I need to strip wallpaper from plasterboard walls. Standard wallpaper,
not vinyl, an inpreinted sort of vertical strip pattern., direct to the
plasterboard, no skim.

No option really, this is the old bathroom I'm turning into bedroom.
Walls mostly plasterboard over lathe and plaster and brick walls (I
assume to get a nice flat surface for tiling?). It was tiled up to about
4 feet all the way round. As I expected trying to remove the tiles left
the plasterboard in such a mess, that we just ripped the lot down.

Plan is to replace the plasterboard. and then get the whole lot skimmed

So have the rest of the walls covered in paper. Any tips on removal?

Steam it and then try to pull off rather than scrape?

The alternative thought is to leave paper on, replace plasterboard , not
skim and then lining paper over the whole lot. But then there is the
messing about with taping/filling/sanding.


--
Chris French

On 02/11/2014 11:18, Chris French wrote:
I need to strip wallpaper from plasterboard walls. Standard wallpaper,
not vinyl, an inpreinted sort of vertical strip pattern., direct to the
plasterboard, no skim.

No option really, this is the old bathroom I'm turning into bedroom.
Walls mostly plasterboard over lathe and plaster and brick walls (I
assume to get a nice flat surface for tiling?). It was tiled up to about
4 feet all the way round. As I expected trying to remove the tiles left
the plasterboard in such a mess, that we just ripped the lot down.

Plan is to replace the plasterboard. and then get the whole lot skimmed

So have the rest of the walls covered in paper. Any tips on removal?

Steam it and then try to pull off rather than scrape?

I've done it, horrible job. You have to be very careful with the
timing. You have to leave the steamer head in place for 'just' enough
time to soften the wallpaper, then move it before it starts to soften
the paper face of the plasterboard.

I'd never do it again as a paid job. More a labour of love.



--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 02/11/2014 11:50, The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 02/11/2014 11:18, Chris French wrote:
I need to strip wallpaper from plasterboard walls. Standard wallpaper,
not vinyl, an inpreinted sort of vertical strip pattern., direct to the
plasterboard, no skim.

No option really, this is the old bathroom I'm turning into bedroom.
Walls mostly plasterboard over lathe and plaster and brick walls (I
assume to get a nice flat surface for tiling?). It was tiled up to about
4 feet all the way round. As I expected trying to remove the tiles left
the plasterboard in such a mess, that we just ripped the lot down.

Plan is to replace the plasterboard. and then get the whole lot skimmed

So have the rest of the walls covered in paper. Any tips on removal?

Steam it and then try to pull off rather than scrape?

I've done it, horrible job. You have to be very careful with the
timing. You have to leave the steamer head in place for 'just' enough
time to soften the wallpaper, then move it before it starts to soften
the paper face of the plasterboard.

I'd never do it again as a paid job. More a labour of love.




+1. I'd wet it with a big brush rather than steam it if I was forced to
ever do it again. And I certainly wouldn't tackle a woodchip on PB CEILING!

In article ,
Chris French writes:
I need to strip wallpaper from plasterboard walls. Standard wallpaper,
not vinyl, an inpreinted sort of vertical strip pattern., direct to the
plasterboard, no skim.

No option really, this is the old bathroom I'm turning into bedroom.
Walls mostly plasterboard over lathe and plaster and brick walls (I
assume to get a nice flat surface for tiling?). It was tiled up to about
4 feet all the way round. As I expected trying to remove the tiles left
the plasterboard in such a mess, that we just ripped the lot down.

Plan is to replace the plasterboard. and then get the whole lot skimmed

So have the rest of the walls covered in paper. Any tips on removal?

Steam it and then try to pull off rather than scrape?

The alternative thought is to leave paper on, replace plasterboard , not
skim and then lining paper over the whole lot. But then there is the
messing about with taping/filling/sanding.

If the wallpaper is well stuck on, and the glue doesn't come apart when
wet (you can test this on an area), then you can skim over the wallpaper.
If it is non-absorbant, it will need PVA'ing immediately before skimming.

OTOH, if you are skimming the room anyway, I would consider removing
the over-boarding and lath and plaster, and start fresh with new PB on
the timber frame.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

"Chris French" wrote in message
...
I need to strip wallpaper from plasterboard walls. Standard wallpaper, not
vinyl, an inpreinted sort of vertical strip pattern., direct to the
plasterboard, no skim.

No option really, this is the old bathroom I'm turning into bedroom. Walls
mostly plasterboard over lathe and plaster and brick walls (I assume to
get a nice flat surface for tiling?). It was tiled up to about 4 feet all
the way round. As I expected trying to remove the tiles left the
plasterboard in such a mess, that we just ripped the lot down.

Plan is to replace the plasterboard. and then get the whole lot skimmed

So have the rest of the walls covered in paper. Any tips on removal?

Steam it and then try to pull off rather than scrape?

The alternative thought is to leave paper on, replace plasterboard , not
skim and then lining paper over the whole lot. But then there is the
messing about with taping/filling/sanding.


I can't make head nor tail of this post.

You've ripped the plasterboard down that had tiles on it because it was a
mess?

You're getting the whole lot skimmed?

Wh are you trying to remove the paper if you're getting it skimmed?

And then you mention not skimming, but papering over plasterboard again!

1) Get as much of the paper off as you can

2) re -plasterboard where it is required - it may be quicker and easier to
get *everything* down to bare brick and start from scratch.

3) plaster the whole lot from top to bottom, then in the future, you aren't
going through this again - it sounds like this is the third time from your
post


papering over bare plasterboard almost always results in it being re
plasterboarded the next time any decorating is required

In message , Phil L
writes

"Chris French" wrote in message
...
I need to strip wallpaper from plasterboard walls. Standard wallpaper, not
vinyl, an inpreinted sort of vertical strip pattern., direct to the
plasterboard, no skim.

No option really, this is the old bathroom I'm turning into bedroom. Walls
mostly plasterboard over lathe and plaster and brick walls (I assume to
get a nice flat surface for tiling?). It was tiled up to about 4 feet all
the way round. As I expected trying to remove the tiles left the
plasterboard in such a mess, that we just ripped the lot down.

Plan is to replace the plasterboard. and then get the whole lot skimmed

So have the rest of the walls covered in paper. Any tips on removal?

Steam it and then try to pull off rather than scrape?

The alternative thought is to leave paper on, replace plasterboard , not
skim and then lining paper over the whole lot. But then there is the
messing about with taping/filling/sanding.


I can't make head nor tail of this post.

Sorry for not being clearer.

You've ripped the plasterboard down that had tiles on it because it was a
mess?

Trying to remove the tiles from the plasterboard left it in too much of
a mess. It made more sense to just to remove it as well

You're getting the whole lot skimmed?

Probably.


Wh are you trying to remove the paper if you're getting it skimmed?


I had a previous house where skim had been done over papered
plasterboard, it came detached in patches. so I'm wary of doing it it I
can avoid it.

And then you mention not skimming, but papering over plasterboard again!

1) Get as much of the paper off as you can

2) re -plasterboard where it is required - it may be quicker and easier to
get *everything* down to bare brick and start from scratch.

I might do that.

3) plaster the whole lot from top to bottom, then in the future, you aren't
going through this again - it sounds like this is the third time from your
post


This is all the work of previous owners.

Thanks
--
Chris French

In message , Chris French
writes
In message , Phil L
writes

"Chris French" wrote in message
...
I need to strip wallpaper from plasterboard walls. Standard wallpaper, not
vinyl, an inpreinted sort of vertical strip pattern., direct to the
plasterboard, no skim.

No option really, this is the old bathroom I'm turning into bedroom. Walls
mostly plasterboard over lathe and plaster and brick walls (I assume to
get a nice flat surface for tiling?). It was tiled up to about 4 feet all
the way round. As I expected trying to remove the tiles left the
plasterboard in such a mess, that we just ripped the lot down.

Plan is to replace the plasterboard. and then get the whole lot skimmed

So have the rest of the walls covered in paper. Any tips on removal?

Steam it and then try to pull off rather than scrape?

The alternative thought is to leave paper on, replace plasterboard , not
skim and then lining paper over the whole lot. But then there is the
messing about with taping/filling/sanding.


I can't make head nor tail of this post.

Sorry for not being clearer.

And really, the question I was asking was just the one about stripping
the wallpaper of the plasterboard.

The rest of it was extra info, because IME of uk.d-i-y a bald question
tends to get 'why do want to do that' responses as well , sometimes
totally off at tangent replies not really relevant to the situation. So
I try to give bit of background/context for the question.
--
Chris French

"Chris French" wrote in message
...

And really, the question I was asking was just the one about stripping the
wallpaper of the plasterboard.

The rest of it was extra info, because IME of uk.d-i-y a bald question
tends to get 'why do want to do that' responses as well , sometimes
totally off at tangent replies not really relevant to the situation. So I
try to give bit of background/context for the question.

If you read your OP again, you must admit that the majority of it makes no
sense, except perhaps to you and anyone else who has seen this room.

We have ripped down the plasterboard where tiled as it was a mess. - OK

plan to replace PB and have everything skimmed. - OK

???so have the rest of the walls covered in paper??? - Eh?

alternative: leave paper on, replace PB, not skim and then paper again????
Erm?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

there is no feasible way to remove paper from plasterboard without partially
or wholly destroying the face of the plasterboard.
You are really asking 'how does one remove paper that has been glued to
paper without damaging the bottom paper?'

On Monday, 3 November 2014 16:52:43 UTC, Phil L wrote:
"Chris French" wrote in message
...

And really, the question I was asking was just the one about stripping the
wallpaper of the plasterboard.

If you read your OP again, you must admit that the majority of it makes no
sense, except perhaps to you and anyone else who has seen this room.

Why must he admit that? It made perfect sense to me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
there is no feasible way to remove paper from plasterboard without partially
or wholly destroying the face of the plasterboard.

Except that other people have provided advice on exactly how to do it (with the
caveat that it is very difficult).

In message ,
Martin Bonner writes
On Monday, 3 November 2014 16:52:43 UTC, Phil L wrote:
"Chris French" wrote in message
...

And really, the question I was asking was just the one about stripping the
wallpaper of the plasterboard.

If you read your OP again, you must admit that the majority of it makes no
sense, except perhaps to you and anyone else who has seen this room.

Why must he admit that? It made perfect sense to me.

I've read it again, and whilst I can see a bit of ambiguity I though it
was pretty clear, though there is an element of thinking aloud in the
post. However, sorry Phil that it wasn't clear enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
there is no feasible way to remove paper from plasterboard without partially
or wholly destroying the face of the plasterboard.

Except that other people have provided advice on exactly how to do it (with the
caveat that it is very difficult).

Which was kind of what I expected, but you know you hope someone has
that magic 'here is how to do it easily tip' :-)

Thanks folks, got some other jobs to do before I have to bite this
bullet.
--
Chris French

In message , Andrew Gabriel
writes
In article ,
Chris French writes:
I need to strip wallpaper from plasterboard walls. Standard wallpaper,
not vinyl, an inpreinted sort of vertical strip pattern., direct to the
plasterboard, no skim.

No option really, this is the old bathroom I'm turning into bedroom.
Walls mostly plasterboard over lathe and plaster and brick walls (I
assume to get a nice flat surface for tiling?). It was tiled up to about
4 feet all the way round. As I expected trying to remove the tiles left
the plasterboard in such a mess, that we just ripped the lot down.

Plan is to replace the plasterboard. and then get the whole lot skimmed

So have the rest of the walls covered in paper. Any tips on removal?

Steam it and then try to pull off rather than scrape?

The alternative thought is to leave paper on, replace plasterboard , not
skim and then lining paper over the whole lot. But then there is the
messing about with taping/filling/sanding.

If the wallpaper is well stuck on, and the glue doesn't come apart when
wet (you can test this on an area), then you can skim over the wallpaper.
If it is non-absorbant, it will need PVA'ing immediately before skimming.

OK. Thanks

OTOH, if you are skimming the room anyway, I would consider removing
the over-boarding and lath and plaster, and start fresh with new PB on
the timber frame.

I might do that, TBH, I'm feeling a bit wussy about the effort and mess
involved at the moment:-)

Anyway, got some other bits to be getting on with while I put this off.
- lay a soil pipe through to the next door room for when we potentially
convert that into an en-suite, electrics - no sockets in the room and
not even a handy cable under the floor or handy sockets in neighbouring
rooms, patch holes in the ceiling where spotlights used to be, block up
an old doorway.

Thanks
--
Chris French

"Chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , Martin
Bonner writes
On Monday, 3 November 2014 16:52:43 UTC, Phil L wrote:
"Chris French" wrote in message
...

And really, the question I was asking was just the one about stripping
the
wallpaper of the plasterboard.

If you read your OP again, you must admit that the majority of it makes
no
sense, except perhaps to you and anyone else who has seen this room.

Why must he admit that? It made perfect sense to me.

I've read it again, and whilst I can see a bit of ambiguity I though it
was pretty clear, though there is an element of thinking aloud in the
post. However, sorry Phil that it wasn't clear enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
there is no feasible way to remove paper from plasterboard without
partially
or wholly destroying the face of the plasterboard.

Except that other people have provided advice on exactly how to do it
(with the
caveat that it is very difficult).

Which was kind of what I expected, but you know you hope someone has that
magic 'here is how to do it easily tip' :-)

Thanks folks, got some other jobs to do before I have to bite this bullet.

I wasn't being dificult, I just couldn't understand the post.

FWIW, my earlier reply should have stated that it is possible to remove
paper from plasterboard, provided you have an unlimited amount of time and
patience.
IOW, for the cost of a few PB's and adhesive, it's easier, cheaper and
quicker to replace