woodchip horror
Jo Haley
is a vast expanse of woodchip throughout the stair and hallways. The
paper has been painted over several times and when I try to remove it,
the plaster underneath comes away also. Can anyone suggest a way to
smooth over the horrible knobbly surface so I can repaper without
having to remove the woodchip thus avoiding an expensive re-plastering
job?
Thankyou
Jo
Andrew Gabriel
Wet it. This may not be as easy as it sounds - a very little washing up
liquid in the water helps as a wetting agent, and if the paint layers
are waterproof, you can get a device to scratch through the paint to
allow the water through to the paper (I assume the woodchip is paper-
backed?). You could also try doing the wetting with a steam stripper
(don't use washing up liquid in this case).
Let this soak in for 24 hours (you might even add some more water
during this time if you suspect not much actually soaked into the
paper and surface of the plaster).
Then use a steam stripper. This will cause the moisture which soaked
into the paper and plaster surface to boil, and the stream from that
will push the paper off the wall.
I haven't tried this with woodchip, but it worked well with papered
walls, and even walls with 100 year's worth of pain layers on them,
lifting the paint off and leaving a beutifully clean plaster surface
underneath.
--
Andrew Gabriel
tony.hayes
had to score it severely, using a Stanley knife. Then bought a good
steamer. Took quite a while but did the job eventually. Once the steam can
get past the paint it's quite painless! As well as the Stanley Knife I now
remember I used one of those 'scraper' type tools with a triangular metal
end for getting paint off wood. A new, sharp, one will get those knobbly
bits off and bare the paper under the paint, making it easier for the
steamer to get to grips with it. If you do use this method, make sure you
don't leave the steamer in one spot for too long as this could cause the
plaster to crack - or burst if it's the old stuff!
Hope this helps.
Tony
Andrew Gabriel <and...@cucumber.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:9k914a$ffv$1...@new-usenet.uk.sun.com...
Max Bone
Use a heavy duty 4" wall scraper... or even a 6" one and scrape over all
the walls to remove the wood chips (rather hard work). Then score the
remaining painted paper with a 'Paper Tiger'. Use a garden sprayer to
apply Zinsser DIF Wallpaper stripper over all the walls:
http://www.decoratingdirect.co.uk/viewprod/z/ZINDWS
Keep reapplying it 3, 4, 5 times, allowing it plenty of time to wet the
paper and break down the paste. You should then be able to remove the
paper with minimal effort, it should just fall off the walls... the
secret is to thoroughly soak the paper and allow the DIF time to do it's
work.
Regards
--
Max Bone Decorating Direct Ltd
http://www.decoratingdirect.co.uk/
hundreds of products - secure online ordering - delivered to your door
Amanda Sharp
"Jo Haley" <jha...@onyvax.com> wrote in message
news:1e269349.01080...@posting.google.com...
I had the same problem, woodchip everywhere!! I used a Polycell 'Wallpaper
Remover' liquid (bright orange stuff in a bottle from B & Q) on scored
wallpaper and seems to have done the trick. One tip - try to avoid steam
strippers on dodgy plaster - the crack in my ceiling soon gave way to large
lumps of it falling down! Good luck!
Stuart Noble
Andrew Gabriel wrote in message <9k914a$ffv$1...@new-usenet.uk.sun.com>...
>Wet it. This may not be as easy as it sounds - a very little washing up
>liquid in the water helps as a wetting agent, and if the paint layers
>are waterproof, you can get a device to scratch through the paint to
>allow the water through to the paper (I assume the woodchip is paper-
>backed?). You could also try doing the wetting with a steam stripper
>(don't use washing up liquid in this case).
paint to appear impenetrable. Usually you can tear whole strips off by
slipping a scraper blade under it. If the walls are as bad as they sound,
it's unlikely the paper is that well stuck.
I do a lot of this for a living and, though I carry a steamer, I can't
remember the last time I found it worthwhile using it.
Mungo Henning (probably)
Many years ago (before we had use of a steam wallpaper stripper) we too
had
woodchip which we wanted removed.
One of those plant-spray guns was employed to help apply the water to
the walls.
Then I had the brainwave of adding a little Fairy liquid to the water to
aid in
the wetting.
Five minutes later I dissolved in a fit of coughing, since the "mist"
now contained
sufficient Fairy Liquid to irritate my throat!
Just my (unfortunate) experience
Mungo
Andrew Gabriel wrote:
>
> Wet it. This may not be as easy as it sounds - a very little washing up
> liquid in the water helps as a wetting agent
--
Mungo Henning - it's a daft name but it goes with the face...
(Freelance I.T. Training Consultant, covering "C", "C++",
"Unix" and "Oracle" as well as other areas). http://mungoh.co.uk/
Andrew Paxton
plaster underneath is loose (you may even see slight movement)? Does the
plaster come away from the brickwork in lumps, or is it just the surface
breaking down?
I think that any surface treatment (e.g. smooth artex (blech)) would tend to
soften the paper and detach - even if it doesn't the chances of getting a
plaster-smooth finish is probably remote.
If the plaster has become unbonded from the substrate, then I think that you
will probably be looking at a replaster job. If it is the surface breaking
down, then scoring, multiple wetting, then careful stripping, filling & PVA
sealing may be successful. Steer clear of steam strippers under these
circumstances - they will probably exacerbate the damage.
AndyP
Chris Hogg
In our house, SWMBO does the decorating (I just get to do the
plumbing, the wiring, the woodwork, the concreting ...). We had a
similar problem. She used an old cheese grater, a rounded one rather
than a flat one, to abrade the paper and take the tops off the bumps.
Then sprayed with water containing a little detergent and left to soak
for an hour before 'scraping' (not really scraping, but using a broad
fish-tail thingy and a pushing action). She tried a steam stripper,
but only succeeded in blowing the plaster as it took too long in one
spot to have any effect.
--
Chris
De-* virgin for e-mail reply
RobPlow
Been there, done it. We purchased a 1970's house which had woodchip
everywhere, the hall alone had 16 rolls of it (the number of rolls of new paper
it took to re-wallpaper) and that took three weeks to scrap off.
We have tried everything in different rooms (11 in all) including:
Wetting with a sponge (water just runs off and soaks the floor) to (expensive)
wallpaper removers, we also have TWO steamers!
When were on room number 9 (typical isn't it) I believe we finally got it right
- well we're now happy with it.
We knew that the secret is getting water to the adhesive at the back of
wallpaper and getting it to stay there. We found a product (on QVC I think)
called Wallwik - it basically sheets of fibre which you wet and lay over the
wallpaper - therefore allowing the water time to 'sink' into the wallpaper. I
think it cost about £15 for 10 sheets (each about 3ft by 5 or 6 ft) I was
willing to try anything at this stage as it was driving us mad. It worked
extremely well.
The system that works best (for us anyway) is:
1) buy a scrapping wheel (B&Q have an decent one with three wheels in a
triangle for about a tenner - the three wheels save time compared to one).
Make sure you score all the walls in all directions. This is now the worst
stage for us as all the wood makes it jump around. Take care with this as if
you mark the wall you will either need to skim coat afterwards or re-wallpaper
to cover the marks.
2) buy a pumped sprayer (Woolies have cheap ones for about £2- as a normal
garden one will make your fingers sore from all the sqeezing). Use hot water
(from your tap) and add in some fairy liquid (little squirt) and some vinegar
(just enough to tint the water) . The fairy liquid helps it adhere and the
vinegar helps break down the wallpaper paste.
3) soak the Wallwik in a similar liquid (with just water we found it difficult
to keep on the walls)
4) keep spraying the top half of the wallwik at intervals- we have found that
this needs to be done fairly soon (10-15 mins) after first applying as the rate
the wallpaper absorbs the liquid is amazing to begin with. Keep spraying the
top at intervals (see why you need the pumped sprayer). Have a cup of tea,
watch some sport etc - that's what I do anyway and tell swmbo that this is a
job that needs time to work - it is important not to rush this stage - and
sitting and waiting is a lot easier than all that scrapping later.
5) when thoroughly soaked (at least an hour, although I prefer two - more
sport) remove wallwik and with a light action scrape off the wallpaper with a
standard wallpaper scraper. Sometimes the wallpaper will even come off with
the wallwik.
6) re-use wallwik on the next wall - it can even be dried on a line and used in
the future.
A word of warning - I think the instructions state do not overlap the wallwik -
ignore this - this is to stop it all falling off if a piece gets too dry - just
keep it wet. If you leave gaps around the sheets and at the edges you are left
with a wall with 3ft by 5ft plaster with woodchip boarders these will be
nightmare to get off, so overlap them but keep them wet.
We have even cut a sheet up with scissors to the standard width of our window
recess to use it there. We ended up doing our dining room - (12x12x9) in about
four hours rather than three days!
I hope this helps - if you cannot find wallwik or similar - the rest of the
steps are valid you will just need to keep wetting, use a steamer (sparingly)
and do A LOT more scrapping.
Rob
(I have no connection with either QVC or wallwik - just an extremely pleased
user - just a pity I didn't find it sooner).
lurker
"RobPlow" <rob...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010802150418...@ng-bd1.aol.com...
snip
re the problem of woodchip paper....
. We found a product (on QVC I think)
> called Wallwik - it basically sheets of fibre which you wet and lay over
the
> wallpaper - therefore allowing the water time to 'sink' into the
wallpaper. I
> think it cost about £15 for 10 sheets (each about 3ft by 5 or 6 ft) I was
> willing to try anything at this stage as it was driving us mad. It worked
> extremely well.
>
I have also been plagued by the woodchip problem.
The only wall I had no difficulty getting it to come off in was the only I
didnt want it to come off ..... the "secret" was I had a severe case of
winter condensation on that wall they year I moved in! <g>
Also, I should not say this but in one room I have successfully papered over
the top of wood chip! I used a heavy duty expanded vinyl paper.
Jo Haley
Sounds like I've got quite a bit of work to do but at least I now know
how to tackle it!
I'll definitely be using this site again & will be telling all my
friends.
Jo
Mike Tomlinson
<jha...@onyvax.com> writes
>I have recently bought a flat and one of it's least endearing features
>is a vast expanse of woodchip throughout the stair and hallways. The
>paper has been painted over several times and when I try to remove it,
>the plaster underneath comes away also.
We recently moved into a 90 year old semi with painted woodchip in all
four bedrooms and the hall (what were they thinking of?). Bought an
Earlex steamer from B&Q (about 15 quid IIRC) which was invaluable for
getting the paper off. A scoring tool also helps.
We found the trick was to be patient, to do a bit at a time and not to
attempt to do the whole room at once. Make sure you also buy a catering
pack of polyfilla - you'll need it.
--
"Security-wise, NT is a server with a 'Kick me' sign taped to it."
- Peter Gutmann
Mark Smith
Same problem here. I picked a hole in the wallpaper, pulled of a great deal,
and the plaster just collapsed. The lounge had 4 layers of wallpaper!!!!,
and 75% of the plaster was dodgy.
I spent a month on the one room, getting every last bit of paper off, took
down as much loose skim plaster, and got the whole lot replastered, even
behind the radiator. First class job, for the sake of £200....
Bloody, bloody wood-chip.....
"Jo Haley" <jha...@onyvax.com> wrote in message
news:1e269349.01080...@posting.google.com...
Roger Chapman
from "Mark Smith" <smit...@btinternet.com> contains these words:
> Bloody, bloody wood-chip.....
Don't blame the wood-chip. Its only use is to cover up dodgy plaster
so you should know what to expect when you take it off. ;-) (Hmm,
almost all my ceilings are covered in woodchip except the one I have
taken down which isn't there at all ATM).
Roger
lurker
"Roger Chapman" <r.ch...@zetnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:200108041...@zetnet.co.uk...
> The message <9kf2ib$5ln$1...@neptunium.btinternet.com>
> from "Mark Smith" <smit...@btinternet.com> contains these words:
>
> > Bloody, bloody wood-chip.....
>
> Don't blame the wood-chip. Its only use is to cover up dodgy plaster
> so you should know what to expect when you take it off.
Not necessarily! I have always believed this too <g>. However, my current
abode was completely covered in woodchip when I moved in. I have
systematically removed the woodchip in all but one room and to my surprise I
found near perfect walls underneath!
I have decided that my predecessor ( or his) put woodchip on the walls for
one of two reasons
a) he liked it ( hard to believe? Ok me too. <g>)
b) it was cheap ( well at 50p a roll from Trago Mills, I think thats the
more likely reason ;-))
Inge Jones
(lurker) wrote:
> I have decided that my predecessor ( or his) put woodchip on the walls
> for
> one of two reasons
> a) he liked it ( hard to believe? Ok me too. <g>)
Oh it was YOU who bought the house! (-:
Inge Jones
(Roger Chapman) wrote:
> Don't blame the wood-chip. Its only use is to cover up dodgy plaster
Ahem.. I have a confession to make. When I was in my house-before-last I
actually had a "thing" about woodchip. I fancied it made the walls look
like natural stone and I put it up *everywhere* - on perfectly sound walls
)-: Sorry if anyone here ended up buying that house. (-:
Tracy
Inge Jones <ne...@drealm.org.uk> wrote in message
news:memo.20010806...@inge.clara.net...
Get off the uk.d-i-y newsgroup NOW !!!
This is no place for the likes of you
Take your disgusting habits away with you ;o)
Tracy