removing bad finish from lath and plaster ceiling

[zero]

Hello, I'm new here

Just wondering if anyone might know how to go about removing a nasty old finish from our nice Victorian lath and plaster ceilings, without causing too much damage. I don't know its proper name, but it was very popular in the 1980s - it looks like grass seeds or bits of wood chippings (or something!) have been thrown against the ceiling and then have been painted over. I remember picking the bits off a wall in our house that had the same finish as a child (I'm not that old...) and there was brown fibrous stuff behind the white paint. Maybe it was wallpaper of some sort, I'm not sure. Anyway, the same thing is on our ceiling now and I want it gone! Surely there must be a better way than just picking the bits off one by one. The ceiling is sagging in places and is a bit delicate...thanks in advance for any tips!

 

[Gervase]

Sounds like the dreaded woodchip wallpaper, which was used to cover irregular surfaces and then often painted. If it's painted, removal can be a b*gger, but you can try scoring the surface gently with a Stanley knife and steaming it off. Or, if the paint is thcik, glossy and impermeable, you can use a heavy-duty scraper to get the stuff off - remembering to keep the angle of attack nice and shallow so as not to put too much strain on the ceiling.
Woodchip was often put up to mask cracks and the like, so don't be surprised if its removal uncovers some rather dogy bits of plaster which fall straight off the laths.

 

[MDE]

I just removed some woodchip paper from a lime plastered wall, the latter dating from about 1800. I'd been advised not to do this by "experts", on the grounds that the old plaster would be in bad condition and I might damage the wall. Imagine my surprise when the paper peeled away in whole sheets, with only a little wallpaper stripper to help. The plaster underneath was almost perfect except for where some 20th C monkey had gypsum plastered over a cable run. The gypsum plaster fell away and was easily replaced by the real thing. The old plaster cleaned up nicely with a srubbing brush and a bit Flash.
Now, ceilings are a bit more fragile, but I'd be inclined to try a test area first and see how it goes.

 

[thiambal]

Hello and welcome

Arrrrgh! Woodchip on a ceiling - the ultimate pain the whotsit.

My particular technique for woodchip is to use one of the heavy duty scrapers (essentially a six inch long blade on a stick) But do buy plenty of replacement blades as I find they dull quite quickly. This should then leave you with a brown backing paper. Brush over a solution of wall paper stripper leave for a few minutes and it should strip off easily with a stripping knife.

Mind you, I have never done this to a ceiling so the work with the scraper will I suspect be much more difficult.

However, I woudl avoid scoring and steaming. Scoring will damage the surface behind which will be a Bu**er to repair if you are not replacing and steaming poses the danger of bringing the whole thing down IMHO.

 

[zero]

thanks for your advice! sounds like I will have to tread carefully...have to say, I would definitely not be surprised to find bits of plaster falling off (it does look like maybe the paper is holding the ceiling together in some places!). I wonder if my inexperienced woodchip-removal might result in the ceiling disintegrating on top of me! This sounds a bit grim, but could a thin layer of plaster be put over the woodchip, to give a smooth finish again? (avoiding removal/ceilings falling down etc.) Or would this add too much weight? Thanks again for the tips...

 

[Matt Green]

This sounds a bit grim, but could a thin layer of plaster be put over the woodchip, to give a smooth finish again?

Booooo!

Grab the nettle, that man. It's your chance to be part of the solution rather than the problem.

Option 1: Strip the woodchip
-worst case: ceiling falls down

Option 2: Skim over the woodchip
-worst case: ceiling falls down

:wink:


Matt Green

 

[zero]

yeah, I guess you're right! ok, stripping it is then...

if there are no more posts from me, you can assume the woodchip has wreaked its revenge and I have been buried under a pile of 150-yr old plaster