# drywall mud texture over old wallpaper



## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

No. Not even for a 'not perfect' job.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Soak the paper in hot water with a garden sprayer and 9 times out of 10 it will fall down in full sheets.:thumbsup:


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## annie68164 (Jun 15, 2008)

I will try that Chris. I had used DIF in another bedroom on a border and it didn't do much. Ended up just priming and painting over the border and magically it disappeared.


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

Annie - I also use hot water in a garden sprayer for removing paper. I toss a little vinegar in too, cause I like how it smells 

Since you'll be spraying the ceiling, you need to protect the floor/switches/outlets with some plastic. 

Get rid of your paper tiger and get a 2-3 inch wide putty knife with a little flex. For a large area i usually work with two sprayers so that i dont have to keep making trips to re-fill.

What has worked for me is the following:

1. Spray entire area until dripping.

2. Re-spray a workable section (10 ft square or so). 

3. Give it a minute or two (but not long enough to dry out) Start peeling off the paper using the putty knife - like Chris said, it should start to loosen and (keep your fingers crossed) fall off in big sheets.

4. As soon as it gets a little hard to pull off; re-spray the area you are working on and the adjacent area. You should be working damp/wet, if things start drying out spray spray spray. This isn't scraping paint. If it gets hard to remove the paper don't just scrape at it -WET IT DOWN MORE! If you think you are spraying enough... Spray it all again. You cannot get it too wet nor can you spray it too many times.

5. Once you start getting the paper down in large pieces make sure you are bagging it right away- the semi-wet paste (am i allowed to call it paste?) makes a mess on the floor and if allowed to dry will re-adhere the paper to whatever it's touching - like baseboards. :whistling2:

6. Once you successfully remove every last scrap of paper [YAY you!!] the ceiling needs to be thoroughly cleaned to remove any residue before priming and finishing however you like.

Here's why I discourage people from painting/coating over paper:

My last paper removal project was four layers of paper in a 130 year old room. 
- the outermost layer peeled off as soon as it got saturated- came down in great big sheets and sometimes took some of the next layer with it.
- the next layer required soaking several times before it separated 
- the next two layers were the biggest PIMA! it took CONSTANT wetting and a great deal of elbow grease to get that mess off. At some point I was reduced to using a razor blade to scrape off postage stamp sized pieces. All because someone painted between two of the older layers of paper :angry: 

I probably sprayed a total of 40 or 50 gallons of hot-vinegary water on the walls over the course of removing all the paper.

But the bottom line was that it HAD to be done. The paper was failing at various places in varied layers and painting over
It or papering over it would have been temp fix that would look bad and that would result in certain failure later.

Phew. Lot to get off my chest, but looking at my gorgeous pristine plaster walls makes me really happy and makes it worth it.


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## AGWhitehouse (Jul 1, 2011)

rent a steamer...cheap and really really easy...


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

AGWhitehouse said:


> rent a steamer...cheap and really really easy...


:yes: but I don't use them in the summer :hot:


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## AGWhitehouse (Jul 1, 2011)

Leah Frances said:


> :yes: but I don't use them in the summer :hot:


So is hot water...:jester:


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Leah Frances said:


> Annie - I also use hot water in a garden sprayer for removing paper. I toss a little vinegar in too, cause I like how it smells
> 
> Since you'll be spraying the ceiling, you need to protect the floor/switches/outlets with some plastic.
> 
> ...


YES:thumbup:


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

Ok- this is like top secret but I'll let you have it if you don't tell anybody. After you soak it good, cut 4' sections of light painters poly (9'-12' more than the height of walls)and with a dry rag press it on the wet walls. Will hold the water in so you don't have to work so hard at wetting it. Pull off A section at a time and fully strip and clean glue b4 moving the next one. 
Beats a steamer or a tiger. This rocks. But don't tell anyone.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Brushjockey said:


> Ok- this is like top secret but I'll let you have it if you don't tell anybody. After you soak it good, cut 4' sections of light painters poly (9'-12' more than the height of walls)and with a dry rag press it on the wet walls. Will hold the water in so you don't have to work so hard at wetting it. Pull off A section at a time and fully strip and clean glue b4 moving the next one.
> Beats a steamer or a tiger. This rocks. But don't tell anyone.


 
I thought it was unanamous that the go to term was adhesive

you and Leah wust have been out at the bar that day:laughing:


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

chrisn said:


> I thought it was unanamous that the go to term was adhesive
> 
> you and Leah wust have been out at the bar that day:laughing:


Oops. I wust not tinking! :laughing:


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## annie68164 (Jun 15, 2008)

Thanks everyone, I see that it will be necessary to remove the wallpaper, oh how I dread it! I knew it was wishful thinking that I could just take a big shortcut, rarely does it work out that way. Your instructions should help me alot. I figure the money I save doing the project myself will pay for the many visits I'll need to the chiropractor and massage therapist :wink:


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

chrisn said:


> I thought it was unanamous that the go to term was adhesive
> 
> you and Leah wust have been out at the bar that day:laughing:


Guilty as charged  but it was At the beach. Drinking on the porch  

I thought I was being SOOOO smart......
:jester: ADHESIVE not PASTE. got it :laughing:


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

Leah Frances said:


> am i allowed to call it paste?


Sure! That's what it is! 

Of course, you can call it glue if you wish too, but be ready to duck.... 

DM


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