Anybody Tried This Product?

[bjbatlanta]

Just curious to see if anyone has tried a product called Wallwik for removing paper?? I don't do much actual removal (tried it a couple of times and ended up working to pay my help). I have done a lot of wall repair after paper has been removed by homeowners......... This product claims to be "THE ANSWER" to wallpaper removal. (As I'm sure they all do.) I'm guessing this won't be any better than any other method on the worst case scenario (unprimed drywall), but wondering if it's any better in other cases?? I often do a repair for a customer and they indicate they will be doing another area in the future. Would like to recommend a better solution to them if possible.

[Jeff Evans]

Welcome to the site. First off, I've never tried it out. But I can say, in my own experience- 25 years worth- that there are no shortcuts to the act of getting paper and paste off the wall.

The principle is simple- loosen the bond between the wall and the paste with moisture. How that's achieved is where the differences arise. Some products are more effective than others in getting this done. Safe and Simple is a product I use. I think it works better, but others swear by their methods.

I'd be interested to hear field reports from those who have tried this product, because, although i strip paper less these days, I'd like to make it less time consuming when I do.


jeff

[Bill Archibald]

Jeff,

Barry bought and used some. I hope he weighs in and gives a critique. What I gather from he and Jack Tempesta is that it does work, but perhaps not THE ANSWER.



Brian,

Jeff speaks correctly about stripping. There are few shortcuts but there many techniques to perfect that will speed up any removal job.

If you ever need help with a specific stripping job, be sure to ask here. Someone will know the right trick for the situation. Heck, I wouldn't doubt if you got several different opinions for the same question. :rolleyes:

However, I have not seen any posts explaining a good solution for stripping cleanly off raw rock. Many will stripp it off with damage and then repair the damage, others will prime over old wallpaper - after removing any loose areas. A nasty job no matter what.

-Bill

[bjbatlanta]

I don't think there IS a good way for raw sheetrock. Figured if there was, this would be the place to find out. I'm a drywall contractor so I'm usually there "after the fact" to do the repairs. As stated before, I've actually only done two removal "jobs" other than my own house. The first was '70s era grasscloth and my help made more money on that one than I did. The other was regular paper and wasn't too bad. Both were for friends, or I probably wouldn't have done them to begin with. And my own kitchen was over unprimed drywall. In retrospect I think I'd have been better off priming, glaze coating, and painting, but you know what they say about "hindsight".......
Again, this product kind of piqued my interest and was just looking for input. Always learning! Look forward to more opinions.
Thanks all,
Brian

[Gary Lucas]

I have tried Wallwick. It appears to be designed to keep the wall paper wet for a much longer period. It is a thick material, something like a nonwoven paper, that you dip in water or stripper, and then lay it on the wall. You can also spray it down if it dries out. It works, but I don't think it's any faster than other, more traditional methods. A good product and method will serve you much better.

Gary

[bjbatlanta]

I kind of had the feeling it wasn't going to end up being the "Holy Grail" of wallpaper removal. Thought I'd check with the pros though. (And will look forward to any more input.) And unless someone can come up with a lot easier way to go about it, I won't be trying to make a living at wallpaper removal. I'll stick with fixing the walls after somebody else makes a mess of them. Thanks to all for the responses.

[B Blanchard]

I have used it and just as Gary says it is a product to keep the stripping solution working longer. One job I did was a Van Luit which can be difficult to strip as they use metallic inks (not very porous). If you just used the wallwik you would be unsuccessful. I sanded the surface first, then used wallpaper and paste removal sheets method and it worked very well.

The advantages to wallwik are the it stays wet longer than just spraying the surface of wallpaper so you don't have to do as much spraying. When you need to spray again it doesn't drip nearly as much as spraying the paper so it's neater. I found it to a little less work but not much faster. It's reusable. Otherwise it would be cost prohibitive.

As you suspect and Gary confirms it's not the holy grail of stripping. If there's a paper that doesn't want to come off, this won't make it come off. But if keeping the surface wet is what will work, this will work better than most other options.

[Boston Hangman]

This thread has been brought up in the members section under Guild policy titled "Just curious" regarding the relationships between associates, the paperhanger membership. if you are a member please check this thread out in the Members only section.

[Bill Archibald]

Dennis,

I just visited your site. It's a site for professional painting services. How long have you been at the wall? I ask because I try to help professionals make their lives easier rather than grabbing at advertising promises. Over the past several decades, I feel I have developed stripping systems that are quick and profitable. Yes, once in awhile one does need the benefits of covering a stripping solution with a cover to retard evaporation. I have found that thin plastic sheeting is actually the best thing to use. But usually difficult stripping is solved by other methods than the need to keep the walls covered with a wet blanket.

If you can describe some of the difficult stripping problems you've encountered, I am sure many here can offer solutions that will be quicker and more profitable.







bill archibald, paperhanger, MA (http://billarchibald.com)