10 Home Improvement Nightmares | 4Homes

6. Woodchip Wallpaper

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6. Woodchip Wallpaper (Image 6 of 9)

Woodchip wallpaper

What is it?
The interior design statement that says "I really can't be bothered", knackered walls or 'student let'. Woodchip wallpaper is quite literally wallpaper with wood chips in it. Crazy as it may sound it was hugely popular in the 70s and 80s, and the Germans who first invented it apparently still love it to bits.

Is it a Deal Breaker?
No, though buyers beware, its use in a home can signify that home maintenance wasn't a number one priority to the vendor - or that the walls underneath are knackered.

What can you do about it?
It's only wallpaper right? Well... If you're lucky the original decorator will have done a sloppy job and the paper will peel off relatively easily. If the original decorator was a pro or if the woodchip has bonded with previous generations of painted wallpaper underneath then it can be real nightmare to remove.

Wallpaper stripper may be effective in areas where adhesion is bad, but the texture of the paper makes clean removal difficult without a lot of elbow grease.

OR: You can rent a professional wallpaper stripper and perforator. Available from most tool hire companies this slightly scary steamer and the medieval looking perforator that comes with it will turn a room into a sauna and liquidise your plaster if you leave it on too long, but can be very effective. First simply run the perforator up and down the wallpaper to pierce the surface enough for the steam to get inside, then rest the steam head against the area to be stripped. After a short time the woodchip can be scraped or peeled away with relative ease.

TOP TIP: As well as a long-sleeved shirt, goggles and face-mask, wear the type of oven gloves actually shaped like a glove. The boiling hot steam can be difficult to control, the steam head WILL dribble on you when you least expect it, and scraping often puts your hand closer to the scalding steam than you would prefer.

Average cost of wallstripper plus perforator hire = £24 for the weekend.

Need Expert Help?
Find a trusted painter and decorator in your area using MyBuilder.

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Comments

In my 25 years of experience and in my own opinion, dont bother trying to paint pebbledash, the only option (if the wall is sound) would be to get an exterior wall specialist like a Wall coatings company, to apply a spray-on textured wall coating onto the wall. If you try and remove the pebbledash, and it is firmly adhered to the wall, you will end up ripping out the mortar joints behind the wall surface, and also the face of the blocks or bricks beneath. Beware!!

Posted by G Bell on 23/10/2009 14:00:16

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Pebble dash: I have inherited a house in a street where 90% of the houses are pebble dashed (LL28) and are still being pebble dashed. I am in a quandry whether to re-do the pebble dash or have my house stand out by being "mere" brick, when I completely renovate over the next 18 months. Like the comment posted by Wolverhampton Rick (coincidentally W'ton is where I usually live too!!) the pebble dash on my house has been there since around 1930, when I think the house was built. There don't appear to be "problems" and I agree with Rick that new pebble dash looks quite good, although I'd probably paint my house straight away. I'd love to read some feedback

Posted by Charlie on 17/08/2009 03:29:30

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I disagree with this advice. I have a 4 bedroom detached house that was built in the 1920's and contrary to the advice given it was not put on to hide shoddy brickwork it was actually put on for the look of the property and it looks excellent giving it a real cottage feel. We have no problem with damp or water ingress. It is still the original pebbledash and so has lasted nearly 90 years. I give it a good dose of masonary paint every 4-5 years and I have no problems with it at all. On the flip side i have an extension that was built in the early 80's that was covered with Tyrelene. It looks a mess and is failing in several places and will have to be replaced in the next couple of years. So much for modern replacements. I am now looking for somebody to pebbledash the extension to match the original.

Posted by Wolverhampton Rich on 06/07/2009 17:02:54

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I am disabled and have been offered to have a walk in shower put in and my bath ripped out but I am very worried that this will devalue my property which I am hoping to sell in a year or two. I am hoping to convince the people concerned to just move my bath instead of removing it but this would involve moving the bath, basin and the toliet as well as having a smaller shower room built in.

Posted by pb on 21/06/2009 02:09:03

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This is my home and its not pebbledash or concrete or fake stone!!!! It is natural stone that was reclaimed and salvaged from the cottage and used in its renovation.

Posted by carina phillips on 25/03/2009 17:28:51

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6. Woodchip Wallpaper

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