Previous owners used bath sealant on ceiling

[PhysaliaPhysalis]

We've been here 6 months and have discovered many, many bodges by the previous owners

Today we've tried to strip the wallpaper from DS's room and discovered that there is bath sealant all around the outer edges of the wallpaper. It won't come off without removing the ceiling plaster - in fact, it looks like it's covering up some damage there.
Any ideas on how I can remove it gently?

Thanks

Picture here.

My predecessors used bathroom sealant in between the bricks outside. They used it between the secondary glazing and the window sills. They filled holes in plaster with it. It’s everywhere.

I’ve found repeated soaking with white spirit will get it off wood but I’m not sure that will work on plaster on a ceiling.
I think you’d be quicker to strip it and replaster.

You can buy sealant remover

Thank you - I thought that might be the case but was hoping against hope not. Your predecessors sound even more bonkers than ours!

People are...odd.

Oh - might try sealant remover first. Thanks.

Feel like there is a new 'special surprise' round every corner when we try to redecorate - we're first time buyers and it's really been an education

I think I'd be tempted to use a thin sharp crafting knife to cut into the corner vertically and horizontally to cut the sealant out...

p.s. ime redecoration is easy; it's dealing with the hidden surpises that takes all the time and effort

I'll leave anything that needs to be done carefully to DH - he's a fount of all things patient and I'm really not... he might like the craft knife option as that's the sort of skill he's got.

A few solutions here for which I'm really grateful.

PS - I've gone right off surprises

I'd have gone for cutting it out as well.
Good luck!

Sounds like our first house; lots if internal use polyfilla in the external brickwork, non-bathroom paint in the bathroom and they managed to turn the earth wire live!

It could be caulking used to join a crack in the ceiling, perhaps. Not that uncommon.

We have caulk around wall papered walls in our house - gives it a nice clean finish and a more modern alternative to coving. Don't think it's that uncommon.

I was thinking caulk too.

You could cover the join with coving?

I too would try cutting it out. I’ve found sealant (depending on age I think) cuts out well and remaining smears come off with eg a Stanley blade - seem to remember there is a tool like a blade on a handle but at right angle for scraping off rather than cutting.
I once moved into house where previous older owner had covered a lot of things with wallpaper - notably all windowsills some skirting boards light switches etc I was aware ore purchase. Spent weeks of my life scraping and soaking it off.
Good luck op.

I feel your pain. Sealant remover will possibly work... but it will probably damage the plaster due to the chemicals.

Mind you, I raise you a curtain pole put up with nails (not screws!), broken rawl plugs and what looks like a combination of pritt stick and chewing gum in the holes. Took out a massive bit of the surrounding plaster as well, and in one area we were reduced to hacksawing the plug flat to the wall and plastering over it!

Why do people bodge stuff?!

I was also thinking caulk, which is indeed decorators edging, but a strange place to put it.

My first thought would be as the poster above, and put coving up. I don’t think rooms look finished without coving anyway, and if the ceilings and walls are otherwise good, this would finish the room nicely.

Yes, you could try coving. Decorators caulk first. Gett8ng a room reskimmed isn’t huge amounts of money.