Removing wallpaper from modern walls

Scruff

Looking to redo the walls in the gaff. The walls are the modern type, chalk\plaster board stuff, not like yer concrete of old. The hall and kitchen are covered in a type of wallpaper that is meant to be painted on, I think is called Acrila, but this needs to be replaced. A painter who came out to look at it said he'd remove this where necessary and sand down the rest and crossline the walls before painting. Is it necessary to do all this before repainting these types of walls?
There is regular wallpaper in the sitting room. The painter told us not to use a steamer to remove the wall paper as this would danage the walls. Is this true?

Idleater

I had the same in my house (wallpaper over plasterboard and also painted wallpaper over plasterboard) when I just moved in a year ago. I just removed the wallpaper with HOT water with wallpaper remover liquid, a sponge and a scraper thing.
For the painted wallpaper, I scored a load of diagonal lines so the water could seep in behind.

When I took off the paper, I was left with the original plasterboards (they were not skimmed or anything) so I went and skimmed all the rooms myself. I don't know what you have under your wallpaper - if the walls are already skimmed or not???

Wallpaper is messy stuff and though the paper comes off handy enough, it is the paste that is still stuck on the boards that is the messy and annoying bit. I went around all the walls a second time with hotwater and sugar soap which left me with the original plasterboards.

The one thing to be weary of though is if you are scoring lines through the wallpaper, it might leave lines in the skim underneath which will be evident when painting.

Hope this helps and you are not left with a mushrooming project like mine turned out to be!

L.

Scruff

and all the water didnt damage the walls?
the painter told us the steamer would so i presumed water would as well

Idleater

Scruff wrote:

and all the water didnt damage the walls?
the painter told us the steamer would so i presumed water eould as well

To be honest, I don't know how removing wallpaper with hot water is really going to damage the wall. Even if there is just bare skimcoat under it then I would let it dry out before painting it anyhow.

Perhaps you could ask the painter how they would recommend you remove the existing wallpaper if you are not supposed to use a steamer or water???

Have you found out what is under the wallpaper or not yet? Skimcoat and paint or just bare plasterboard?

L.

rooferPete

Hi Scruff,

To satify yourself you could go into your local builders providers or hardware and buy a small sheet of plaster board or if you meet the right storeman he may give you a couple of the skids from the plasterboards.

From what I am reading nereid got lucky that the water left the paper on the board, with steam you would have less control and could end up with a heap of plaster on the floor.

Why not get another professional opinion ?

.

Alun

Our house is similar in that it was wallpapered by the builders when it was built and the cheap ba$tards didn't bother to skim the walls completely, only where the plasterboard sheets join. Not knowing any better, we just attacked it with a steamer and apart from a few minor problems, mainly in corners or on edges where they appeared to have used some kind of reinforcing tape that sometimes lifted a little, we didn't have any major mishaps. Also painted straight onto the plasterboard without any problem. We did use a good thick "undercoat" of Dulux trade Magnolia first which seemed to help when applying the top coat to stop the paper absorbing too much of the more expensive paint.

Just be careful with the steamer and don't leave it on for any longer than necessary.

Scruff

right well still havent done anything on this :rolleyes:
Does anyone know any good painters that give free quotes for the clondalkin area? Along with the walls, part of the kitchen ceiling has to be done as well (slight bit of water damage\discoloration under where the bath leak is was) Got one quote already but wondering if it can be done for cheaper.

mad m

@Scruff

You might find it hard getting it done coming up to christmas.

Goodluck with it anyway.

Builderwoman!

Scruff, a painter and wallpaper I know uses really really thin (liquid) wall paper paste solution applied with a brush all over the walls and then ease off the paper. It works. Try a small area first yourself and see. A friend got a painter in to do something similar that you had in mind and she said she would have done a better job herself. She later did another room and did it herself and it was better than the pros job. She took her time and did a little bit every evening and got everything off the walls.

Scruff

yeah, looks like the job wont be done before christmas by a painter, they're all up to their eyeballs.

There's actually 2 types of wallpapers, the one on the walls in the kitchen is the acrlia stuff that is meant to be painted over while the one on the walls in the sitting room isnt "normal" wallpaper either, its feels kind of like felt, soft and fabricy.

I'd have no problem doing the job myself if we didnt need to crossline the walls again before painting. Tried standard wallpapering before in the family home on ye oldy plastered concrete walls and it was a disaster. Can you just paint directly onto the plasterboard or is crosslinig recommended?

Victor

Steam / water vapour penetrates much more than water. It means the wall needs to dry out befor eyou can start painting.

Be careful that, in the extreme case, you don't end up separating the layers of the plasterboard.

Why not just paint over the wall paper?

Scruff

did that last year in the hall but the results werent great, can see where the wallpaper is starting to lift off the wall, so that'll probably have to be redone as well soon. Its started to come away from the wall in some places. Also doubt paint would so very well over the felty type wall paper. What were the previous owners thinking.....?