Unknown Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 HelloI've finally decided to do some work in side the house, and I've chosen the kitchen to start with. I have wallpaper to remove and have started by using a wallpaper stripper/steamer. Top lot of paper is coming off nicely, but underneath there is a layer of very thin metal/foil. This is directly on to the old plastered/concrete walls, under which I think is the original stone. I'm going to just splash some white paint onto the walls when they are stripped, as this is only a temporary kitchen, though I invisage using it for the next 2 years, so want it to be less unsightly.I have been scraping and steaming for about an hour on an area of 2 feet squared, and I'm loosing the will to live. Is there soemthing I can paint on, a kind of acid that will make this stuff bubble up and make easier to remove, or am I going to have biceps like popeye?All helpful answers greatly received.Dotty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Head Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 Semtex? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 [quote user="Dotty "]All helpful answers greatly received.[/quote]Chris.............................................................[:D][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted February 8, 2007 Author Share Posted February 8, 2007 Come on guys I need help. If you can't come on over and do it for me, tell me how to.PLEASE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 Dotty, if you are planning to re-hash in the future have you considered just crepe-ing over the existing covering. It's very cheap 5€'s for a huge pot, comes in two colours and is easy to apply with a trowel and will give you that 'rustic' appearance.Just an idea, and it's much quieter than Chris's suggestion..................[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted February 8, 2007 Author Share Posted February 8, 2007 BB, I have some internal white crepe, would that work? Should I just get the paper off, its peeling in places, then paint over?Yes, I just want to get rid of theflower paper and to freshen it up. I have another area, barn I want to make into the kitchen, but that's a long way off. So just want to make the existing kitchen as clean and bright as possible.Please say yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 Hi Dotty:I can really sympathise with you. When we bought our house, the previous owner had put up the most horrible wallpaper ALL OVER THE HOUSE. Different in every room and so awful you had to wonder where his brain was.We gave up on the steamer machine after only a few hours. We spent WEEKS removing the stuff. The downstairs was pretty easy as it wasn't very well placed anyway. The upstairs was an entirely different story. Like you, I could pick, poke and pull for hours, literally, just in a one meter area and still not get the stuff off. We ended up using warm water on the paper and a scraper, don't let the paper get dry or you'll just have to wet it again. Took us weeks.I swore at that time I would NEVER hang wallpaper in my home - ever.I suppose there probably is a chemical you could use to remove the stuff. We were really apprehensive to do that. I don't know the product Chris mentioned. Perhaps that is the chemical in question.Good luck !P.S. We were told not to put something over the wallpaper. We were told we needed to remove as much as possible before putting on a new wall treatment. Just FYI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hastobe Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 The foil may be an anti-damp covering? In which case, if you are going to repaper, it may be better to simply apply the new paper over the top of the foil. Of course, if it is a damp-proof membrane it would also be worth trying to find out what is causing the damp in the first place.Kathie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 [quote user="Dotty "] BB, I have some internal white crepe, would that work? Should I just get the paper off, its peeling in places, then paint over?Yes, I just want to get rid of theflower paper and to freshen it up. I have another area, barn I want to make into the kitchen, but that's a long way off. So just want to make the existing kitchen as clean and bright as possible.Please say yes.[/quote]Yes, that'll work, providing that it's not shiny wallpaper in which case you'll have to rough it up before application.. I've used it straight onto bare internal breeze-block walls and it works fine. Just tear off the loose edges, then put it on thick and don't smooth out the trowel marks, they soften slightly as it dries.Good stuff...................................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted February 8, 2007 Author Share Posted February 8, 2007 Thanks Lori and Hastobe.I'm never ever going to use wallpaper, ever.BBCan I brush it on? I've brushed external crepe to an out building and that worked ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 I found it easy to brush on Dotty. Just one thing though - is crepi very hard to remove, and would it matter to you at some point in the future if it was? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 [quote user="Dotty "] BBCan I brush it on? I've brushed external crepe to an out building and that worked ok.[/quote]Yes, but a good thick coat is best, then trowel over it to get the 'rustic' pattern. As you already have some, practice on a bit first.You can buy (about 15€'s) a crepe machine that when the handle is turned it flicks the crepe onto the wall. Probably build your muscles up though.............................[:)]edited: It's Crepi, not Crepe, as Tresco as stated..................[8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 You can get wallpaper removal stuff in a bottle which you add to water and soak the paper. I have had a good deal of success with this. Had a quick look on Screwfix but couldn't see it - sure I got it there last time.The thought that ocurrs to me is that is you can't get the paper off with all that industrial muscle then a bit of paint or crepi isn't going to do it either. I would just get off the bits that want to come off and paint/crepi over the rest - nothing much will happen in the 2 years or so that you mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 Oooo - a further thought (good job I was sitting down) If the silver stuff is on the plasterboard, are you not sure it is bonded to it? you can buy plasterboard with a silver lining (like clouds) and you will never get that off,at least not without making big holes in the boards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted February 8, 2007 Author Share Posted February 8, 2007 Tresco, The room I'm wanting to paint will be a utility room one day, so it doesn't matter if the crepe doesn't come off. I've lived with this room like this for 18 months and its finally got to me. I 'm having to strike while I have enthusiasm or I will find something else to do outside. I hate being in doors.The general feeling so far, apart from Chris' 'helpful' suggestion of semtex, is to get off waht I can and then crepe. I'm going to get a bit of a bigger area stripped, then I'll give the crepe a whirl.I'll let you know how I get on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 That's OK then. I would do the same, so it must be right.[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 [quote user="Lori"]I suppose there probably is a chemical you could use to remove the stuff. We were really apprehensive to do that. I don't know the product Chris mentioned. Perhaps that is the chemical in question.[/quote]Lori,I dont know if you were being a bit "tongue in cheek" with the mention of the chemical that Chris mentioned, just in case you weren't - please dont go around trying to get hold of semtex, google it on the net first and you will (probably) understand why [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 I have very successfully used one of those high pressure steam cleaners (not the cheapy ones or cheapy wallpaper strippers), ours came with an attachment for soaking about a 25cm square of wallpaper with very hot steam. Once you get the paper wet right through, it scrapes off very easily. A bucket and sponge with hot water and detergent helps. If the wallpaper has been painted or if there are several layers it takes a little time, and the floor (and you) can get quite messy, but it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted February 8, 2007 Author Share Posted February 8, 2007 Well, four hours later I decided my neck, arms, wrists and shoulders had taken quite enough. I gave up with the stripper as it wasn't coming off any better if I used it or not. I've stripped an area ofabout 2m2, so quite a lot more to do, justthe tip of the iceberg.I decided to leave the crepeing (sp) until I've got a bit more to paint, this is hoping it goes on well and I would hate to stop because I hadn't stripped enough paper.Until tomorrow, or if after a drink of the red stuff tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 Well done Dotty, time for a well earned rest. A tip for tomorrow, work backwards, ie, with your back towards the bit you haven't done. Do it the other way and all you'll see is the enormous task ahead of you.[B][B] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gastines Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 A tip worth remembering when papering on new plasterboard and taped & joint cement boards, is to roller with a watered down coat on Unibond or similar. Easy to remove the paper without damaging the surface of the boards or joints. DON'T apply a steamer for too long on papered plasterboard or the steam will BLOW the surface of the board.Regarding your silver foil,it sounds like a damp-proofing coat which was probably stuck on with an adhesive like Evo-stick. Best left alone or you could end up with a re-plastering job.Regards. 5mins St.Malo.www.ourinns.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted February 8, 2007 Author Share Posted February 8, 2007 Ta chaps. Gastines, I'm removing paper from very solid plastered walls, no plaster board in sight. And I'm definately not going to be repapering.BB, like the tip, though I want to do the 'back wall' and get it painted. Got a new piece of furniture coming and that's where its going, along the back wall.Though the bit I've done is an eyesore, I can see it from my pc, its heaps better than the flowery wallpaper.Thanks for the encouragement.Dotty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 Dotty:The usual approach with stubborn paper is to firstly slash diagonal scores across the surface with a sharp striping scraper.Then, something like Manger's Sugar Soap sponged on and allowed to soak behind the slashes so it permeates into the adhesive behind the paper. Vinyl paper can be a pig to remove, for example, as it is basically waterproof (being plastic).Foil: hmmmm. It it's a solid wall then it probably has some very strong glue holding it on! And, as has already been suggested it's in all probability a damp treatment.It may well be that any form of textured wall finish may slide off as it has no bond. In that case once again score it diagonally from top to bottom at intervals of one inch. This should provide sufficient "bond".Try a bit (Crepi) first and leave it overnight. BTW you can buy a "Rustique" finish roller for applying crepi.Had the same sort of probs with appalling paper at our place in France. The French do seem to like excreable patterns!Despite the steamer, in the end found that we were trying to strip the top layer of plasterboard. So it's all going to be crepied! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted February 8, 2007 Author Share Posted February 8, 2007 Thanks for the tips Gluestick, I'm goingto give the crepi a go tomorrow. Still got mountains of paper to get rid of, but planningto get it all done by next weekend.Keep your fingers crossed for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 [quote user="Lori"]I don't know the product Chris mentioned. Perhaps that is the chemical in question.[/quote]This is a wind up yes...???you've never heard of SEMTEX, it's the favoured EXPLOSIVE of the action movie hero not to mention your local neighbourhood terrorist................!Seriously though, I've got a similar task coming up and not looking forward to it one iota, don't the French just love their wallpaper.There ought to be a law against it, at least on the ceiling and doors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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