Wallpaper and Wallcoverings - No help yet on stripping wallpaper from panelling

Re my post of 2/21/01, as I work further, I see that if I DON'T use steam or chemical stripper or water, and I get a knife blade under the dry wallpaper, sometimes all layers come off fairly easily. Other times it doesn't. But now what do I do with the remaining layer of white gooey stuff on part of the wall, which I'm now thinking might be the glue?

From what you said above I am assuming water or DIF wallpaper remover is not cutting the paste. Go to your hardware or paint store and get a box of TSP, mix the strong formula, useing gloves and a sponge try that, let it sit for a couple minutes on the paste and see if that loosens it. If that does not work you may have to try a solvent such as denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner. If you have not tried DIF, try that also before the thinners.

Thinners to strip paste? What are your paste products based with?

All the paste I use and know of is water soluable, but every now and then on here someone posts that no matter what they used, nothing will remove the paste. The only thing I can think of is that someone hung the paper with something other than the conventional wallpaper paste (without seeing it who knows) So I just do my best to come up with some possible solutions. :) All the paper I have stripped, once the water GETS to the paste (may take a while) it releases fairly easy, but evidentally that is not the case with all applications.

Thanks for replies. I just kept working and some things worked on some areas, some on others, one area seems to be just permanently bonded to the wall! Problem is, anything that really wets or loosens the paste, takes the top layer off the really cheap nasty paneling underneath.

I think it was maybe wallpaper paste, but not the prepasted kind, because it was solid under where the paper strips were side by side. Maybe very old paper or they added more paste to the prepasted strips?

It's as good as it's going to get now! I sanded over the rest of it lightly and plan to prime, paint and maybe sponge or rag over it. I don't think it will show too badly under all that.

Have you tried to remove a small piece of the panel to see what might be under..may be better wall/board/etc. then what you have...I also had to remove several old papers..I make my own glue from cornstarch..will stay..to remove paper fast I scratch the paper.then fill spray water bottle, with warm water, spray 4by4 area , using thumb tacks ,tack a sheet of plastic over the area let set awhile, test it, can work back and forth on 2 sections this way..when you get down to drywall use sponge/bucket of warm water wash glue off wall...this may help someone else..

Thanks, Diz. I think there is only the framing under the paneling because when I press it, it flexes freely. They just framed in and put thin paneling up for walls. Anyway after 3 coats of primer (I should have bought better!) and one coat of latex semi gloss it looks pretty good. I want to color wash over it now -- any advice there?

I think you already suggested it..I have done the rag panting with 3 different colors over white and liked it, did sponge, tried plastic bags like rags..practice on big cardboard first see what fits you... I have also bought a big bucket of spackling and just made like house stucko, only inside.. but your thin panel will not hold up and will show cracks if pushed on...but unless you live in a warm place, you really should put drywall up and insolate..will cut sounds, chills , etc..I'm sure you know all that tho..I took me 4 months to do a room,bought stuff when I had 5 bucks extra,,messy.. let me know what you decide..from a jill-of-doing/not waiting ..lol

The little hallway is just a tiny walkway between kitchen, half bath, office and a closet. there's almost no wall to it! So not worth tearing down and adding drywall, insulation etc.

I'm interested in what you said about spackle. In a corner of my kitchen they had built in a little desk area. I ripped all that out and the plaster and I think some drywall under it is pretty rough surfaced, so I wanted to do that (bottom half) of that corner in some kind of surfaced way. Like anaglyptic (??) wallpaper, or texturing paint or some such thing. Then sponge or something over it. Put chair rail or a border between that and the top half. What do you think would be fairly easy for a beginner to try? It's a 3 sided nook about 5x8'

Hi scater...I have done/used spacking in a lot of ways..On one wall {I found a sponge 6by2 or so that I liked,} used it to make brick designs, used finger to outline like cement. was great,painted white then drybrushed with greys, faked a lot of folks/ also have made designs in sons room of old mast ship, made rocks, any thing. In a bottom corner I might get one or so pieces of nice paneling that would match some wood in the kitchen, or go for oldclapboard look and then put chair rail up. would be great corner for ol table,basket/flower/herbs/milk can/coal bucket/ anything you enjoy showing off..let me know..but practice you can always scrape spackle off while wet..