Layers of wallpaper

dbert

Hello,
I am prepping my daughter's room for a paint job. I have begun to remove the white wallpaper only to discover that there is another layer of wallpaper under it. It looks like this second layer was 1. painted over at one point and 2. stuck to the bare plaster walls. I am worried that I am going to do a lot of damage to the walls if I try to get this second layer of paper off. Would it be okay to continue removing the top layer, clean and patch the walls and the prime? or would it be better to get all the layers of paper off?

I thought this was going to be a quick job!

Thanks

joecaption

Depends on what you want it to look like when done.
Want it perfect then it's got to go.
Use a Tiger Paw, (it's a tool that fits in the palm of your hand and puts tiny holes in the paper) then use a steamer for less wall damage.
I just hate wall paper, not bad enought I really hate painted over wall paper.
Most often I just go over the wall with 1/4 sheetrock, less work and comes out smoother. Works for me.

chrisn

It all needs to go. It really is not that hard

http://www.wallpaperinstaller.com/wa...stripping.html

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Brushjockey

Joe loves to hang rock. But not the best solution ( we've been through this a few times..)

First- you say over bare plaster. Do you actually mean plaster ( which would make your house older- probably WWII or earlier) , or is it sheetrock?
Plaster is pretty nice to strip off of, and it doesn't need to be sealed to still be strippable.
Sheetrock , on the other hand, has a paper covering that if it is not sealed before paper, the paper "permabonds" and removing it usually rips up the rock face and creates alot more work to get smooth- so lets start there...

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dbert

The walls are plaster and lathe. The house was built in 1932. We removed all the wallpaper downstairs, and the walls were in bad shape. We spent a lot of time patching and then skim coating. I was hoping to avoid the same upstairs. The older wallpaper seems really well adhered, plus there is paint on top of it. Is water or a steamer still the best way to get it off? Thanks!

Stokely

I just went through this with Sheetrock under two layers of thirty and sixty year old wallpaper. I spent a week pulling two inch strips. The tool that scores can help but you chance digging into the wall. I used a hot wash cloth doing two foot sections at a time. This peeled off the top layer leaving the paper. Then, when everything was dry, I used a stiff 5" taping knife to apply a thin coat of joint compound to a 3'x3 area at a time. I let it sit for a minute or two, then scraped it off from the bottom up taking the reactivated glue and paper with it. This method did no damage to the wall.
I wish I had figured this out on the big room instead if the last hallway good luck

LATE NOTE ADDED: I don't know how old your house is, mine is 64. After getting the wallpaper off of the bathroom walls (easy since it was a semi gloss oil paint underneath) I had the mind to test for lead. Bingo! The previous owner papered over the lead paint in the seventies. Bright red results on the test stick. I had already scuff sanded the wall before testing. Think about this before sanding your daughter's room.

Brushjockey

You will probably have to take the first layer off, then deal with the second.
But investigate different methods- thats the secret- Lots of approches.
Sometimes , depending on what the paper is, dry stripping with a paper razor scrapper works pretty well. A bit of a workout, but you don't need to go to the gym after!
I hate the paper tiger- usually harms the wall. I think getting a REALLY course piece of sand paper- I like to get the 36 grit for a belt sander- usually the sand is set in resin so it is really strong, and either by hand or putting that on a palm sander rough up the surface so water can soak through.
Learn the timing- rewet often, maybe even take 4' sections of thin painters plastic and press it to the wet wall to let the water soak without evaporating.
I haven't used a steamer in years, the plastic trick usually pulls through.

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chrisn

there is the best answer

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Brushjockey

For stripping I also have a sponge mop with the handle cut to about 3'- makes wetting the wall fast and controllable. Also a sprayer- like a garden sprayer ( they also sell little pump sprayers at the paint stores) helps too.

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sdsester

I use a garden sprayer to moisten. Easier than a spray bottle.

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chrisn

Garden spryer for sure, but moisten? you really need to SOAK, let it stand for 10 minutes and SOAK again, repeat as necessary

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sdsester

I meant to say "soggyfy" or Katrina it! Sorry to have used such a kind word.

I will say I have encountered some walls not worth the effort. The plaster had separated from the lath, it was sagging over the course of 100 years or more at the baseboards like an old ladies cheap stockings, and the wall (or ceiling) was not going to be pulled back into place with repair plugs. In these cases the walls have had it and it is cheaper and faster to demolish them and start over.

I was never a fan of putting drywall over plaster---even or especially 1/4" but no some like the practice. Something like a NuWal (just because it is loads of fun to work with!) membrane might be called for if the plaster just needs to be pulled back with repair plugs in a few place and is more or less intact but with lots of cracks that would reappear if just filled with repair plaster or drywall compound (I like using plaster for plaster repairs).

All the wallpaper has to go first though. I have not found any yet I could not get off with patience and clients willing to pay for it. It is usually the newer papers not hung properly that cause problems. Wallpaper borders are another story and you may need explosive charges placed under the surface for them!

I do like the look of well chosen and appropriate wallpaper, properly hung in the right home. Nothing beats the depth and character it adds. Get a pro to hang it and it will never haunt you. Of course it looks grotesquely goofier than even bad faux finishing if it does not match the style of the home and the pattern is tasteless.

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