Vinyl Wallpaper

aisling8, Aug 25, 1:33pm
Does anyone know what we could use to strip a thick vinyl wallpaper off our bathroom walls. Usual methods aren't working and is damaging the gib underneath. It's a 1980's unit and would say the paper has been up since then.Tiles wont stick to it. TIA
martin11, Aug 25, 1:48pm
Flat blade scraper works just done a bathroom with one . then wet the walls to get the glue residue off.
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articferrit, Aug 25, 2:32pm
You can get a little round tool you hold in your hand and it has rollers with cutters underneath it, you roll it around on the wallpaper causing little cuts through the paper, then wet the paper with warm soapy water, wait 10 minutes and use a flat scraper to peel it off. boring, tedious job but it does work.
zak410, Aug 25, 9:57pm
First get the top (vinyl layer) off, it usually separates easily from the base layer glued to the wallboard.

For the base layer, wet, wet, wet it, you can use a paint roller on a stick and water. It should scrape off easily (wide spatula) then without damage to the wallboard. unless the new 'Gib' wasn't initially sized/sealed !

If it doesn't come off easily, just seal the walls with a pigmented sealer paint and repair or skim coat with plaster compounds where needed.
mlarkin, Aug 26, 9:36am
There is a wallpaper remover product available at Bunnings. Diluted in water this is sprayed on, left about 15 mins and then a scraper. Probably work better with top layer removed. Capricorngirl
socram, Aug 26, 6:51pm
Personally, I'd probably remove the gib and replace it! Or even an extra layer on the top or something appropriate, but thin. All depends on several factors of course.
zak410, Aug 26, 9:05pm
Skim coating (including taping where needed) can give excellent result.

Allow a day and half labour for a standard size room, to give idea of cost, material is not very dear.
aisling8, Aug 28, 8:11pm
Thanks people for your help. Got one of those scraper thingees and once started it is coming off in sheets. Cleaning the rest off will be no problem.
mlarkin, Aug 29, 10:04am
Re Gib board - think regulations now require bathrooms to have waterproof gib linings. Might pay to check. Capricorngirl
martin11, Aug 29, 10:39am
Yes that is correct and I just bought some Aqualine for a job and its not cheap !
cbbuilder, Aug 29, 12:39pm
There is no requirement in the Building Code to have water resistant plaster board in bathrooms - the only requirement is for the linings to be painted
When you think about it the plaster products used to stop the joints are the same on water resistant plasterboard as is used on standard plaster board
martin11, Sep 3, 1:49pm
Most of the acrylic linings in shower/bath areas require Aqualine behind them for their warrentee .
supernova2, Sep 3, 10:06pm
I think you will find that's a recommendation but not a requirement. Think about it if the lining is water proof the wall behind could be made of pinex.
blueviking, Sep 4, 6:36am
Look up the regulations regarding wet areas. Every wet area must be tanked. It's only 174 pages long.
martin11, Sep 4, 7:45am
Most of the manufacturere of better quality shower until will not warrenty the installation if the Acrylic liner is not glued to unstoped aqualine gib
fast4motion, Sep 4, 11:26am
Do you even know what a "wet area" is? Because I've seen you make the same irrelevant comment regarding toilet installation.
zak410, Oct 2, 1:52am
No. According to Gib site guide aqualine needs stopping behind shower lining.