Home Repair forum - Dried wallpaper paste/glue that is not water soluble?

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Dried wallpaper paste/glue that is not water soluble?

andy everett

2007-06-14, 5:25 pm

Tried today to remove old wallpaper from a bathroom. The vinyl easily
pulled off the wall leaving only the paper backing and glue, this is
going to be easy I thought. Used a garden sprayer with warm water in it
and soaked walls (and ceiling, stuff was there as well!) waited and then
tried to go to work.

Even with the walls entirely soaked the glue would not give.

I was able to isolate some of the glue, it balled up and felt like
rubber and smashing it between wet fingers would not dissolve it?

It was almost as if the wallpaper was installed with wood glue.

The wallpaper could be 15 or more years old. Are there wallpaper glues
which dry and would not be water soluble?

Thank you for any help.

ransley

2007-06-14, 5:25 pm

On Jun 14, 3:21 pm, andy everett <vze2q...@verizon.net> wrote:
> Tried today to remove old wallpaper from a bathroom. The vinyl easily
> pulled off the wall leaving only the paper backing and glue, this is
> going to be easy I thought. Used a garden sprayer with warm water in it
> and soaked walls (and ceiling, stuff was there as well!) waited and then
> tried to go to work.
>
> Even with the walls entirely soaked the glue would not give.
>
> I was able to isolate some of the glue, it balled up and felt like
> rubber and smashing it between wet fingers would not dissolve it?
>
> It was almost as if the wallpaper was installed with wood glue.
>
> The wallpaper could be 15 or more years old. Are there wallpaper glues
> which dry and would not be water soluble?
>
> Thank you for any help.

Get some wallpaper remover solution maybe laundry detergent might help
an enzime in the soap should break it down

Andrew Duane

2007-06-14, 8:25 pm

I use Piranha brand (from Lowe's). It munched right through everything
incredibly easily. My bathroom was the same, 20 years old with really
unknown glue. The surface came out in practically perfect-to-paint
condition.

On Jun 14, 6:21 pm, andy everett <vze2q...@verizon.net> wrote:
> Tried today to remove old wallpaper from a bathroom. The vinyl easily
> pulled off the wall leaving only the paper backing and glue, this is
> going to be easy I thought. Used a garden sprayer with warm water in it
> and soaked walls (and ceiling, stuff was there as well!) waited and then
> tried to go to work.
>
> Even with the walls entirely soaked the glue would not give.
>
> I was able to isolate some of the glue, it balled up and felt like
> rubber and smashing it between wet fingers would not dissolve it?
>
> It was almost as if the wallpaper was installed with wood glue.
>
> The wallpaper could be 15 or more years old. Are there wallpaper glues
> which dry and would not be water soluble?
>
> Thank you for any help.

NickySantoro

2007-06-14, 8:25 pm

On Thu, 14 Jun 2007 22:21:27 GMT, andy everett <vze2qxq3@verizon.net>
wrote:

>Tried today to remove old wallpaper from a bathroom. The vinyl easily
>pulled off the wall leaving only the paper backing and glue, this is
>going to be easy I thought. Used a garden sprayer with warm water in it
>and soaked walls (and ceiling, stuff was there as well!) waited and then
>tried to go to work.
>
>Even with the walls entirely soaked the glue would not give.
>
>I was able to isolate some of the glue, it balled up and felt like
>rubber and smashing it between wet fingers would not dissolve it?
>
>It was almost as if the wallpaper was installed with wood glue.
>
>The wallpaper could be 15 or more years old. Are there wallpaper glues
>which dry and would not be water soluble?
>
>Thank you for any help.

Sounds like someone installed with VOV, AKA vinyl-over-vinyl past, AKA
border adhesive. If it is, and you are going to repaper with something
reasonably thick, just leave it in place. If you are going to paint
you will need to skin coat or install a lining canvas.

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