How to remove old wall paper?

[artful bodger]

Does not look like this section of the forum gets much attention but it seems to be the right place to post this question.
I am faced with the job of getting rid of really old wall paper from rendered brick walls so that I can then paint the walls in an agreeable tone.
Any tips on how to remove old wall paper with the minimum of fuss and mess would be much appreciated.

[China]

Hire a wallpaper steam from a hire place https://www.bunnings.com.au/for-hire...r-4hr_p5470099

[Simplicity]

Unfortunately
It's a messy crapy did I say crappy job.
Are we talking smooth rendering like plaster all most or something a little more lumpy.
Removing from plaster usually involves using strong antidepressants and a steamer from a higher shop and a plastic scraper.
It's a very hard thing to put a time scale on some times it comes of in big sheets.
Other times it just hangs on for dear life.
Then also getting the left over glue scum of the walls.
It is sometimes easier to re plaster and quicker if it's just one wall.
I know it's not always an option.
And I'm possibly not being very helpful
One other option tho may be pricey sandblasting

Cheers Matt

[artful bodger]

Yeah, I saw that China thank you.
Was wondering if anyone had actually hired out that unit and had impressive results. Sometimes those ads look like ads for Big Macs where the picture never looks like the product.

[tonzeyd]

The effectiveness of the steam units highly depend on the age, quality of the wall paper and how it was applied originally, as Matt says its not a fun job. Its an aweful, messy and time consuming process depending on how much you do and you always tend to come back with a scraper/some kind of abrasive to get the wall in shape for a coat of paint

[Fuzzie]

It's been a while since I did it. The steamer is the only way.

[Chesand]

My son has recently removed a lot (admittedly from plaster board) and I ground a slight curve on the ends of the scraper so that the corners did not dig in.

[artful bodger]

Thanks for all the replies you guys.
Looks like I am in for an awful, messy and time consuming job.
The wall paper is old and looks to be good quality (they don't make it like they used to sort of stuff). I'll bet the glue holding it on is nuclear powered as well.

[Lappa]

My son did his 19th century house in London - layers upon layers. He scored gently due to the plaster underneath and used a steamer. He did mention that he used an enzyme based soaker. Don’t know the brand but I can find out. Bunnings has an enzyme base solution that may be similar.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/zinsser-...ipper_p1710003

[Chief Tiff]

The steamer will shift the wallpaper no problem. The pastes used to hang it would have been water based so the hot steam penetrates it really well and softens it back to the consistency of the original paste; just scrape the whole lot off with a good quality METAL scraper. You will dig quite a few gouges; just accept them and move on.

Only drama will be if the paper is an easy clean washable type with a thin plastic coating; in which case go over it lightly first with the heaviest grit sandpaper you can get for an orbital or random orbital sander. You're not trying to sand through the coating; just enough to put a few tiny scratches in it so the steam can penetrate through to the paper; should take no more than a minute or two to go over a whole wall.

Put down lots of old sheets or what have you and start at the top of a sheet in the center of a wall; if the true gods of renovation are with you, you will be able to remove the whole sheet in one go. If you regularly watch The Block you may have to offer up your first born child as a penance as the paper will only come away in 2" squares.

You''ll be left with a wall covered in scungey paste that will scrub off with Scotchbrite and a bucket of water. And many, many little dings and gouges so invest in a small tub of Gyprock top coat and skim over them; unless you happen to enjoy individually giving them the love and attention that only a pot of Spakfiller can bring

[ian]

Unfortunately
It's a messy crapy did I say crappy job.
Are we talking smooth rendering like plaster all most or something a little more lumpy.
Removing from plaster usually involves using strong antidepressants and a steamer from a higher shop and a plastic scraper.
It's a very hard thing to put a time scale on some times it comes of in big sheets.
Other times it just hangs on for dear life.
Then also getting the left over glue scum of the walls.
It is sometimes easier to re plaster and quicker if it's just one wall.
I know it's not always an option.
And I'm possibly not being very helpful
One other option tho may be pricey sandblasting

so great advice there Matt.




born of bitter experience?

[Simplicity]

so great advice there Matt.




born of bitter experience?

Yep

[rob streeper]

If it's truly paper and not plastic you can pre-treat the walls with a light mist of water from a garden sprayer - helps the steaming work and facilitates removal of the less tightly glued up bits.

[artful bodger]

Time for an update here.
Hired one of the bunnings wallpaper steamer removers and with the 3 rooms in the house had 3 different outcomes.
Room 1 was difficult. The steamer helped to some extent however big lumps of the plaster? render came off with the paper. It made a mess of the wall and seems obvious that the plaster will need to be totally removed and re-rendered with perhaps a modern alternative.
Room 2 actually had 2 lots of wallpaper on it and was really hard going. Also used a perforater on these walls and it was most un-enjoyable. The remaining plaster render was too powderlike to paint with confidence so room 2 needs total render removal too....hip hip horay!.
3rd room was relatively easy in comparison. Was able to peel the wallpaper off with no steaming in nice long nearly whole sheets, then used the steamer for the underpaper. It looked as easy as it does in the bunnings website add for the machine.
I dont honestly think rooms 1 and 2 would have been any easier to do if they were done second and 3rd.
Have now got a new hatred for wallpaper.

[China]

Wallpaper is a curse on humanity I can not think of one good thing to say about it