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 = £24.00 for the weekend.

"We all know that running a home can be costly so great savings are essential
and helpful to a balanced home life".

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