Removing very old wallpaper

[GreenEggsAndNichts]

Okay in the scheme of things it's not "very" old, I suppose, but I was trying for a concise thread title. :)

We're about to move in to our new home, which was built in 1960 or so. In several of the rooms, the wallpaper has probably been there since the house was built. I've taken on the task of removing the paper, but the plaster is coming off in bits, as well. I've stopped removing the paper for the moment.

My question is, do I continue to take the paper off, then get the plasterer in when I'm done? Or am I doing more harm than good, and should I get a plasterer in now (or someone else??)

[PigletJohn]

you call 1960 old?

Lots of water, time to soak in, and a broad metal scraper. If the paper is painted, or multiple layers, scratch or score it so the water can get through to the paste.

I use a garden sprayer of warm water with a drop of WUL. Start at the top of the wall so it can soak in, and get behind the paper once you start to peel. Spray lightly all the way round, by the time you get back to the beginning, it will have soaked in and you can spray again.

You aren't using a steamer, are you? the heat can mak plaster blow.

[MinimalistMommi]

I have been using a steamer to remove wallpaper on walls of old house (1870) and PigletJohn is right, in several places the top layer of plaster has 'burst' and is now peeling away. We are planning on getting the whole house replastered so I'm not too concerned. On the first wall I did I just used the water method described above and as the wallpaper was coated in paint it was very slow going and extremely frustrating. Hence the steamer. And now the top layer of plaster peaking away.

Even so I will carry on using steamer...

[MinimalistMommi]

Peaking? I meant 'peeling'

[betterwhenthesunshines]

We've been striping paper recently and found that a proper scraper with a replaceable blade makes a huge difference - you can really get behind the paper to take it off smoothly. like this (House 1910 with some very dodgy walls).

We've had some walls with bads cracks, blown lathe plaster etc. Some have had to be replastered (eg to hang radiators) but where the wall feels solid we have patched with a good filler, sanded and will hang a thick (1200 or 1400) lining paper to give a smooth finish before we repaint. Have tested a section and it looks good. Can't afford to have the whole house replastered!

If you are pulling any paper (vinyl?) make sure you are pulling it back on itself rather at 90 degress away from the wall. Sometimes a thick section with many layers of paper comes away more cleanly if you get the stripping blade right behind it WITHOUT soaking it in stripper.

How many layers of paper are you going through?

[MinimalistMommi]

better I wouldn't even know what lathe plaster looks like...

Which filler have you used?

We're working on the house room by room and saving up for replastering as we go as specifically wanted to simply paint the house. I think it might take us a while...

[AMumInScotland]

It's possible that the wallpaper was put straight onto dry plasterboard which had not been prepared first - if people do that, the wallpaper binds very strongly to the surface of the plasterboard and it can be a total nightmare to get off. Our walls now have an amazing texture, as we couldn't afford a plasterer and just painted over the mess once the paper was off. (We really ought to repaint in some kind of "distressed terracotta" shade and pretend it's deliberate...)

It will come off gradually, if you take it slow and steady.

I'm pretty sure all the paper needs to be off before the plasterer can do his thing, so unless you want to pay someone else to do the stripping then you may as well continue and just try to do as little damage as you can in the process.

[betterwhenthesunshines]

Lathes are those strips of wood you get under the plaster in old houses before they had plasterboard.

We've used a powder filler that you have to mix that our local independent DIY recommended as it's cheaper. But I also have a big tub of 'plaster skim' that I got in B&Q and a big plaster skimmer. I also like these knid of flexible filling knives

[MinimalistMommi]

Thanks for the information better

Maybe the dark brown stuff I'm seeing is the lathe?

[MinimalistMommi]

...I don't think it can be though Better as the dark brown stuff is completely smooth so maybe that just old plaster...

[AMumInScotland]

It sounds like you just have two layers of plaster. Lathes are thin strips of wood - in my parents house you can see the backs of them as they have a sort of attic to the side of the upstairs rooms, and the "wall" there is just the strips of wood, maybe 3 or 4 cm high, with grey plaster squidging through between them. The lathes themselves are really, well, woody - dark brown rough wood-textured things. But that's the "inside" of the wall, from a normal perspective!

[MinimalistMommi]

Thank you AMum definitely just plaster then!

[PigletJohn]

lath and plaster walls have not generally been built since the 1920's, or occasionally 30's in traditional areas away from cities. The plaster will usually be thick white lime, not brown/pink gypsum

[PigletJohn]

p.s

if you care, "lath" (to rhyme with "barth") down south is the strip of wood.

A lathe (to rhyme with grave) is something quite different.

[MinimalistMommi]

Sorry just copied how Better had spelt it....

[MinimalistMommi]

Just found out what Lathe is LOL
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lathe

Is says not to be confused with Lath

[GreenEggsAndNichts]

Thanks for the responses, and the lath/lathe discussion always learn something new on MN!

I'll be trying to remove more paper tomorrow, so I'll try PJ's method. Yes, I have been using a steamer. It was okay in one room but definitely isn't in the one I'm complaining about. I'll give it another go, as I've got to spend the day at the new house tomorrow waiting for the Plusnet guy to show up.