Walls and Ceilings - Newbie-what's the stuff coming off the drywall onto my sponge?

Newbie here - please bear with me!

I posted this in the Wallpaper forum but there's not as much traffic :thumbdn:

Okay, so I’ve been bugging the husband for almost a year now about taking down wallpaper in the master bath. Since my pleads where going into one ear and out the other - I’ve takin matters into my own hands!

Let me start off by saying that neither my husband nor I, are what you call “handy” people. The only home improvement work I’ve ever attempted is painting. I know nothing about any of this but doing my best to take it one careful step at a time

So far I’ve been successful in removing the top vinyl layer, and now I’m removing back paper w/glue. There is drywall under the paper, so I've come to discover. I don’t know if the drywall was primed or not, but I’m assuming so since the wallpaper was put up by professionals (according to the previous owners).

Now onto my question: There are still bits of glue on the the drywall. I’ve sprayed it several times with DIF and hot water and I've scrapped at it with my “Piranha” tool, but it just smeared the glue. I’ve even tried rubbing it gently with a sponge and my finger.

I now notice that when I wipe the wall down, it seems that the drywall "white stuff" is coming off onto my sponge. My sponge is sorta of cakey with DIF and powdery stuff, though I haven't broken through the drywall paper

Does this make sense? Am I getting the wall too wet? I’ve been very careful. I just don’t know how to proceed as I feel like I’m rubbing away as something that I shouldn’t.

Does someone have a picture of what drywall looks like after the wallpaper has been removed? I’m going to take pictures tonight to post as I have a follow-up question.

Thanks!

If you are rubbing the white drywall compound off, then you are likely oversaturating the wall. If the wall was previously painted white, then you could be rubbing off white latex paint.

Professionals use TSP (trisodium phosphate). Others recommend a variety of solutions, such as ammonia and water, fabric softener and water, hot water and vinegar, and others. Many recommend just warm soapy water. Based on such a variety of recommendations, it appears that one must experiment a little to find the best solution homemade solution.

The How To article on this website recommends TSP: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/howtoremovewallpaper

Whatever solution you use, avoid oversaturating walls. Rinse to remove cleaning solution and any residues. Let wall dry, make any necessary repairs with dry wall compound, sand when dry, seal walls with primer/sealer, then paint.

Occasionally when the glue and wall is dry - you can sand off the remaining adhesive.

Usually scraping and rubbing with a rag using lots of elbow grease is required. Stripping wallpaper is rareky fun :eek:

If you absolutely can't get all the glue off, you will need to prime the wall with zinnser's guardz and then sand and scrape as needed when the primer is dry. You may need to repair some areas with spackle or joint compound.

The wall was probably sized but not primed. You probably rubbed some of the old mud off. Not much of a problem. Try the dif and scrape with a 6" knife.

Thank you all for your feedback - you (members) and this site very informative and helpful!

I did take pictures of the wall but failed to bring my UBC cord to download them onto my computer:rolleyes: Maybe someone here around the office has one.

I've noticed that there are parts of the wall drywall that are brown and parts that are white (white had a little sparkle to it). It's much easier to take the wallpaper off the white than the the brown. I've attached a pic I found that looks like what I'm dealing with.

<a href="http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk152/justagirl_pics/?action=view&current=drywall.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk152/justagirl_pics/drywall.jpg" border="0" alt="Wallpaper Removal"></a>

I've been using the DIF and have tried both liquid and gel. I've also tried the vinegar and water concoction but that didn't do too much. I had to get the wall too wet for that. I’ll have ye to try the fabric softener. I will give that ago.

Thanks again!

Oh - what's the difference btwn "primed" and "sized"?

I'm sure this question has been answered over and over again, and I'm sorry to repeat it, but I just don't know one darn thing about this process and the terms associated. Please be patient with the newbie :)

Sizing is a primer specfic for wallpaper.

The white 'sparkly' stuff is joint compound. Try not to remove too much of it - that is what's used to fill the nail heads and tape and fill the seams. The brown is the drywall without any j/c.

Thank you, marksr. Hopefully I will have it all down come by Sunday.

I'm ready to move on to the next step. This is such a LOOOOONG process. Good thing I didn't know what I was getting into. I may have never started this project had I known what a pain it would be :cool: