How to remove glue residue from previously tiled wall?

[minklet]

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?

[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