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Can you strip wallpaper that has been painted over?

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  • 03-10-2007 10:58am
    #1
    py2006
    Registered Users Posts: 9,847 ✭✭✭


    Hi folks,

    Out of laziness a couple years ago I painted ever my childhood wallpaper rather than stripping it. It now looks awful and I want to get rid of it.

    Is it possible to do this?


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    #2
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,675 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    i've done it, using a heat gun to soften the paint so it doesn't break. not easy, it took two days to strip a 10 foot square room.


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    #3
    py2006
    Registered Users Posts: 9,847 ✭✭✭py2006


    magicbastarder wrote:
    i've done it, using a heat gun to soften the paint so it doesn't break. not easy, it took two days to strip a 10 foot square room.

    Heat gun huh? Sounds like fun!

    I was thinking if just slicing the paint with a knife and getting behind the paper


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    #4
    mad m
    Registered Users Posts: 9,005 ✭✭✭mad m


    Can't believe other poster used a heatgun and for two days!!! Anyway what type of paint is on the wallpaper? Vinyl matt or Silk....Either way its painted and best thing is to try and strip the top layer off first.

    If you are only getting small strips off try this Scraper

    The scraper can be bought in any good hardware shops...Stripping is no fun and generally elbow grease plays an important part....Also if you slice the paper to let in some water if soaking,you tend to slice the wall also and it then needs to be filled,but that only applies if you intend to paint walls and not paper room again.

    Good luck and god love you....:D


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    #5
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,675 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    the paper i was stripping was sitting directly on the plasterboard, so i was wary about scoring that paper too, or of wetting it too much and having it tear off.


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    #6
    Stoner
    Registered Users Posts: 10,952 ✭✭✭✭Stoner


    Paper directly onto the plaster board? sounds unusual and like panel walls/partition wall panels used in modular office buildings. In that case taking the paper off them would totally mess the walls up. If this in not the case then I've grabbed the wrong end of the stick again.
    However if there is no plaster between the plaster board and the wall paper , wetting the wall paper will soak through and destroy the plasterboard.


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    #7
    Wertz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,909 ✭✭✭✭Wertz


    Paper Tiger
    You don't really need the enzyme that they mention on that product page, warm water with detergent does the same thing after being left for a little while.
    Just score up the room, soak with a sponge twice and then get scraping.
    Avoid using a steamer on painted paper, it just melts the paint off and it starts to run, end up destroying your floors/carpets.
    B&Q have a generic scoring tool like the one above, about 15 quid. Pays for itself in an hour.


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