Help! Trying to remove old Vymura wallpaper

[Louizalass]

My husband is having a devil of a job stripping old vymura wallpaper off. We think it's Vymura, or supernova wallpaper, anyway it was a washable kind of paper we put up about 15 years ago. The problem he is having is when he starts scraping away at the old wallpaper it goes like chewing gum - sort of bitty and bobbly. I thought it was the old paste but he says it's the wallpaper.

This means that he is having to painstakingly scrape away at the paper an inch at a time and it's driving him nuts! He's had the steamer at it but to no good effect.

We have family coming to stay for Christmas and we really want the room to be done by then!

He does all our decorating, but the bedroom is the only room which has wallpaper. He's not as agile as he used to be and we can't afford to pay someone else to come and do it.

I've googled to try and find various solutions but most advice tends to be about preparing the wallpaper with vinegar solutions, fabric softener, steamers etc but my husband thinks that wetting with these solutions is not the answer.

However, if anyone here has come across a similar problem I'd be glad to hear it - and any solutions you can suggest!

Thanks in advance!

 

[misterhelpful]

If it's Novamura, I wish you luck - it's renowned for being difficult to remove. The walls were usually pasted with a special paste/adhesive and the paper stuck to it. (Is that what you did?)
As the paper is polyethylene, heat from the steamer can cause it to 'melt' (for want of a better term) and bobble, as you describe. Fortunately, I've only had to strip it a few times, and that was a fair few years back, but I always found that dry stripping was the better option. Sometimes, you can get a corner and pull away decent size strips 'with the grain' (usually downwards, in my cases) but often it just comes off in tiny pieces. Vymura is usually easier to strip.


Good luck, and hopefully some of the other guys will have better tips on it's removal.

 

[TheDec]

Score the wallpaper with sandpaper, and then working in sections of 1m2 sponge down with warm water, allow around 5 minutes and repeat, If after trying this your problem still exists then please post back.

Dec

 

[Louizalass]

Thanks for your help.

Yes, the steamer does 'melt' the paper and that causes the 'bobbling' effect which is driving himself mad.

We shall try the sandpaper & warm water trick and pray it works.

This stuff is indeed, the wallpaper from hell! Will let you know how we get on.

Lou ☺

 

[coliholic]

Have had some success on similar wallpaper using a water filled garden sprayer, just keep going over the paper and get it really wet. Obviously put cloths or old towels down to protect your carpets first.

 

[Terry7556]

hi i am not a painter or decorator but we were having trouble recently removing wallpaper and a mate recommended this stanley "maxi orbital wallpaper scorer", he called it a tiger. got it from b&q £13.as you can see you hold it in your hand and roll all over the paper and the blades score the surface w/o damaging the plaster.then the water gets where its needed.
if a more experienced lad says its not suitable then so be it but we thought it made a poxy job a lot easier and far quicker View media item 39728 View media item 39727ps be patient,