Remove paint from wallpaper?

[Vala]

OK I know this is an odd topic, but is there a way to remove paint from 100 year old wallpaper or any way to see what the wallpaper once was? Our house is over 90% all original inside (we have almost all the original plaster too) and there are some rooms with old wallpaper that was painted over and we're dying to know what the paper originally looked like or possibly to restore it. I do believe it was painted over with latex paint sometime in the last few years [before we bought it]. I am not sure if it is more than one coat though.

[lisascenic]

Did you ever get an answer to your question?

[Vala]

Did you ever get an answer to your question?

Unfortunately not. I'm sure there's a way, I mean they xray old painting to see whats underneath. I found other scraps of uncataloged victorian wallpaper under the house (quite fascinating actually, with reflective gold bits)! If it can't be saved it would still be cool to know what it was originally.

I tried rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball on an inconspicuous spot, it took the paint off, but either it only went so far or it removed the wallpapers ink too because after rubbing a while, it got nowhere. very small spot trial spot however.

[StoneHouseGuy]

Hi, just moved into a house that has the same issue. I pulled a corner of the painted paper up next to some of the original untouched wood trim and saw raw plaster as well as some "over-spray" of the stain color from the wood. That says to me the paper under all that pair is probably original.

Like you, I'm dying to know what it was. In my case they used same paint over other layers of paint over the paper so Ill probably never be able to get thru, but if I do, Ill surely let you know what worked.

FYI, I'm thinking of just soaking the whole mess in a tub of plain water - that will or should at least soften the latex top coats and let me peel that off … then ill deal with whatever is under. give that a try and see what comes up.

[StoneHouseGuy]

I wanted to follow up on this older post.

I successfully soaked several layers of paint from old (1906) wallpaper. It was tedious separating the 2, but with some care and about 48 hours of soaking (in something big enough to keep the sample flat) it came apart. See my blog about it - with pictures, too.

[Vala]

Wow very cool. Thanks.

[mross_pitt (WavyGlass)]

Going back to the original question... I would have answered that you can often get around the process of stripping the paint to see the paper by looking further at your walls. Most often you'll find that behind hard to reach, or too lazy to remove items, is your original unpainted wallpaper. Look behind furnace grates, wall mounted thermostats, electrical outlet covers, etc. and the wallpaper is often unpainted.