Contact paper removal from Wallboard (Resend)

[Bill C.]

Hi all, (Sorry if this is a second sending, 12 hours have gone by and it is not showing up for me)

I began a wallpaper removal in a kitchen using a steamer and now discover that the very bottom layer is contact paper, ugh. The contact paper is pulling the facing off of the wallboard! The walls are not sheetrock, it has some type of pressed paper as a core. How do I repair the damage so far? .....do I put a skim coat or mud on the surface? If I need to skim coat the walls do I need to be as concerned about pulling the facing off? Will the facing need to be replaced? It may be faster and easier for me to pull the facing off and make repairs after, put on a new facing or skim coating. Are there other things or ways to go forward that I am missing? Maybe skim coating over the wallpaper that has been peeling?

The good news is that the steamer is taking off the top 2 layers :-) . Right now work is at a stop but it won't be long before the wife starts asking questions.

HELP!

Bill C.

[John Grabowski]

I would just reface it with 1/4" drywall since the existing wall is not standard.

[Bill C.]

[franz fripplfrappl]

Have you considered a heat gun on low setting or even a steam iron? I would think warming the adhesive a bit would allow you to then peel the contact paper off. Whatever reside is left could then be sanded lightly, primed and finished.

If the heat gun (or hair dryer) works, the mess should be less. How big of an area?

[franz fripplfrappl]

Having reread your post, I think I might avoid anything that has steam or moisture. Damage to what surface there is beneath the mess may be partially caused by the moisture. Still opt for a hairdryer or heat gun to soften adhesive on contact paper. I would then apply a couple thin layers of drywall compound and work it smooth to match rest of wall.

[EXT]

If your house was built in the 40s to early 50s you may have one of many paper fiber wallboard products that were tried during that time. Their fire resistance is nil, their water resistance is also nil plus they are easily damaged and hard to repair. Drywall mud may cause it to swell and the mud may not bond properly, you need to test it first.

Personally, I would tear it all down, replace any insulation that may or may not exist, add a draft barrier against the outside sheathing boards, replace the wiring with modern grounded cables, add phone or TV cables as needed, fix or replace any old plumbing in the walls and repair any problem areas, add a proper vapor barrier then drywall the wall. Your house will be a better place because of the work. Anything else is just a patch on the old problems which will not go away.

[Pipedown]

I think the heat gun idea is worth a try. Any damage you have left on the surface of the drywall can be skim coated with new mud, you can patch just about any damage up to small holes. If its worse, get out a utility knife, score and cut the drywall all the way through, pull it off and replace it. Right now it sounds like you are decomposing a paper laminate thats glued down.

[Bill C.]

Thanks for the responses.

I will not be replacing the drywall. I did use a heat gun on low setting and the contact paper did peel off, unfortunately the finished paper layer also bubbled and peeled off so much that I carefully peeled off the contact paper on that wall leaving a brown unfinished paper layer over the the core. Actually the layer(s) of brown paper is rather thick. And I got lucky, only one wall was not prepped well before the contact paper was applied. All of the other walls had a good coat of paint under and the contact paper peeled without any heat or damage to the walls. Now I only have several parts where only wallpaper was applied and the steamer will take care of that. So I will be sealing the damaged wall with a Zinsser product and skim coating.

The project has grown and I am removing the drop ceiling and adding about a foot of board at the top to meet the tin ceiling. So drywall prep work is something tha I am going to get familiar with.

Bill C.

[Bonnett Decorating]

Two coats of Gardz, a skim coat and a prime and you should be good to go.