Best way to remove wood chip wallpaper?

Justin_Credit

I stripped 2 rooms of woodchip just a few weeks back. Although it took longer than I estimated it was worth it in the end.

The method I used was one of the proprietory scorers mentioned in an earlier post followed by the steamer. Due to the many coats of vinyl that had been applied over the years it was still hard work but that seemed to be the best method on the walls I was working on.

There was some filling to be done afterwards and of course the whole lot had to be sanded prior to painting but the end result was that the customer was very happy.

Good luck

JC

theadore_2

if your going to use a steamer, make sure you have a go of scraping first... if the paper wasn't put up too well, you can get big sections off quickly, before resorting to a steamer to tackle the more tricky sections.

Other good, but untested by myself, methods are the spraying method described earlier... and also i heard that if you mix up wallpaper paste and apply to the paper... then allow it to dry, you should find it comes off easier.

blossom30

I had the same problem with the flat I'm now in . I unfortunately used a steamer and when I scraped the walls the plaster came off too...so there was one mighty mess. It would have been useful if the builders who originally put up the paper had used lining paper first. I would suggest a damp sponge and a lot of patience!!!!!!!

malteser

thanks all, 8 days and counting!

Unity

I was trawling through looking for the best way to get rid of wood chip and came across this five year old thread - so I was just wondering if any technological advances have taken place to quickly rid us of the cursed invention that is of course wood chip? :eek::eek::eek:

This past weekend has been spent by DH, DS, DD and her partner, plus a wallpaper steamer, scoring the walls and trying to remove this offensive wall covering. The worst part has been where it's been used in an extension built in 2003 on new plaster :shocked::shocked::shocked: (why on earth didn't the previous owners just paint the walls?:doh::wall:). It is stuck fast and despite scoring and steaming, it comes off in pieces about the size of a small postage stamp :mad:.

I'm disabled and can't help which is frustrating for me, but I would love to be able to tell them that there is a way to get it off.

Any decorators out there with ideas?

Cheers for any help you can give :beer:.

Shimmyhill

Scoring it and soaking it before hitting it with the steamer has worked well here !

I have found it depends what the woodchip is on makes the most difference, on eggshell paint and i falls off - emulsion and it tends to rip paint and sometimes plaster off etc !

FWIW its a messy but ultimately satisfying job, we are free of it in the house now - just wallpaper and aniglipter left !!

loracan1

I managed to get the remainder of mine off my stairs and landing a couple of years ago, just have to persevere with the scoring/steaming - the ceiling stayed covered in it though!

Lanie

I second #10. Years ago my house had woodchip on every wall, painted over with gloss emulsion (70's style!). A kind soul in a DIY shop told me to wire brush it and then use a garden killaspray, I think with a tiny drop of washing up liquid, leave it to soak and repeat. It worked a treat. Nowadays a rotary score may be easier and a hand sprayer too!

tweed13

I had woodchip on ceilings. I used a rotary scorer to let the water soak past the paint into the paper, and then soaked it as wet as possible. Once it has had a few minutes to soak in i used a steamer and decorating knife to get it off. Found it best to work in patches about A3 size and completely score, soak and peel before moving on.

Good luck

Unity

Many thanks to everyone who replied - I'll pass on all the tips.

Shimmyhill - you are right it does depend what it's on - in the lounge it's on top of paint and scraping it off has taken the paint and in some cases some of the top of the plaster board with it, whereas in the new dining room extension it is directly on to new plaster - the worst of all worlds as you'd think it was stuck on with Superglue!:eek:

Lanie - I know there is a wire brush around somewhere so it will be very MSE for them to try that first as it involves no outlay .

tweed13 - Thanks for the rotary scorer hint, that will probably be the next step.

I can understand wood chip being used in the '70's, but you have to wonder who would put it on newly plastered walls in an extension built in 2003 - it beggars belief :think:.

Thanks again :wave: