My wife started a home improvement project again. We had some cedar panel about 4" wide, less than an 1/8" thick, in different lengths, glued to our walls. After going through the same ordeal in our downstairs bathroom, my wife decided to tackle our spare bedroom. Only this time, she doesn't want wall paper and wainscotting. She wants fresh paint.

So. I got the cedar off the walls, but now I'm left with glue all over the walls. It's been on there since the house was built, probably 30 years.

How do I get the glue off the walls? What kind of product is there that will take it off? I was thinking acetone, but is there something better?

 

Elbow grease and a wallpaper scraper or a sharpened, stiff-bladed scraper. I don't think you want to go the chemical route...not that it can't be done, it's just real messy and your neighborhood might get evacuated sometime before or after your house blows up.

Jason

 

A sharp scraper with extra blades. Skim coat with spackle. Then a good oil based primer. ( I prefer Killz)

 

pull off the wall and re drywall, Seems like alot of work, but do you really wanna scrape all that crap off only to be left with an unflat wall?

 

I agree with jake00. It will be MUCH easier in the long run. You can add some more outlets and upgrade insulation at the same time.

 

What kind of glue is it ?

 

Heat gun on low setting. carefully scrape after glue becomes soft.

 

That's what I was thinkiing too Pb, but It would be nice to know if the glue is PL500 or
a general adhesive.


In the long run tough replacing the drywall is the best and most cost/time/end result efficient option

 

I don't know. Regular 1/2" at Home Depot is $9.26(US) a sheet. Fire rated 5/8th" sheet rock is $10.96 a sheet.(what I use and recomend.) Average small room is 8'x10'. Thats 7 sheets. Plus 8 corners and 10 seams to spackle. $64.82 for sheetrock and $12.59 for a 5 gal bucket of spackle. Plus tape. It would take you a day to tear out all the drywall. A day to hang and first coat. Then two more coats. Prime and paint. Time wise your looking at an extra day's work. Plus $50.00+ for materials. The house was built 30 years ago, so it should have 60C romex and r-13/r-19 insulation in the walls. (depending on 2x4 or 2x6)

Try using a heat gun, going back and forth being careful not to burn the paper on the sheet rock. Use a scraper. Then decide if you want to scrape it off or replace it all. I had a similar experience with wall board glued to drywall in a living room. Tore off all the panneling, scraped the glue off with a 1/4" thick 4" scraper.(think heavy duty paint/wallpaper) Then took a 12" knife with lightweight compund with a little dish soap mixed in. (Not premixed bucket, easy sand 90 brand. Mix yourself to get the consistency that you like to work with.) The soap keeps air bubbles down.(Also works in the premixed buckes. But you need a Steel mixer rod on a 1/2" heavy duty drill or equivelent) It took me 2 days to strip and spackle a 12x16 room and the hall back. (ranch) Also helps to take the moulding down.

 

I'd use joint compound rather than spackle, but yeah, I'd try this route first.
You could replace the drywall, or maybe just go over it with new drywall. A second layer of drywall would just add sound insulation, but you might have to extend door jambs, and window frames. I'd have to see it, and try to scrape it before I decided which way to go.

I would avoid the solvent/acetone myself.

 

100-200 bucks to have a fresh start, I'd say its way more than worth it.

Might get 1/2 way through scraping and realize it isnt going to work, THEN how much time is in it, and What's your time worth to you.