Dissolving glue?

[motherofluvlies]

anyone any suggestions on how to get rid of glue that has been used to stick polystyrene onto an old fireplace?

white spirit?

Will try.thanks

how long ago was the glue applied? What colour is it?

it might be wallpaper paste, if it's that polystyrene veneer, or it could be a contact adhesive such as evo-stik, or it could be PVA.

Oh long time ago .Possibly 30 years......probably more.It was used to cover a art deco unused fireplace.thick thick probably ova,blackin some places where fire has burned it?Ihave tried a wallpaper scraper and it,s not budging.

PVA softens in water.

Horse glue dissolves in hot water

Evo-stik contact adhesive needs some special kind of remover

Hard to know now what kind of glue was used but ?30? years ago probably one or other of these. I think polystyrene tiles were popular in the 1970's, often used on ceilings until the results in fires became known, and the veneer was (and still is) used on cold walls.

If the fireplace is cast iron it would probably stand up to a hot-air gun and scraper

Never thought of hot water
Maybe not deco then.....a Mossey greeny pinky mix tile with little pink oval / gold circle tiles with a high wooden surround.A real mix of late 20,s tiles and an almost Victorian surround.