Stripping woodchip off lime plaster

[Beenthere123]

We have a hallway with very smooth lime plaster but it’s been wood chipped On top. The bottom was damp and the woodchip came off easily - but where it is dry it is impossible. Scoring / wetting / scraping isn’t doing the job.

the woodchip is from the 70s and the glue seems pretty strong… I think though straight on to white paint / maybe backing paper from the 30s.

the early 20th century lime plaster is excellent so I am V V V keen to preserve it. Hence hesitation to use a steamer.

what gels work best? Want to try some chemicals!

advice much appreciated

We gave up and papered over ours - it's surprising, you only need the very slightest texture on a paper to hide the hideous beneath.

Ah! Maybe we will end up doing that. Only thing is there is damp at the bottom of the wall so paper will just end up coming off again….

You should be okay with a steamer, I really don't think it'll do more damage than chemicals. Lime is generally fine with water, and you can start on a low setting.

But you need to get the glue off, that's probably causing the damp. And use the right paint when you're done.

We have just stripped a load of woodchip wallpaper in a house we're renovating and ended up using Zinsser DIF Wallpaper Stripper from Screwfix. Took a few applications but meant it came off without having to use a steamer.

If there is damp I'd get that paper off. We had the same as you, 1920s lime, and the paste from the paper had actually been sucking up moisture from stuff like an old gas fire. We got the paper off and the paste scrubbed off (I used those green scratchy things you use in the kitchen until there was zero stickiness on the plaster when I put a damp hand on it). Then I painted with claypaint, which lets the lime breathe. End of the damp. Most rooms have been easy enough so far.
But like you we had two rooms where the paper wouldn't wet, in our case because someone had put waterproof paint on one layer. If you're absolutely sure it isn't lead paint, and just scoring isn't working, I'd scrape/sand the waterproof paint layer off (still wear a mask) then soak and strip. (I'm right there with you about not steaming this sort of plaster.) If the backing paper refuses to soak, or may be lead, then you have the problem we have in two of our rooms, where I also suspect there may be lead so I can't even try sanding. It's very old paper, very yellow, I think high in cellulose, covered in paint I think is lead in linseed oil, and simply will not soak up water. I found only 2 things worked, this stuff: www.amazon.co.uk/Solvite-Ready-Use-Wallpaper-Stripper/dp/B0032NH28U which is a nasty chemical, you need to follow the instructions to the letter, & I needed a lot for a small area. You do need lots of ventilation, which I found I couldn't supply, so we're having to do it the second way we found- using an oscillating chisel on a multitool to get under the top layer and slice the top painted layer off piece by piece (with a mask on of course). Then careful sponging with water, leave at least 10 mins, repeat, then scrape off the remaining backing. That takes absolutely ages, I can tell you.

thanks so much. Lots to try!

will start with the zinsser chemical and see how that goes!

many thanks everyone

When you say you're wetting it, are you really REALLY wetting it? We have a three-storey house entirely covered (ceilings included) in painted-over woodchip, and getting it really wet is the only thing that has worked for me - steamers were too slow, chemical stuff seemed to have no effect.

I use a pump bottle like this to spray until water running down the walls, leave it for twetny mins to soak in, spray and leave for another ten/fifteen mins, then start with the scraper. Get an inroad wherever I can, then spray again at any newly-scraped edge. Scrape, spray, scrape, spray, scrape, spray, scrape...

Perhaps we are not! Will do as you say. Many thanks!!

I find a garden spayer, warm water with a drop of WUL as a wetting agent, does it.

Only apply as a fine mist. Any water that runs off the wall is wasted. Work round the whole room, then by the time you get back to the start it is ready for another spray.

use a scraper to knock the scabs off, not the paper, and don't score the wall.

the painted surface resists water, so once you've knocked off the scabs, it will soak in better.

You should be okay with a steamer, I really don't think it'll do more damage than chemicals. Lime is generally fine with water, and you can start on a low setting

Be careful. If it’s tie and lath plaster you really must NOT use a steamer.

Our neighbour did this in her flat (1890s house that had been converted) and all of the plaster failed! Steamers apparently weaken the plaster and cause it to drop off the wooden slats behind. Her whole house then needed re plastering.

I would say be more patient with dampening the paper and buy the wallpaper strippers with the replacable razor blades in. Use them first to get the waterproof top layer off and then soak with loads of water, go and ave a cup of tea and then scrape the underneath bit off.

just to update - we were lent a steamer and it worked brilliantly. Plaster survived in tact! Lovely underneath the layers of woodchip and gloss painted lining paper. I think the lime plaster is new enough (30s) to withstand the steamer but maybe older walls wouldn’t cope?

thanks all for tips - I will be trying the other ideas on other older walls