we plan to remove wallpaper and dado rail, and then paint the wall a uniform colour eg off while.
As far as I can tell the existing dado rail is fixed on with glue (I can't see any screws or nails. Is the a technique or solution to loosen the glue, or is it just brute force and a claw hammer.
would appreciate any advice
kind regards Bruce
You may find that it's nailed on - with the nail heads punched in, the holes filled and painted over.
Either way, try to get a sharp bolster chisel behind it and lever it off. It will be very difficult to get off without doing *some* damage to the plaster - so be prepared to beautify this with Pollyfilla (or similar) before painting it.
Roger
Impossible to remove -if they were put on with adhesive mastic, without doing damage; more like. People tend to forget that problem with mastic. I pulled down half the skim from the wall in my fat when I moved in. I used adhesive mastic and masonry nails tacked in to hold some shelving battons while the mastic set.
When I pulled the nails out the battons came away with the plaster. It was so poor that the stuff flaked off half the # wall. Boy; that was upsetting.
Has anyone had any experience with removing adhesive mastic with caustic soda?
Hello brucej
In the real world, brute force.
Theoretically, if it WAS glue and not nailed on, then maybe correct application of heat might work IF it was the right sort of glue, but it's probably a non-starter. Use the force.
Agreed, nails are highly likely especially if it's original dado.
In addition to levering with a bolster, something else which might be worth a try is using a tenon saw or similar to cut through the dado at intervals; that will let you lift it at a midpoint and lever it off length-wise, if you see what I mean. Might cause less damage to the walls. You also *might* loosen the grip of the nails a bit by whacking the edges of the dado with a hammer (at right angles to the dado, parallel to the wall) - might avoid a dinner-plate-sized chunk of plaster coming out with the nail when it gives!
Also, if you use a tool to lever off the dado, protect the underlying wall with a bit of scrap wood; ie lever against that, to avoid more damage to the plaster.
David
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