bitumen or similar behind wallpaper

[no12rugby]

I have just started to strip some woodchip wallpaper from the walls of my 1906 house and behind it is what seems to be a bitumen paint which is mostly coming off on the back of the paper. What preparation will I need to skim the walls or fill/paint. It is only on 1 external wall which I think in the past has had problems with the external render.

 

[Zampa]

Does the bitchumen look brownish when you look at it closer?..in which case it probably will be bitchumen and not black gloss or similar

After scraping off as much of the bitchumen as possible I would line the wall using ready mixed paste to stick the lining paper.

Then re decorate it

 

[no12rugby]

thanks for that. would it be best to re skim the walls - any idea why it would have been applied in the first place?

 

[Zampa]

God...isnt the nannying on here a joke!..the word is bitumen..ok I spelt it wrong..but a b..itch is also a female dog

Right...the B*(^£&* umen....it was probalby put on because on a damp problem that may have affected the wall many years ago...hopefully and probably it will have been sorted by now.

I doubt if re skimming will work as the plaster will probably have a job adhering to the existing (naughty word alert) surface..

Lining paper should do the trick for you....you could give it a coat of PVA first though..it can hold back reversable coatings such as b*"*!umen

Thin it by about 50%