Removing woodchip wallpaper?

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Ive got this stuff on nearly every wall & ceiling in my 1930's 3 bedroom house, and I want rid of it.

My plasterer has suggested leaving it on and just boarding/plastering over it, which seems a good idea. Would certainly save on elbow grease trying to scrape it all off. But boarding all the walls might mean losing my original picture rails.

So, before I go down this route, are there any trickes to removing wood chip? I know I should scour it first, but should I hire a professional wallpaper stripper? Ive read on here of someone brushing over it with some wallpaper removal chemicals. Ive also been told that a Earlex LCS270 Pro Steam Wallpaper Stripper works well on wood chip?
 
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Boarding and plastering would be ok, but costly and would shrink the room and make doorframes etc a bit fiddly. Plastering over on it's own is a no no!

Use a long handled wide scraper dry like this http://www.screwfix.com/p/harris-jumbo-super-stripper-6/79050

and a wet sponge or steamer for the tough bits.

Once you get the technique it should be fairly easy and you shouldn't gouge your walls.
 
Well show your plasterer the door, he's clueless.

Has the woodchip been painted? If so, with what?
 
Yes it has been painted over many times with what appears to be emulsion paint (not by me though!)
 
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Best way is sharp scraper to knock the chips off and expose the clean paper. The roller soapy water over the wall for ages until it seeps into the paper. Then you can almost peel it off. Steamers are useless.
 
I use a wallpaper perforator and steam wallpaper stripper, Never failed yet.
both cheap enough from DIY Outlets.
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Thanks. I fear that boarding the rooms would spoil the old original skirting boards, picture rails and coving which I really want to keep.

Would I be right in assuming most decorators wouldn't want to take on the job of stripping all the woodchip and would rather just do the painting job once it's been removed by someone else? Or do they consider it to be just a part if their job?
 
They will do it, for a fee. When I looked into that approach it was very expensive (one room was quoted at over 1k! and it wasn't woodchip). None of them would "guarantee" their painting if they didn't put lining paper up first after stripping.
 
Thanks. I fear that boarding the rooms would spoil the old original skirting boards, picture rails and coving which I really want to keep.

Would I be right in assuming most decorators wouldn't want to take on the job of stripping all the woodchip and would rather just do the painting job once it's been removed by someone else? Or do they consider it to be just a part if their job?

If wallpapers need to be removed before redecorating I include the cost of the labour into the quote.
I dread it when a customer says they will remove the old wallpaper themselves, being amateurs they end up causing more damage than good and leaving the walls in a mess
As for lining paper, thats not a necessity but depends on the state of the walls, either before or after the wallpaper has been stripped off,
if required this would be extra on the quote after consultation with the customer
 
Thanks, I might just leave it to be professionals then. I'll contact a couple of decorators and see if they are interested in quoting.
 
I've just removed woodchip in 2 rooms. I used a perforator first, and then mixed into a pressure sprayer warm water, fabric softner and fairy. Sprayed this off and let it absorb into the paper, then just used a scraper to take it off.
 
Hi, I am a woman and have stripped wood chip wallpaper that had been painted over several times by the look of it. I found it easier to lightly score it in places and then just used a standard wallpaper steam stripper and a good scraper it worked a treat but believe me it wasn't easy work and was a little time consuming but well worth the hard work rather than pay someone to do it or even think about boarding over it, how ridiculous and I should imagine that would be costly.
 

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