woodchip removal

[finnlander]

I am buying a flat with wood-chip paper on every wall. The present owner has just re painted the paper with a sludge colour.I need to get the paper off the walls or cover it. Is it best to remove this paper and what is the best way to approach this job? Is it likely that the walls underneath the paper will need re plastering?
If this is the case would it be cheaper and quicker to cover with plasterboard or T & G and would this be a less expensive option.
Many thanks for any help.

 

[JohnD]

Woodchip is usually put up to hide horrible cracked uneven walls. If you are just moving in, this is the ideal time to patch and smooth them. I also like to give them a couple of coats of matt white emulsion as this looks decent, highlights any remaining imperfections, and is nice to decorate on.

painted paper is difficult to get wet enough to strip. I recommend repeatedly misting it with a garden sprayer filled with hot water and a drop of washing up liquid to help it wet the surface. You can scratch or score the paper or use a scraper to knock the woodchip lumps off, this helps water get in. Do not score deeply enough to damage the plaster.

When stripping start at the top and spray more water so it runs down between the paper and the wall.

do not let the water run through the floor if you are in a flat.

Do not put PVA or unibond on plaster if you ever hope to paint it.

You might be able to get the walls skimmed by a plasterer for a few hundred pounds per room, but repair any deep or structual cracks that go to the brickwork, or they will come back.