Options to fix really bad woodchip walls

[farticus]

I'm looking at options to renovate a house where most of the walls are really bad. The plaster crumbles when you try to put nails in, and it's all been covered in woodchip wallpaper which has then been painted over several times.

I'd like to get it nice and smooth. New skirting boards, maybe some new power sockets and network points. Taking down the old stuff is going to create a huge amount of mess though, and probably very difficult. Are there any other options here?

I'd like to just over-board but I don't think it will take the weight. I'll pay someone to do the plastering/plasterboarding professionally.

 

[NickB_99]

I don’t think overboarding the woodchip walls as they are now is the right way to go.

If it was me, would get the wallpaper stripper going on the wood chip and then see what it’s like underneath.

You mention chasing for more sockets and network points. If it’s that crumbly a lot will come away as you do this. May make the decision for you.

 

[farticus]

Thanks. Will the wallpaper stripper work okay with a few layers of paint in the way?

 

[Diver Fred]

Thanks. Will the wallpaper stripper work okay with a few layers of paint in the way?

Yes.

Find a seam or damage and start there. Once the heat and steam builds up it gets easier.

 

[Lower]

Don't steam in one place too long though. The steam can separate the skim from the plaster beneath.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Thanks. Will the wallpaper stripper work okay with a few layers of paint in the way?

Score through the paint with a Stanley knife, to allow the steam to penetrate to the paper.

 

[Lower]

Score through the paint with a Stanley knife, to allow the steam to penetrate to the paper.

I scrape the wall with a sharp scraper to knock the tops of the woodchip and expose the paper below to achieve the same thing, but with less risk of scoring through to the plaster.

 

[Mottie]

You can get a spiked roller thingy to puncture the paper before steaming. https://www.toolstation.com/stanley...0wqQB1ST6CdvAF3g3qZ6h_28g0LCnugMaApkkEALw_wcB

 

[darrington]

Using a steam stripper on weak crumbly plastered walls will cause a lot of damage.

 

[darrington]

Don't steam in one place too long though. The steam can separate the skim from the plaster beneath.

Well said Lower, that will definitely happen, I've seen that many times.

 

[farticus]

I'm thinking it might be less hassle and mess to overboard with plasterboard screwed in to the brickwork.

Will that work?