Removing old wallpaper layered over with paint

py2006

...without damaging drywall?

I have been asked by my uncle to remove wallpaper from his spare room. However, what he didn't tell me is that there is paint over the wallpaper and most likely 45yr old wallpaper beneath that. I said yes, without any DIY experience! :rolleyes:

Anyway, is this an impossible task without incurring the extra expense of replacing the drywall which most likely will be damaged?

Its about a 10x10 ft room. Not sure how much it would cost a pro to come out and do it.

Any thoughts?

Outkast_IRE

A proper steamer is what you need . There are dedicated tools for this job. Any other way is just going to cause damage

py2006

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

A proper steamer is what you need . There are dedicated tools for this job. Any other way is just going to cause damage

Sounds expensive! Any recommendations?

Outkast_IRE

py2006 wrote: »

Sounds expensive! Any recommendations?

Ring your local tool hire, most of them will rent them about €34 for a weekend €54 for a week.

awec

Steamer the way to go.

Make sure you protect the carpets when doing it if you're keeping them, or they'll get covered in melted wallpaper paste and bits of wallpaper.

You'll probably have to tear the top layer of each paper off as sometimes the steam will take ages to penetrate properly.

py2006

awec wrote: »

Steamer the way to go.

Make sure you protect the carpets when doing it if you're keeping them, or they'll get covered in melted wallpaper paste and bits of wallpaper.

You'll probably have to tear the top layer of each paper off as sometimes the steam will take ages to penetrate properly.

Its a laminate floor which will most likely be replaced so no worry there. I presume the steamer scores the paint and paper too? Also, it will be a few hours with a scraper too?

awec

py2006 wrote: »

Its a laminate floor which will most likely be replaced so no worry there. I presume the steamer scores the paint and paper too? Also, it will be a few hours with a scraper too?

It doesn't score it.

The steamer is basically a flat bit of plastic you hold against a section of the wall, and it pumps out steam. Then when that bit is wet enough, you gently use the scraper to remove the paper from the wall. Then you do the next bit and so on and so on.

It will likely take you the whole day to do the room, it takes longer than you think. If you can rip the top layer of the wallpaper off it'll go a bit quicker, as the top layer is generally a bit thicker and you'll have to hold the steamer in place much longer if you don't.

Steamer looks like this:

py2006

Ah right I see. so I will spend some time scoring beforehand. Using something like this:

dok_golf

Score it with the above and soak the paper in a 50/50 mix of fabric softener and water. You should only need a steamer if oil paint was used.

antix80

Just to add, as someone who's been there a few times..
1.. If its an old house the walls may be made of some mud like substance -(probably drywall tbf) that will be badly damaged by the steamer. Fairy liquid and warm water might be a bit... Milder. I ended up repapering with a fairly ugly wallpaper designed to hide imperfections.

2..in my 2nd home I had the same situation. Walls in an awful state. I used warm soapy water and the paper came off fairly well but left a layer of glue. Used sugar soap and hot water and tried peeling it off.. In places it lifted easily. In others it came off in tiny scraps.
Well. I decided to do a nice job and despite my efforts no amount of paint would have hidden the imperfections and I didn't want to paper it again so I called a plasterer. He said not to do any more peeling, he painted it with Blue grit And plastered over it. A year later the plaster is still on the walls.

py2006

dok_golf wrote: »

Score it with the above and soak the paper in a 50/50 mix of fabric softener and water. You should only need a steamer if oil paint was used.

There is a layer of paint over possibly 2 or 3 layers of paper. Would your method still work?

py2006

antix80 wrote: »

Just to add, as someone who's been there a few times..
1.. If its an old house the walls may be made of some mud like substance -(probably drywall tbf) that will be badly damaged by the steamer.

Hmmm, the house is from the late 70s not sure if that is considered old when it comes to houses

antix80

py2006 wrote: »

Hmmm, the house is from the late 70s not sure if that is considered old when it comes to houses

Hang on... Drywall is plasterboard? .. OK, my 2nd house at least wasn't plasterboard. Both houses were built in the 50s and the walls were in a bad state, but every scrape trying to pry off wallpaper didn't help.

I guess what's the plan after the wallpaper is off? Paint, plaster or paper?

cesaro

Hi im a Painter & Decorator, do not use the steamer, your best bet is to repeatedly wet the wall with a water detergent mix, if the paper doesnt come off then lightly score the wall and repeat the wetting process, also try using a filling knife instead of a paint scraper

dok_golf

py2006 wrote: »

There is a layer of paint over possibly 2 or 3 layers of paper. Would your method still work?

Yes, we worked on a 200 year old listed building with multiple layers of wallpaper and paint to be removed. It didn't damage the original plaster which was on lath walls. (It actually had horse hair in the plaster.)

py2006

antix80 wrote: »

Hang on... Drywall is plasterboard? .. OK, my 2nd house at least wasn't plasterboard. Both houses were built in the 50s and the walls were in a bad state, but every scrape trying to pry off wallpaper didn't help.

I guess what's the plan after the wallpaper is off? Paint, plaster or paper?

I presume drywall and plasterboard are the same thing! :pac:

The plan is to paint.