Getting rid of woodchip!

We moved into our present house 9 months ago, and are trying to get to grips with redecorating. We've just had a new kitchen and bathroom fitted but both have large areas of wallpaper to remove. We also need to remove woodchip paper from several other rooms. I have tried regular wallpaper stripper and a steamer but the paper is reluctant to budge without putting up a fight!
Also where I am having success with at least getting the paper down, I am also managing to gouge out areas of plaster.
Any tips please, I'm starting to feel defeated!

have you scored the woodchip paper with something sharp to let the steam in?

By scoring great big deep lines in you let the steam under neath...

other than that it bl**dy hard work...

Sorry

(ps i know how you feel we had to get our room replastered after removing woodchip!)

Be afraid, be very afraid!!!! I've seen this stuff take off the plaster with it, and that is going to be a great expense to you to get the walls replastered!

Some of our old artexing we got the plasterer to just plaster over to save all the hassle, but mostly, we boarded over with plasterboard, because quite honestly, you COULD end up having real, real problems not only bringing half the plaster off, but also half the wall when removing old woodchip or artex! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I've seen it in the past so many times.

I wish I could come up with some good advise but I can't, only to get it boarded over, or plastered by a proper plasterer. You've got yourself a job and a half there doing what you're doing! Sorry, but that's my take on it, maybe somebody else has done it successfully and can give you some good news!

Try picking an edge of the woodchip then gently pull it away, the painted top layer will come off leaving the backing layer on, then it'll steam off quite easily.

I will try that! Thanks for a little glimmer of hope shining through the gloom!
Alexandra, yup I've been scoring away at the stuff like a crazy woman!
And H. if it hadn't been for Neros' bit of hope I'd be heading out to buy a cupboard full of M&S (you'll note I'm a convert) walnut whips! Seriously though, we'd already come to the conclusion a plasterer may be an inevitable expense

Lol! YOu have to go and get them anyway, just in case the frustration gets too bad to endure (which I know it will!!!!! ). Then you can sit down with a nice cuppa and eat half the box, (or maybe the whole box? Weren't you the one who microwaves inbetween scoffing a 5 pack of doughnuts????? Hmmmm, I think you were!!!!! )

All the best anyway, I hope it goes right for you, but it's darn hard work I do know that! I remember Dave and I had to take it off a ceiling (big room 24 x 12!) ready for the plasterer the next day, and whereas we thought we'd do it in a day, we ended up spending the whole night to get it all stripped - nightmare it was! None of it came off in any bigger than 1" x 1" bits!!!)

p.s. No reply yet from Nestle - HONEST!!!!!

QUOTE=Helena54;1343281]Lol! YOu have to go and get them anyway, just in case the frustration gets too bad to endure (which I know it will!!!!! ). Then you can sit down with a nice cuppa and eat half the box, (or maybe the whole box? Weren't you the one who microwaves inbetween scoffing a 5 pack of doughnuts????? Hmmmm, I think you were!!!!! )

Ha ha you cheeky divil you!
Nooo it definitely wasn't me microwaving and doughnut scoffing although I have to say I'd like to meet the individual involved- sounds like my kinda woman!
By the way I haven't heard from Nestle either, they obviously think we're a bunch of NUTTERS!
Apologies- that was appalling wasn't it!

You can buy a roller from your local builders merchants, Its metal and covered in spikes.Roll it all over the wall and then steam off the paper. The punctures let the steam through and it doesnt damage the plaster.
Good luck with it.
Dave

Thanks Dave, will pop down to Macs' on Monday and see if they can help! Am slightly worried though by the caveat "good luck"......!