How to Remove Woodchip Wallpaper

How to Remove Woodchip Wallpaper

If you’re currently wondering how to remove woodchip wallpaper, you may be renovating an old house and trying to bring it into the modern world.

Woodchip is either going to be visible on your walls or will become apparent once you’ve removed any top layers of wallpaper.

The key to removing woodchip wallpaper is to thoroughly soak it, penetrating the paper and breaking down the adhesive on the wall. Speedy has wallpaper strippers available for hire, which should help get the job done quicker and easier.

• How to use a wallpaper stripper
• Wallpaper removal tips

 

What is woodchip wallpaper?

Woodchip wallpaper is two layers of paper, sandwiching a layer of wood fibre or wood chips.

It can hide cracks and unevenness by covering the imperfections and creating an (intentional) uneven surface.

It was historically seen as an inexpensive solution to plastering walls. It was most popular back in the 1970s before Instagram and Pinterest came along to give us home décor inspiration.

Unfortunately, woodchip wallpaper was usually not removed when the next layer of wallpaper was applied, so if you have bought an old house that needs some TLC, the woodchip may not have been visible at first glance.

It can be hard to remove, so you need the right tools and a lot of time and patience.

 

The best way to remove woodchip wallpaper

Before you remove any wallpaper in an old house, it’s best to peel away a small section and assess the wall's condition underneath.

If there are many hairline cracks, you may need to remove the wallpaper manually using a scraper and water and consider plastering once it is removed. But if it looks okay, a wallpaper steamer is the easiest way to go.

 

What you will need:

• PPE (eye protection, clothing protection, gloves)
• Protective dust sheets
• Wallpaper scraper
• Spiked roller/craft knife
• Wallpaper steamer
• Black bags
• Warm water and washing up liquid in a spray bottle (optional)

 

Method:

1. Prepare the area

The first thing to do before carrying out any DIY is to prepare the area.

Stripping woodchip wallpaper is messy and involves water/steam. Clear away any electricals and cover the floor with protective sheets. Remove furniture from the room or cover it up if it’s too large to move.

 

2. Score the wallpaper

Woodchip wallpaper consists of at least three layers, and there may be other lining paper or wallpaper under or over it too. So, for the steam or water to soak into the layers, you must perforate the wallpaper.

Use the corner of your wallpaper scraper, or even better, a craft knife or dedicated spiked roller, to do this. Be careful with sharp tools and use gloves.

Be generous here, but don’t put so much pressure on that you damage the plaster underneath.

• SPEEDY TOP TIP: Finding it hard to score the woodchip? Soak it (more on this below), then have a go at scoring, before soaking again

 

3. Prepare the removal method

If you’re concerned your walls are really damaged underneath and you don’t want to pay for a plasterer, you’re best making a soapy water solution of warm water and washing up liquid in a spray bottle.

Spray this onto the wallpaper, which will dampen it and make it easier to scrape away.

But for most, using a wallpaper steamer will be just fine and a lot less messy. Steaming wallpaper can loosen it in seconds.

Read our guide on how to use a wallpaper stripper and follow the steps to get it up and running. If easier, watch our video guide on how to use a wallpaper stripper.

 

4. Scrape

The trick to removing wallpaper is to scrape it away when it is still damp. So, focus on a single section at a time.

Steam or soak it, leave it for a few seconds to soak in, and then use your wallpaper scraper to start scraping away to remove the paper.

This may have to be done layer by layer, but if you can really soak the paper and turn it mushy, it should be quicker.

• SPEEDY TOP TIP: When off the wall, the wallpaper will soon dry again and stick to every surface. Contain all paper in a black bag, and wear old shoes so you won’t tread it through the house

 

 

IS THERE WALLPAPER STEAMER HIRE NEAR ME?

Yes. Speedy Hire, the UK's leading tool hire company, have a range of wallpaper strippers for hire nationwide.

Speedy has more than 200 service centres and nationwide 4-hour delivery. Tool hire has never been easier.

You’ll find all the equipment you need right here. To start planning your next DIY project, open a Speedy account today online or in-store. If lining your bare walls again to reduce the need for smoothing, read our guide on how to line walls using lining paper.