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How to remove glue residue from previously tiled wall?

The previous owner of my place had those hexagonal acoustic tiles all over the walls and removing them is an absolute nightmare. After trying multiple substances like goof off and 2 other similar products, a scraper, lots of soapy water and souring pads I'm still nowhere near done.

I'm going to have to spakfilla to repair the bits of torn dry wall paper anyway, can I just sand as much of the adhesive as I can off, skim the entire wall, sand and then paint? Or am I basically stuck with trying to remove it for the next few weeks?

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JacobZ

Hi @minklet,

Have you got any photos of the wall that you can share? This would certainly help our members assess the situation and offer their best advice.

Do you know what kind of adhesive it is? Is it a light brown colour?

If it is light brown, then it is probably Liquid Nails or a similar construction adhesive, which, from experience, won't come off easily with sanding.

Scraping tends to be the best way to remove it because it gums up sandpaper really quickly. I would suggest using a wide joint knife like this Kango 150mm Stainless Joint Knife, which is commonly used in plastering.

Once we can see the photos, we can assess whether this would be the best approach or if other solutions would be viable.

Jacob

minklet

Sure, thanks basically the adhesive that is on the back of those stick on acoustic tiles that Bunnings used to sell. As you can see it's torn off a lot of the paint too, so I'm gonna have to repair a chunk of the wall. There's a LOT of this stuff all over the place, about 50 tiles, and it's taken me about 8 hours to remove about 4 tiles worth of adhesive

Jason

Hi @minklet,

I wonder if you might consider replacing the plasterboard instead? How big is the area?

Jason

minklet

Tbh I have considered do that, but I'm worried about creating a bigger mess. The studs are steel, so the panels are most likely glued, and removing them could wind up being even more of a mess and damage the studs as they're only thin

EricL

Hello @minklet

To help with the glue stripping, I suggest looking at using De-Solv-it 750ml Multi-Purpose Cleaner. Spray the cleaner onto a dry clean rag and wipe it over the glue residue to soften it up. Combined with the Kango 150mm Stainless Joint Knife it should make the glue stripping go faster.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

minklet

I've used that stuff, goof off and Glitz, along with a scraper and a razor scraper, and none of them are doing a great job tbh. It just dissolves a layer into sludge, I remove that and then there's lots more. I'm sure it will happen eventually but it's going to take weeks at this rate.

EricL

Hello @minklet

I can only suggest going to the next level up and thinking about using an XU1 810W Corded Belt Sander. However, a word of warning excessive pushing pressure will cause the belt sander to eat into the panel causing gauges to occur. Please keep this in mind while sanding the surface of the wall.

But if this is not an option for you, it will have to be a long-term cleaning project for you or you take the risk of replacing the panels.

Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a dust mask while you sand the wall down.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

minklet

Just a follow up for anyone using the citrus based adhesive cleaner on walls - DONT.

It soaks into the walls and smells absolutely rancid.

JacobZ

Hi @minklet,

I'm sorry to hear that your experience with this product was not the best.

Having used it before, the smell can be quite strong, but I can assure you it does dissipate.

I'd suggest opening the windows and using some fans to get the air moving through.

How'd you go getting the adhesive off? Was it successful? Did you need any further assistance with this?

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

minklet

It’s been a couple weeks now and the smell is still strong. I got most of the adhesive off and I also cut a bunch of drywall out and replaced it and i used a load of filla to smooth it out and sanded it. The walls ready to paint but the smell is stopping me from trying to polish a turd, so to speak.

The smell is actually rank, it’s like lime mixed with old sweat. Ive tried washing the walls with vinegar and dishsoap. I was considering using BIN paint as a primer, but I might just have to pay someone to replaster the entire wall, which is a problem because as I said its metal studs and it looks like the plaster has been glued to them.

JacobZ

Hi @minklet,

Unfortunately, if it has soaked into the wall through the torn plasterboard, it might be a struggle to get rid of the smell. You could try using an Air Blower to help air things out, but if you've waited this long and it is still there, it may not have much of an effect.

You could try painting over it with this Dulux 1L PRECISION Stain, Smoke & Odour Blocker, which is designed for painting rooms that have stains and strong odours from cigarette smoke. It is designed to encapsulate the odour-causing substances within the plasterboard before applying your topcoat.

If you'd just like to scrap the plasterboard and replace it, it isn't too difficult to scrape the stud adhesive off metal studs, so if you'd like to go down this route, then your plasterer wouldn't be too concerned.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

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