sticky to the touch plaster

[richarde123]

Hi,
I am new to this site so hope someone out there can help.

I have just started to decorate our lounge, first time since moving in 3 years ago, on taking off wall paper but still leaving backing paper on I have found areas of paper that is damp to the touch, when you scape off the backing paper the plaster is sticky and feels very damp.

The house is 1904 so brick wall has no cavity.

The dampness is about a metre up from floor and extends for about a metre upwards and across, there are no signs from the outside wall.

Can anyone help as to what it could be and more importantly what to do to stop it i.e. coat with something.

 

[Beefpotnoodle]

Post a picture of the general wall inside and out, and a close up. Could it just be paste left over? How long has it be stripped, how long have you been aware of the stickiness. Did the wall look okay before?


If there's no obvious reason, busted pipes etc, I'd be scratching my head.

 

[drpepe]

Hi,
I am new to this site so hope someone out there can help.

I have just started to decorate our lounge, first time since moving in 3 years ago, on taking off wall paper but still leaving backing paper on I have found areas of paper that is damp to the touch, when you scape off the backing paper the plaster is sticky and feels very damp.

The house is 1904 so brick wall has no cavity.

The dampness is about a metre up from floor and extends for about a metre upwards and across, there are no signs from the outside wall.

Can anyone help as to what it could be and more importantly what to do to stop it i.e. coat with something.

WE have similar (smaller) patches of damp on various wallpapered walls in our house.

After pulling off the wallpaper, a very sticky residue and dark patch is left on the underlying plaster. IN a few of these places I have hacked back the plaster to the brick and there's no obvious damp.

Personally my guess is it is due to high humidity in the room 'rehydrating' excess wallpaper glue, as I have also found these patches on a stud wall which can't possibly have come rising or penetrating damp. Our house is quite/very humid (usually 75-85%).

 

[richarde123]

Thanks for reply, cannot really get good images to show you but will try tp post later today if can improve quality.

The first part of wall was stripped last week but still sticky to the touch a week later.

The wall looked fine when wallpapered, checked radiator down pipes they all look ok.

I am scratching my head also, but thanks for comments.

 

[richarde123]

Hi Thanks for reply and comments, I think I will hack back a small area to check what is behind.

I also think you are right with humidity, we are trying to get as much air into the room by opening windows to see if that improves things.

Been great help and thanks.

If anyone out there comes up with anything different then drop a line.

 

[Beefpotnoodle]

First I'd make sure the wall is clean and dry, try sugar soaping the wall, leave to dry and see if the problem comes back. Before you hack off potentially good plaster!

 

[richarde123]

Beefpotnoodle,
Yes I am going to try that as having a look at it again it does look like paste residue.

Thanks again.

 

[MarcMCFC1986]

Thanks for reply, cannot really get good images to show you but will try tp post later today if can improve quality.

The first part of wall was stripped last week but still sticky to the touch a week later.

The wall looked fine when wallpapered, checked radiator down pipes they all look ok.

I am scratching my head also, but thanks for comments.

Hello

I know this is an old post, but just wondering if you got to the bottom of this.

We stripped all the paper off our walls a few weeks ago, and in the time we've been waiting for a plasterer I've spotted two areas that are sticky to the touch - but then at other times of day its completely dry. I was worried that there was damp but it coming and going at times throughout the day makes me wonder whether the suggestion above of the paste being 'rehydrated' is the answer?