Just been to look at a house, which is up for sale, The first thing that
greets you is every ceiling is covered with polystyrene tiles including one
wall in one of the bed rooms.  Any one out there tried to remove theses
tiles.  Or is it a question of over plaster boarding and skim ceiling and
try to remove tiles from wall. then skim over.

"keith_765"  wrote in message
news:T1yAe.21085$bh1.1000@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...

> Just been to look at a house, which is up for sale, The first thing
that
> greets you is every ceiling is covered with polystyrene tiles
including one
> wall in one of the bed rooms.  Any one out there tried to remove
theses
> tiles.  Or is it a question of over plaster boarding and skim
ceiling and
> try to remove tiles from wall. then skim over.
>
>


The conventional way of fixing them was five dabs of adhesive ( each
corner plus the middle). If the ceiling had previously been painted
they will probably come down pretty easily with a paint scraper, as
the paint pulls away from the plaster. If it is old enough to have
been painted with distemper they will practically fall away.

AWEM

keith_765 wrote:

> Just been to look at a house, which is up for sale, The first thing
> that greets you is every ceiling is covered with polystyrene tiles
> including one wall in one of the bed rooms.  Any one out there tried
> to remove theses tiles.  Or is it a question of over plaster boarding
> and skim ceiling and try to remove tiles from wall. then skim over.


they'll be a doddle to remove, however they where the fashion at one time
but on the other hand these tiles are like wallpaper they can hide a
multitude of sins.

"keith_765"  wrote in message
news:T1yAe.21085$bh1.1000@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...

> Just been to look at a house, which is up for sale, The first thing that
> greets you is every ceiling is covered with polystyrene tiles including
one
> wall in one of the bed rooms.  Any one out there tried to remove theses
> tiles.  Or is it a question of over plaster boarding and skim ceiling and
> try to remove tiles from wall. then skim over.
>


Personally, I'd rip them all off no matter the mess, then start afresh with
new plaster surfaces.  Messy and time consuming job at the start, but when
you compare it to patching and matching, and the length of time it last
after being done properly.  Then it does work out easier, and maybe cheaper,
to rip out and start again.

They're horrible things.

In article <T1yAe.21085$bh1.1000@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net>,
   keith_765  wrote:

> Just been to look at a house, which is up for sale, The first thing that
> greets you is every ceiling is covered with polystyrene tiles including
> one wall in one of the bed rooms.  Any one out there tried to remove
> theses tiles.  Or is it a question of over plaster boarding and skim
> ceiling and try to remove tiles from wall. then skim over.


They'll come off easy enough, but if they were fixed by dabs of rubber
adhesive it's the very devil. It always seems to show through emulsion,
unless you line the ceiling.

Of course it's also possible they're hiding something nasty.

-- 
*Real women don't have hot flashes, they have power surges.

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 19:02:29 +0100, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:


> In article <T1yAe.21085$bh1.1000@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net>,
>    keith_765  wrote:
>> Just been to look at a house, which is up for sale, The first thing that
>> greets you is every ceiling is covered with polystyrene tiles including
>> one wall in one of the bed rooms.  Any one out there tried to remove
>> theses tiles.  Or is it a question of over plaster boarding and skim
>> ceiling and try to remove tiles from wall. then skim over.
> 
> They'll come off easy enough, but if they were fixed by dabs of rubber
> adhesive it's the very devil. It always seems to show through emulsion,
> unless you line the ceiling.
> 
> Of course it's also possible they're hiding something nasty.


The glue comes of with a heat gun and a scraper, but it's still hard work
and hell on the neck.
-- 
Jim 
         Tyneside UK

"keith_765"  wrote in message 
news:T1yAe.21085$bh1.1000@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...

> Just been to look at a house, which is up for sale, The first thing that
> greets you is every ceiling is covered with polystyrene tiles including 
> one
> wall in one of the bed rooms.  Any one out there tried to remove theses
> tiles.  Or is it a question of over plaster boarding and skim ceiling and
> try to remove tiles from wall. then skim over.
>
>


I've just removed some in a flat that I'm refurbishing. The tiles came away 
easily leaving the glue. I soaked the glue with water on a sponge - and 
after leaving for a while to soak in it scraped off very easily - I was 
pleasantly surprised to find it left an almost perfect surface that could be 
painted over without skimming first.
Without the soaking it's like stabbing at rock.
Hope it works.

Hugh

"BigWallop"  wrote in message 
news:7ayAe.67574$G8.27219@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

>
> "keith_765"  wrote in message
> news:T1yAe.21085$bh1.1000@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...
>> Just been to look at a house, which is up for sale, The first thing that
>> greets you is every ceiling is covered with polystyrene tiles including
> one
>> wall in one of the bed rooms.  Any one out there tried to remove theses
>> tiles.  Or is it a question of over plaster boarding and skim ceiling and
>> try to remove tiles from wall. then skim over.
>>
>
> Personally, I'd rip them all off no matter the mess, then start afresh 
> with
> new plaster surfaces.  Messy and time consuming job at the start, but when
> you compare it to patching and matching, and the length of time it last
> after being done properly.  Then it does work out easier, and maybe 
> cheaper,
> to rip out and start again.

I agree.
>
> They're horrible things.


I agree - and we onceput them up :-(

Mary

>
> 

ben wrote:


> they'll be a doddle to remove, however they where the fashion at one time
> but on the other hand these tiles are like wallpaper they can hide a
> multitude of sins.


My Mum's next door neighbour took well over a week's solid scraping to 
remove the ceiling tiles in their house !  certainlay not  "a doddle"

We didn't even attempt it on our plaster/lath ceilings, just had 'em 
boarded & skimmed. (presuming the ceiling rafters are man enough for the 
job.) which on a 70's build I would doubt looking at the corner cutting 
in our current re-furb. project.

"keith_765"  wrote in message 
news:T1yAe.21085$bh1.1000@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...

> Just been to look at a house, which is up for sale, The first thing that
> greets you is every ceiling is covered with polystyrene tiles including 
> one
> wall in one of the bed rooms.  Any one out there tried to remove theses
> tiles.  Or is it a question of over plaster boarding and skim ceiling and
> try to remove tiles from wall. then skim over.
>


Use a match ;-)

(For the humour-impaired: DO NOT use a match.)

In article <dauak2$odl$1@nwrdmz01.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com>,
	"Andrew Mawson"  writes:

>
>The conventional way of fixing them was five dabs of adhesive ( each
>corner plus the middle). If the ceiling had previously been painted
>they will probably come down pretty easily with a paint scraper, as
>the paint pulls away from the plaster. If it is old enough to have
>been painted with distemper they will practically fall away.


Many years ago as a teenager, I put these up in my bedroom in
my parents house. However, budding diyer as I was even back
then, I did it properly, fully glueing the backs of the tiles.
More recently, my parents went for a major redecoration of my
former bedroom (not DIY). The builder tried to prise one or two
tiles off, and quickly decided it was faster/cheaper to bring
down all the plasterboard, fit new, and reskim.

-- 
Andrew Gabriel

PC Paul  wrote:

> "keith_765"  wrote in message 
> news:T1yAe.21085$bh1.1000@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...
>> Just been to look at a house, which is up for sale, The first thing that
>> greets you is every ceiling is covered with polystyrene tiles including 
>> one
>> wall in one of the bed rooms.  Any one out there tried to remove theses
>> tiles.  Or is it a question of over plaster boarding and skim ceiling and
>> try to remove tiles from wall. then skim over.
>>
> 
> Use a match ;-)


A pump-up sprayer filled with petrol will dissolve the polystyrene, and it
can then be mopped up off the floor.

Or, combined with the last one, it's even more effective.

"Ian Stirling"  wrote in message
news:42d2d4f5$0$6314$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...

> PC Paul  wrote:
> > "keith_765"  wrote in message
> > news:T1yAe.21085$bh1.1000@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...
> >> Just been to look at a house, which is up for sale, The first thing
that
> >> greets you is every ceiling is covered with polystyrene tiles including
> >> one
> >> wall in one of the bed rooms.  Any one out there tried to remove theses
> >> tiles.  Or is it a question of over plaster boarding and skim ceiling
and
> >> try to remove tiles from wall. then skim over.
> >>
> >
> > Use a match ;-)
>
> A pump-up sprayer filled with petrol will dissolve the polystyrene, and it
> can then be mopped up off the floor.
>
> Or, combined with the last one, it's even more effective.


Thanks to all who took time to reply.
From the suggestion given, it looks like either strip them off and then
soaking the adhesive with water or leave on and board over and skim.
If I remember right the adhesive was water based.

Cant afford the petrol. Although it seem practical and I like your sense of
humour.LOL

In article <dauegs$khg$1@nwrdmz03.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com>,
   Hugh  wrote:

> I've just removed some in a flat that I'm refurbishing. The tiles came
> away easily leaving the glue. I soaked the glue with water on a sponge
> - and after leaving for a while to soak in it scraped off very easily -
> I was pleasantly surprised to find it left an almost perfect surface
> that could be painted over without skimming first. Without the soaking
> it's like stabbing at rock. Hope it works.


Sounds like they were fixed with a water soluble glue. You were very
lucky. ;-)

-- 
*I believe five out of four people have trouble with fractions. *

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Andrew Gabriel wrote:

> In article <dauak2$odl$1@nwrdmz01.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com>,
> 	"Andrew Mawson"  writes:
> 
>>The conventional way of fixing them was five dabs of adhesive ( each
>>corner plus the middle). If the ceiling had previously been painted
>>they will probably come down pretty easily with a paint scraper, as
>>the paint pulls away from the plaster. If it is old enough to have
>>been painted with distemper they will practically fall away.
> 
> 
> Many years ago as a teenager, I put these up in my bedroom in
> my parents house. However, budding diyer as I was even back
> then, I did it properly, fully glueing the backs of the tiles.
> More recently, my parents went for a major redecoration of my
> former bedroom (not DIY). The builder tried to prise one or two
> tiles off, and quickly decided it was faster/cheaper to bring
> down all the plasterboard, fit new, and reskim.
> 

This is always a good fallback position in any DIY

"When in doubt, rip it (all) out."

I have generally found in all things from car repairs to upgrading 
houses, that removeing anything that is a pain completely and replacing 
with new nmaterials, is quicker, cheaper and more staisfactory.

On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 00:03:50 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
 wrote:


>Sounds like they were fixed with a water soluble glue. You were very
>lucky. ;-)


People used to stick them up with normal wall paper paste. With these
it's just a case of scraping them off and removing any remnants with a
steam stripper.

Then the glue companies invented "Polystyrene tile adhesive" which is
a b*gger to remove.

sponix

In message <oeBAe.29998$y86.16297@newsfe1-win.ntli.net>
          "keith_765"  wrote:


> 
> "Ian Stirling"  wrote in message
> news:42d2d4f5$0$6314$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...
>> PC Paul  wrote:
>>> "keith_765"  wrote in message
>>> news:T1yAe.21085$bh1.1000@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...
>>>> Just been to look at a house, which is up for sale, The first thing that
>>>> greets you is every ceiling is covered with polystyrene tiles
>>>
>>> Use a match ;-)
>>
>> A pump-up sprayer filled with petrol will dissolve the polystyrene, and it
>> can then be mopped up off the floor.
>>
>> Or, combined with the last one, it's even more effective.
> 
> Thanks to all who took time to reply.
> From the suggestion given, it looks like either strip them off


Use a garden hoe to get the bulk of them off. Your arms will still be
useable the next day if you do...

         Anthony

Some respondents imply that steam or water will only remove tiles that
were stuck on with wallpaper paste or something similar.

My house had some poly tiles stuck to one ceiling. I removed the bulk
of them mechanically with a paint scraper. Each tile was stuck to the
ceiling with five blobs of glue. The type of glue was unknown, but I
would assume it was something sold as a poly tile adhesive.

I was delighted to discover that a steam wallpaper stripper rapidly
softened the adhesive and it was possible to entirely remove it with a
paint scraper.

Once the glue was removed, it only took a couple of coats of paint to
produce a flawless ceiling.

I had initially been resigned to replacing or re-plastering that
ceiling, but was surprised at just how cleanly the adhesive could be
removed.

In article ,
   Roly  wrote:

> My house had some poly tiles stuck to one ceiling. I removed the bulk
> of them mechanically with a paint scraper. Each tile was stuck to the
> ceiling with five blobs of glue. The type of glue was unknown, but I
> would assume it was something sold as a poly tile adhesive.

> I was delighted to discover that a steam wallpaper stripper rapidly
> softened the adhesive and it was possible to entirely remove it with a
> paint scraper.


The worst type was some form of rubber adhesive, and nothing I tried  -
including steam would remove it easily. Of course, if it was on some form
of soluble paint like distemper, that may have given way to the steam.

-- 
*Why do the two "sanction"s (noun and verb) mean opposites?*

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article , 
"Rolyata@Tesco.net" Rolyata@Tesco.net says...

> Some respondents imply that steam or water will only remove tiles that
> were stuck on with wallpaper paste or something similar.
> 
> My house had some poly tiles stuck to one ceiling. I removed the bulk
> of them mechanically with a paint scraper. Each tile was stuck to the
> ceiling with five blobs of glue. The type of glue was unknown, but I
> would assume it was something sold as a poly tile adhesive.
> 
> I was delighted to discover that a steam wallpaper stripper rapidly
> softened the adhesive and it was possible to entirely remove it with a
> paint scraper.
> 

Obviously not the stuff they used in my dining room then - scraping 
pulled off chunks of plaster, steaming didn't touch it.  I eventually 
attached a hot air gun and a scraper to a length of 2x1, which did 
the job but the fumes were nasty and wearing a respirator made it 
really uncomfortable even at a distance - I needed to get quite a lot 
of heat into the plaster and it soon got too hot to be comfortable 
working near it.  Maybe I'll try using a big fan to keep the air 
clear, and finish it off when the weather cools down.