Removing wallpaper paste - is it possible? !

I've been trying to remove the (old) paste from a room without much success - one thing is that it is taking me absolutely ages, second that I'm not sure if even after all that scrubbing and scraping I've removed enough. These walls were papered in several layers and painted, and removing these was relatively easy, (compared to the glue situation!) but I'm left with a residue that is very diffifult to shift. I want to paint the walls afterwards and am reluctant to use linign paper as I've now invested a small portion of my life in these walls !

I've been using sugar soap, scrapers and scrubbing sponges, (and have just read about vinegar and washing up liquid as possible alternatives, which I'll try tomorrow) but would like to know if there are any products or tools available and if it should really take so long... Also whether I need to remove it all to allow the paint to work. Any advice would be useful.

Does it seem to be an ordinary whitish cellulose paste, or is it (for example) yellow?

Were the papers that you took off ordinary paper?

Are you sure the stuff you are trying to take off isn't distemper (usually found on pre-war houses, has an unpleasant smell as it's made with boiled-up horses hooves) and will soften with hot water, not cold?

It is a sort of yellow-brown gunge, not very visible when it's dry on the wall, only as a slightly pale residue in the shape of the indents in the wallpaper - it was quite thick paper, presumably white or paper brown originally and was painted. I don't think the residue smells - I'll have a sniff tomorrow ... ! The house was built around 1906 but not sure how long this wallppaer had been up for, could even have been relatively modern, but this residue might be from a previous round of wallpaper hanging. Haven't been using hot water because we have plumbing issues - p'raps that would make the process a whole lot easier.

Any more diagnoses? Thank you.

Might be the stuff they used to fix analglypta. I took off mine with a blowlamp and scraper but am told it contains lead so that was a bad move.

A steam stripper may help but someone will be along in a minute with more expertise.

Hire a stripper.

Even if she doesn't help with the paste you'll have something to look at.

WhatsDIY? said:

It is a sort of yellow-brown gunge, not very visible when it's dry on the wall, only as a slightly pale residue in the shape of the indents in the wallpaper - it was quite thick paper, presumably white or paper brown originally and was painted. I don't think the residue smells - I'll have a sniff tomorrow ... ! The house was built around 1906 but not sure how long this wallppaer had been up for, could even have been relatively modern, but this residue might be from a previous round of wallpaper hanging. Haven't been using hot water because we have plumbing issues - p'raps that would make the process a whole lot easier.

Any more diagnoses? Thank you.

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Hmm. If its normal paste I use hot water/sugar soap, soak 1mtr wide strip top/bottom using side of 6" brush in a scrubbing action, paste should start to react, leave to let paste get really soaked (about a min depends on porosity of base) If your lucky paste should have gelled enough for you to use your widest scraper in an upwards motion and each scrape will have a load of paste on scraper which i wipe into an old dustpan at each stroke. then finally wipe over each strip as you go with cold water and sponge to finish cleanup. Takes time boring but if you want to paint has to be done
BUT!!!! if paste wont soften Could well be some sort of heavy duty ready mix adheshive which I dont know how to remove and not met anyone who does yet. In which case I normally line ....sorrrry.

Good luck

JohnD said:

Hire a stripper.

Even if she doesn't help with the paste you'll have something to look at.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. The paper's all gone and it's just me vs the glue, so I'll hit it with the hot water and various concoctions tomorrow, not forgetting to sniff it first for any horse-origins, and I'll let you know how I get on!

That doesnt sound like any wallpaper paste...it sounds to me like the stuff they used to fix lincrusta..

O dear.....O dear o dear...

I would be careful with that blow lamp..I may be wrong but early versions of that paste contained lead..as i said I may be wrong, I would ring the cromwn helpline first and ask them