How do I get stubborn wall paper off of a plaster wall if vinegar & water doesn't work?
Question:I have sprayed the wall paper with vinegar & water and then let it sit for a few minutes before I scraped it off. It worked great on the first couple of layers, but not very well on the fourth and fifth layers that seem to be fused to the plaster. Does anyone know of anything else that I can do to get those last couple of stubborn layers of wall paper off my plaster walls?
Answers:
Keep it saturated with hot water and eventually it will come off. Use a sponge and persevere.
steam will get it off
yep! i had a similar problem once, but persevered with just a pair of rubber gloves and a bowl of hot water.
i have mentioned this before actually.
get a rag soak it in the water, don't ringe it out too much, leave a bit of water dripping.
rub on the wall doing about 3-4 square foot areas, redo if need be to make sure you have totally soaked the paper,
( it can get messy i grant you but it does work and it's cheap )
Then get a scraper and scrape off, you may need to do it a few times but it will do it.
The hot water softens the paste and paper.
once done leave to dry, and then just lightly sand over the wall to get any bits left off
If you take a grater to the wall it will make pox marks into the paper which will allow steam to soak through to the glue. Steam will then help your issues. There is actually a grater tool at Lowe's or Home Depot that can help you with this. If you can't locate one drag a fork or knife along the paper until you get perforations to the glue below. Then steam it.
The "grater" mentioned is called a Paper Tiger. It scores the wallpaper. The reason to do this is because wallpaper is waterproof. If you don't remove the top layer which is waterproof, you can sit there forever w/ a bowl of hot water w/ little result. If you can't get the top layer off, you may have to score w/ the Tiger. After this, try using DIF instead of plain water. It will break the glue down. With scraping, you may need to purchase a razor scraper.
This will work better on plaster than drywall.
Score the walls again and then paint a liquid fabric softener over them. Let set for a while and it should peel off. This is an HGTV suggestion.
try hot water,, steam works well
They make a wall paper remover that they sell at most home improvement stores. You pour warm water in a sprayer bottle and add the remover according to the directions. You spray it on the wallpaper and let it soak. Repeat as necessary until the paper gets a little soft and will peel off.
QVC used to sell a product called Wallwick? It is the best.
find the dirty dog who did not size the wall before they papered it, and make them remove it.
We recently remodeled a home that had EIGHT layers of wallpaper on the bedroom wall. Lowe's has a gel ,I can't remember the name of it, but they'll know what it is when you ask. You just brush it over the wallpaper, wait a few minutes, and it will easily scrape off with a wide scraper. This stuff works great!
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