Well I have wondered about that. I have done other rooms ( the whole place is covered in woodchip wallpaper from a re vamp in the 1970's - everyone since seems to have left it or painted over it. I decided that the time had come to cure all the damp once and for all and I am stripping back to the walls. They are generally fine bar re plastering over dado rails which seem to have been removed from all rooms. ( I wish they hadnt. I always liked dado rails). This room is proving to be a real bar steward. I was toying with the idea of sanding off ( with sand paper ) the excess lining and just making it as smooth as possible and then just painting over it and hoping it doesn't show. I have got a lot off but some of it is plain stubborn.