinnest cheapest poly dust sheet to the wall to let it soak
without drying
off too soon. Try frequently to get the wallpaper off when it's just
right, not
too damp and not too dry.

I have found the stripping solution to not be of any more use that a
small dash
of washing-up to aid in wetting. YMMV.

Wetting is not particularly helpful for the problem of the
plasterboard going
soggy. However, I think getting the plasterboard damp/wet is worth it
if the
wallpaper then peels off very easily, and the plasterboard dries again
whole,
IYSWIM. Scraping dry may damage the plasterboard more. Standard advice
is to
paint the plasterboard with cheap diluted emulsion to size it before
sticking
wallpaper to it. (Yeah, not helpful here...)

None of the tools I have used were of more utility than a scraper like
these:
http://cdn.toolstation.com/images/13.../stock/webtabl
es/96313.jpg

On embossed paper over lath and plaster, I found it necessary to scratch
the surface to allow water penetration. The tool used was something like
the largest scraper shown above but with the edge having 6mm serrations.
Dragging this across the surface created score marks which allowed water
in to soften the glue.

The plasterer employed by our builder was so impressed that he stole it:-(

I imagine scoring paper fixed to plasterboard will inevitably damage the
surface.
An alternative strategy I've used is to scrape off a 2" wide section all
round the top, and then keep toshing water on with a brush. As more gets
behind the paper with each application, the job gets easier as you come down

Wallpaper stripping tools and techniques
 

On 09/04/14 09:30, Tim Lamb wrote:

On embossed paper over lath and plaster, I found it necessary to scratch
the surface to allow water penetration. The tool used was something like
the largest scraper shown above but with the edge having 6mm serrations.
Dragging this across the surface created score marks which allowed water
in to soften the glue.

The plasterer employed by our builder was so impressed that he stole it:-(

http://www.tradingdepot.co.uk/DEF/pr...FTHItAodpQIAVQ

I used one of those prior to steaming - it worked well for me for
scratching through the plastic layer or paint.

Wallpaper stripping tools and techniques
 

On Wed, 9 Apr 2014 09:30:35 +0100, Tim Lamb wrote:

On embossed paper over lath and plaster, I found it necessary to scratch
the surface to allow water penetration. The tool used was something like
the largest scraper shown above but with the edge having 6mm serrations.
Dragging this across the surface created score marks which allowed water
in to soften the glue.

There are also spiky rollers to do this.

I googled for a picture, and the first hit was a picture of a wallpaper roller
thing on Amazon.de. Only they had wrapped the handle in innertube rubber, and
the price was about 10x that of the wallpaper roller. There was also a bit of
text on showing who's the boss, "skin roller", and fifty shades of grey.

So buy a dozen wallpaper rollers on Amazon, sell them back rubber-handled with a
bit of old cycle innertube and saucy text for 10x the price, and get someone
else in to sort the wallpaper for the difference?


Thomas Prufer