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Original poster

This took us 2 hours

35 replies

010lowernuggate · 02/11/2025 16:17

No joke !! The ceiling paper ripped off in pieces, not the wall. That’s what took 2 hours!
We’ve got 8 rooms, 8! Plus ceilings and hallway, stairs and landing. It’s not possible. How much would and painter snd decorate charge to strip the walls and ceiling no painting anyone have a ball park figure ? We’re in the midlands. I could cry.

This took us 2 hours
OP posts:
Dilbertian · 02/11/2025 16:20

Did you scratch the paper first? Sometimes there’s so much paint on it that the steam cannot penetrate.

Nothing is a fast job in decorating.

DomPom47 · 02/11/2025 16:21

I think day of labour is likely to be £250-£300. There could be some tools you could hire/buy to make things a little easier potentially. Hopefully someone in the area will pop on and give advice.

Original poster
010lowernuggate · 02/11/2025 16:22

Jesus £300 a day ! How fast do you think it could be done ? I saw an local one saying £100 a room but that was decorating

OP posts:
Original poster
010lowernuggate · 02/11/2025 16:22

Dilbertian · 02/11/2025 16:20

Did you scratch the paper first? Sometimes there’s so much paint on it that the steam cannot penetrate.

Nothing is a fast job in decorating.

No we didn’t…. It was painted over though !

OP posts:
Overdonecabbage · 02/11/2025 16:26

i always pay professionals
otherwise I wouldn’t do it!

MedievalNun · 02/11/2025 16:26

If the wallpaper is painted over you need to scratch it first so that the steam can get to the paste and dissolve it.

I found a wire brush was good for that, pressed down to make sure it cut through. I also sponged some areas where there were several layers with warm water before taking the steamer to them. And it took a couple of goes with the steamer to get them loose.

2 hours sounds about right to do a ceiling tbh. I think our small back bedroom took me around 4 or 5 hours to get all four walls done, and that was only a single layer of paper.

MagpiePi · 02/11/2025 16:29

Could you hire a professional wallpaper steamer? HSS are doing them for about £40 for 5 days.

CremeEggThief · 02/11/2025 16:29

With respect OP, you massively need to adjust your expectations over how long decorating takes. 2 hours for that isn't long at all.

Are you like this about everything else in life? Slow down if you are!

I spent half an hour last weekend thoroughly cleaning just the lids of 2 wheelie bins and I wasn't bothered at all, as if I know I've done a good job it doesn't matter how long it takes.

StrawberryThief1930 · 02/11/2025 16:34

have you got a wallpaper steamer? They're pretty cheap to buy from b&q. shut all windows and doors and keep it topped up with water.

agree scratching the walls to let the water and steam penetrate the paper.

and ditto to adjusting your expectations. 2 hours doesn't sound that bad to me! get the radio on and keep working. good luck!

Original poster
010lowernuggate · 02/11/2025 16:41

CremeEggThief · 02/11/2025 16:29

With respect OP, you massively need to adjust your expectations over how long decorating takes. 2 hours for that isn't long at all.

Are you like this about everything else in life? Slow down if you are!

I spent half an hour last weekend thoroughly cleaning just the lids of 2 wheelie bins and I wasn't bothered at all, as if I know I've done a good job it doesn't matter how long it takes.

It was 2 hours for the patch on the wall 🤣 above the picture rails and ceilings we didn’t even need to steam, it just ripped off in lengths.

We stripped our old house, took a while but this was ridiculous

OP posts:
Overdonecabbage · 02/11/2025 16:42

Professionals will have specialist equipment that will make light work of it

Original poster
010lowernuggate · 02/11/2025 17:00

MedievalNun · 02/11/2025 16:26

If the wallpaper is painted over you need to scratch it first so that the steam can get to the paste and dissolve it.

I found a wire brush was good for that, pressed down to make sure it cut through. I also sponged some areas where there were several layers with warm water before taking the steamer to them. And it took a couple of goes with the steamer to get them loose.

2 hours sounds about right to do a ceiling tbh. I think our small back bedroom took me around 4 or 5 hours to get all four walls done, and that was only a single layer of paper.

Sorry I should’ve made it more clear, it was the patch on the wall that took 2 hours, with a steamer ! The ceiling didn’t need steaming it just pulled off, the wall was stupid

OP posts:
Pottersciderbar82 · 02/11/2025 17:07

I feel your pain op!!
Our first house when we pulled strips of wallpaper off, the plaster came with it leaving bare brick!
This time we have found different layers of paint UNDER the paper so unless we scrape it all off, the wallpaper will be horrible and lumpy.
It’s taking an age.

MedievalNun · 02/11/2025 17:12

Ahhh ok. Definitely take a wire brush to the walls. And a sponge - lots of warm water, and maybe leave overnight to soak in. Adding some white / cleaning vinegar to the water helps break up the solvent too.

LibertyLily · 02/11/2025 17:12

It's a pain, but will be worth it in the end @010lowernuggate - as they say, 'no pain, no gain' 😁

We previously bought a house where all the rooms (there were thirteen) had been papered with the really thick woodchip. It was on walls, ceilings (between beams in some cases) and even on both sides of the shelves inside a huge Victorian linen press! Took me forever to strip the lot.

The hall of our current cottage was wallpapered and initially seemed easy to strip using a steamer and scraper, once thoroughly scored. But under the paper the walls were painted and this has proved incredibly difficult to remove. I ended up using a glass scraper - time consuming, but very rewarding.

FullOfMomsense · 02/11/2025 17:21

Score the paint with a stanley blade, get a water spray and really soak the wall, then steam it. are you using a bladed scraper or just flat metal scraper?

CatherinedeBourgh · 02/11/2025 20:41

Try using wallpaper stripper, it really helps soften it up. You sponge it on and leave it to act for a bit and it really makes it much easier to take off. Score the paint first to help it go through.

Hall84 · 02/11/2025 20:45

In my first house we removed 7 layers of paper from 1 room. It was painful!

Original poster
010lowernuggate · 03/11/2025 05:57

Looks like we might have to tackle it ourselves going by one quote I’ve had so far - £640 a day maximum 4/5 days 😬

OP posts:
Santaliki · 03/11/2025 06:10

i discovered this by accident. Diluted zoflora in a spray bottle. Spray onto scratched wall paper. I hope it works for you.

TutTutTutSigh · 03/11/2025 06:25

Agree with scratching the walls, zinsser sell a tool, and a chemical you can spray on the walls to help but it's quite messy.

Word of warning, if it's very old plaster you might spend days stripping the walls and then the plaster blows.

fairislecable · 03/11/2025 06:50

I once had to strip off thick anglypta paper that had several layers of gloss paint. It was soaked and scratched and steamed over and over to no avail, in fury I picked up the blow torch and it worked, the heat bubbled up the paint and lifted the paper off the wall.

Caveat , a bucket of water with a mop in it was used to staunch any fires that got carried away.

Overdonecabbage · 03/11/2025 07:35

010lowernuggate · 03/11/2025 05:57

Looks like we might have to tackle it ourselves going by one quote I’ve had so far - £640 a day maximum 4/5 days 😬

It will take you best part of half a decade unless you at least spend on proper equipment!

GasPanic · 03/11/2025 11:25

Dunno but in my house the key was always to wet the paper through thoughly with plenty of water. Then when you scrape it off always use a plastic scraper at a low angle. This left the walls pretty much pristine when the paper was removed. The paper comes off soggy and nasty, but the wall will be ok once it dries out. You have to be careful not to damage the wall though as it damages easily with the scraper when it is wet. Once you have removed the paper you can rewet the wall to gently skim off the paste or just pain over the paste with something that seals it like Gardz.

If you slice the paper to get steam/water under it yes it will go faster, but it will also wreck the wall underneath and if you are painting rather than papering it will be hard work/replaster to repair the damage.

The only paper I have problems getting off was some that had been stuck down with some white kind of glue, the kind decorators seem to use at the edges rather than the paste PGM or PEG or something ? They did the whole wall in paste but this one strip with the weird glue which was awful to get off.

TMMC1 · 03/11/2025 13:06

Yes, when I started to reading this I was “wow” that was quick. Amazing!

OP I’m not sure where to begin if this is how you feel about it.

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