DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi all!

I'm removing wallpaper from an old plaster wall. I'm not sure how many layers I should remove. After peeling off the wallpaper, it looks like this:

I've put labels in the picture.
1: The yellow stuff is the top layer. Pretty sure it's very old wallpaper glue.
2: In some places, the old wallpaper glue stuck to the wallpaper and they got removed together. That's the brown part. It feels rough.
3: I've cleaned a small part of the wall with water + dishwasher soap + baking soda. After lots of rubbing, it looks like this. Both 1 and 2 have come off. After drying, it feels smooth.

I later want to skim the wall (if necessary), prime and paint it. Now I'm unsure which layers I should remove. I surely need to remove the glue 1, but what about 2? Can I paint on top of 2 or on top of 3?

Thank you!
Nick

Hi nick67
It is difficult to identify the different areas from your image.
If you are going to skim the wall it is important that you remove the wallpaper or you may have adhesion and distortion problems.
If you are going to paint try a smaller area and see what happens.
Regards S

Thanks stoneyboy!
In general, is it possible to rub off "too much" of the plaster wall?

Hi nick87,
If you are going to skim the wall it does not matter, you could use one of the bonding adhesive agents if you doubt the stability of the surface.
Regards S