Oh oh...home improvement question...

[Kim]

I started ripping off old (at least 25 years old) wallpaper out of my bathroom, (surprise honey, I decided to remodel while you were at work today) but it is leaving bits of...something behind. Any ideas how I can get this off without destroying my walls? Yes, I know I should have researched first, but I was in the mood to get started. :o Thanks, if you can help.

[Markel]

It might be some of the old paste. You could try washing it down with warm water. You can also buy special paste removers (although you usually use them to soften the paste before you start removing the paper). To help removing paper, it often helps to score it (there is a device called a "Paper Tiger" that does a good job at this) then wet it down with a paste removing solution (or some people use fabric softener solution) to loosen the paste.

[Pinkgirl36]

When my parents decided to do that to my bathroom and hallway that had really ugly wall paper, they just used warm water and a scraper thingy to get the glue off and it worked and they were able to paint over it.

[Pinkgirl36]

Originally posted by cpugeek04

that scraper thing is called a putty knife :P I knew it had a name I just couldn't think of it.

[mojo]

ok, first thing you need to do...and this is important....

move out of utah!

[Kim]

I guess if I moved out of Utah, all my old house problems would be solved. Thanks for all your advice. Oh, what would steam do to the wall? My mom seems to think that if I use her little steam machine, everything will peel right off. I don't want to make a trip to her house unless it is safe to use. (I don't want to have to buy sheetrock) Any ideas?

[sbp]

Originally posted by mojo
ok, first thing you need to do...and this is important....

move out of utah! :heh:

[Pinkgirl36]

Originally posted by Kim
(I don't want to have to buy sheetrock) hehehe. That reminds me of a funny little story. My dad use to ALWAYS have sheetrock in our back yard...what for I NEVER knew but then one day I figured it out. Once he fell thru the living room celing he needed something to cover it up with.

[johnnymk]

Steam always works for removing wallpaper. Don't worry, it will not ruin the sheetrock.

[Loosah]

It won't ruin the sheetrock or the plaster (if your house is really old it is most likely plaster) provided you go easy on the steam and apply gentle pressure with the putty knife. A five in one tool/scraper will actually work a bit better as the blade end it sharper than a putty knife.