Wall Paper stripping

[kofi2003uk]

Hi All
am taking off my wall paper next week after leaving in this house for nearly ten years. i have not taking off wall paper before so slightly nervous.

can anyone advice me of the essential tools i need for this job apart from the steamer?

i am getting the steamer (see link) below from B&Q which is cheap but has very good reveiws.

http://www.diy.com/nav/fix/power-to...Stripper-12448596?icamp=recs&_requestid=62986

i will be gratefull for advice to make this job easy and also the tools i need apart from the steamer.

also how do i prepare the wall for painting? this is my lounge so i really have to get it right. after stripping the paper, do i have to apply anything to the wall before painting?

thank you

 

[alan333]

You should only need the steamer and a scraper, or maybe a couple, in different sizes. Maybe gloves if you're worried about the odd bit of hot paper landing on you. If the old paper has been painted it'll be harder to come off and some people recommend "scoring" it with a pizza slicer or similar to allow the steam to penetrate behind it. However I found that it didn't make a huge difference to how difficult it was to remove, but it gave me lots of score marks on the wall, so I personally wouldn't do it.

Your steamer works like a kettle so can take a while to heat up - filling it with hot water speeds it up considerably. Also your room will get a bit like a sauna, keep all the steam in cos it softens the stuff you've not removed yet. Watch out for water running down the walls and do your best to keep it out of electrical sockets etc - water and electricity can kill you. Tidy the old paper bits into bin bags before they dry, as they stick to everything.

Once all the paper is off wash the paste residue off the wall using water. Then you need to stand back and decide if the condition of the wall is good enough to paint, good enough to put lining paper up and paint, or whether it needs skimmed. Either way it'll need sanded.

Hope this helps

 

[footprints]

Check what paper you have first, if it is vinyl lift a corner and pull off the plastic facing it will just pull off dry, then soak the backing thoroughly, really thoroughly! Till it looks dark at which point it will come off without effort if you don't soak enough you will be scraping like mad and damage the surface.

If it is painted try the steamer first but you may need a "Paper Tiger"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zinsser-Triple-Head-Paper-Tiger/dp/B0002YWWJG

But go easy as said you can damage the wall, if it is traditional paper try soaking but chances are you will end up using the steamer.

A word of warning about steamers do not leave it in one place too long or you will hear a crackling sound that's your plaster "blowing" and it will start to fall off in chunks with the paper

As to what to do with the wall it will depend on if it has been painted before, you certainly need to wash very well to remove old paste, you might need to apply a watered down coat of matt emulsion to prime it, a "mist coat" just wait and see what it is like.

 

[kofi2003uk]

thanks both. i will wait and see as you advised about the wall. bought the steamer and a scraper today. i guess i have to buy some sand paper too.

hee haaa here i come.. wall paper.. am nervous though.. i wlll be painting with emulsion-silk magnolia.

B&Q has 2 versions of emulsion silk magnolia paint. cheaper version is around £15 per 10L pot and the expensive version is nearly £60 (whew!) a 10L pot.

i want to buy the cheaper version but i wonder if anyone can comment on it ie is is any good or has anyone has issues with it? is the quality good enough to use for my lounge/sitting room?

thank you

 

[misterhelpful]

Silk emulsion will show up any blemishes in the wall far more than matt emulsion, and can also be harder to get a nice finish with, but it is more serviceable than matt. I wouldn't touch a silk paint that costs £15 for 10 litres, especially B&Q's own brand.
You do usually get what you pay for with paint and top brand trade emulsions are far better, although quite a bit more expensive.

The wallpaper removal methods mentioned so far are spot on and, as mentioned, a steamer is very often unnecessary. Once you get started you will be able to determine if it is required or not.

After stripping, cleaning, filling and sanding, if you are uncertain that the walls are clean enough to paint, you could use a coat of Zinsser Gardz to seal any leftover wallpaper residue and filled areas. However, if you take your time in cleaning and preparing the wall thoroughly, you should end up with a good sound surface to paint directly onto.

 

[kofi2003uk]

many thanks for all your advice. appreciated. i think i will bite the bullet and buy the expensive paint. after all its for my sitting room.

thank you

 

[unclebob1]

If you haven't already started, don't forget to put something down over any furniture/flooring you leave in the room. Wallpaper glue can be a messy one to get out of the carpet!

Leave all windows and doors into the room shut, wear light clothing yourself and make sure you drink plenty - as said - it will become a sauna!

Lastly, isolate electrics if you will be removing sockets/light switches etc or have someone who knows how to isolate, isolate!