DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi all

I am stripping wallpaper thta has paint on top and then lining paper underneath on ceiling! It is taking me forever has anyone got any good ideas. Tried a steam stripper but steam is burning me and hurts shoulder. please help ! xxx

You need to score the paper first to penetrate the paint and thus alow the steam to get at the paste underneath and release it. It'll come off easy then.

Only score it (you can buy a special tool) lightly mind otherwise you'll scratch the plaster.

Cheers

I use a farily basic steam stripper and have no problems with weight, water running etc. (and I'm a girlie!) Once you have scored the paper, try closing doors and windows and just leaving the steamer on for a while. Chekc it regularly obviously and make sure there is plenty of water in it and it's sitting level etc. but I've used this method to get heavily painted woodchip off ceilings and walls.

Meg

hi we very rarely use steamers a lot of the time they do more damage than good.
can you peel top paper off to a certain degree? if it's been lined you should be able to. get a water spray bottle and spray ceiling in workable patches at a time leave to soak for little bit respray and get your scraper working. (or altrnative but bit annoying with water running down arms is a sponge and bucket.) you may find a lot easier as said we use former method 99% of time, only thing you need steamer for is the dreaded woodchip.
nigel.

We use spray guns for stripping,,sooo much quicker and cleaner.
You can buy a fence sprayer and use that or as mentioned above a spray bottle.

You can also just get a roller and soak the ceiling with that as well.

Now soak the ceiling and wait til it looks like the water is drying in,then coat it with water again,again wait for it to look as though it is drying in (aka ABSORBING water),again apply more water,again wait for it to start drying but this time start stripping it,you will probably find it almost falls off.

3 strikes and it's off method.
As the other decorator has said,steamers are slow,messy,and rarely needed.

Do not wet it and start stripping it won't happen,follow what I have said and let the water do the work not you.
Trust me it'll a breeze,only if they have used a pva based paste (very unlikely) will you have problems with this method.

Having tried all of the listed options here with very limited success on a glossed wood chipped ceiling, I would recommend the Harris Vanquish heavy duty stripper. Available in 4 or 6 inch blade versions (B+Q and others). Cheap (£5-7), should last a lifetime (with replacement blades (£2-3 pack of 2)) and very effective. Be careful of cutting yourself or digging in at corners, literally razor sharp.
Wicks do their own (if they are in stock).