# Removing Commercial Vinyl Wallpaper



## Deco (Feb 28, 2008)

Looking at a sizable commercial project that requires taking down commercial vinyl wallpaper, prepping then painting.

We take down lots of wallpaper in homes but never commercial vinyl. Did rip a small section to see whats behind paper. Glue doesn't look like it would wash off. 

What is best way to deal with cleaning and prepping walls? I'm thinking sanding then the usual spackling, priming, etc.

Thanks


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## timhag (Sep 30, 2007)

Hey, you have the same last name as MAK. Are you guys related????


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Commercial and residential are two different fishes with different "rules"

Very often commercial vinyl is hung on raw rock, with a "strippable" paste.

Can you tell what the substrate is? Has it been primed/sealed ?

Also, often times commercial vinyl is hung with clay, which requires MUCH more water to strip.

Can you describe the color of the paste under the wallcovering?

PWG should be able to give you more complete answers as he installs commercial vinyl regularly - I don't do commercial.

BTW, there are people whose flesh crawls when the adhesive used to hang wallcovering is called "glue". Most wallcoverings are hung with "PASTE", unless you are certain friends of ours from New Yawk, then it's called cement. But I see you are from Jersey, so I understand the misnomer :jester: :thumbup:


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## Deco (Feb 28, 2008)

Tim...no we are not related unless of course I don't know of an illegitamate child I have out there...then again he is a painter too...

daArch...glue vs paste...sorry if I offended anyone...like I said I take paper down but I don't get involved in installing it so I'm not up on the politically correct terminology.

But for us Italians I guess that would be the same as gravy vs red sauce...not sure if you guys from up north know about that one 

Anyway...Only saw a small patch of the substrate behind the paper. I THINK it was sealed. The glue was of a light tanish color. Very fine texture. It seems like if it was given a decent sanding vs washing it would smooth down fine. Would priming over the sanded glue work or is washing the only way to go?


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Deco said:


> Tim...no we are not related unless of course I don't know of an illegitamate child I have out there...then again he is a painter too...
> 
> daArch...glue vs paste...sorry if I offended anyone...like I said I take paper down but I don't get involved in installing it so I'm not up on the politically correct terminology.
> 
> ...


gravy vs red sauce..??? I'll call my freind Vinny down your way, and he'll clue me in 

Tannish color ? sounds like clay based PASTE.

Priming over sanded PASTE --- not advisable, nor is it an acceptable industry standard.

Attached is the PDCA standard relating to this.

You can obtain all other PDCA standards at pdca.org. I HIGHLY recommend reading and utilizing. 

View attachment PDCA%20Standard-P16-07.pdf


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## Deco (Feb 28, 2008)

Thanks arch!

Can you give me any sf time estimates for removal of clay paste?


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Deco said:


> Thanks arch!
> 
> Can you give me any sf time estimates for removal of clay paste?


Yah ------ LOTS 

Spraying - soaking - rewetting - scraping - and washing clay paste is my own personal hell. I just pulled my notes from the last (and very memorable) clay pasted strip job I did. This was one of the freakinest worst strips I've had. The paper surface needed to be busted with 36 sandpaper and then the clay tediously soaked and scraped and then the residue scrubbed off. This was in a stair well and small first floor hall. 

I estimated at 1.2 min/sf but completed it at just under 1 min/sf (345 min for 350 sq ft) . I do remember busting my chops on that one. This gets filed under "blood money"

Use those figures at your own peril. I consider myself to be f-ing efficient at stripping ...... prolly 'cause I hate it so much I get motivated to git er done

OH, BTW, my good friend Phil Reinhard of Galloway NJ owner of both "Reinhard Wallcovering, LLC" & "Safe & Simple Wallpaper Removal of South Jersey" (NJ #13VH01055200) and I have often debated the difficulty of stripping clay. He says it's no harder than clear, I vehemently disagree. We finally decided that we both are correct and that the difference arises from his soft water vs my very hard water. 

If you need any help, I HIGHLY recommend him. He could also prolly sell you some Safe and Simple wallpaper stripper - which is the best on the market.


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