GB1605154A

GB1605154A - Method of removing emulsion-painted wallpaper

Info

Publication number: GB1605154A
Application number: GB2239680A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Sterling Winthrop Group Ltd
Current assignee: SmithKline Beecham SWG Ltd
Priority date: 1978-05-31
Filing date: 1978-05-31
Publication date: 1982-05-19

Description

(54) METHOD OF REMOVING EMULSION PAINTED WALLPAPER (71) We, STERLING WINTHROP GROUP UNITED, a British Company, at Inveresk House, Aldwych, London WC2R OHF, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following state ment:- The present invention relates to a method of removing an emulsion-painted wallpaper from a supporting surface.

Wallpapers coated with a water-resistant emulsion paint or like substance are extremely difficult to remove since the coating prevents penetration of water, even aided by the surfactants usually present in wallpaper removers, into a paper to soften the paper and backing adhesive to allow its removal from the wall. Until now tedious and laborious methods, such as scoring and scrubbing with a wire brush, have had to be employed to break the surface, prior to application of water, to allow penetration of the latter into the paper.

The object of the invention is to provide a less laborious method of removing emulsionpainted wallpaper than has previously been available.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of removing, from a supporting surface, wallpaper having a surface coating of emulsion paint containing a plastics binder resin, including the steps of applying to the surface coating an emulsion-painted wallpaper remover including at least one solvent capable of dissolving said plastics resin and/or a plasticizer for the plastics resin, an emulsifying agent and a thickening or suspending agent, the solvent or plasticizer or mixture thereof having a flash point above 35"C, a boiling point above 120"C and an evaporation number greater than 30, based on the evaporation number of diethyl ether being 1, leaving the wallpaper remover to soften the binder resin to form a cohesion, pliable plasticized paint film and removing the plasticized paint film together with any underlying paper adhering thereto.

The emulsion-painted wallpaper remover used in the method of the present invention may contain a solvent or plasticizer for the paint binder resin since the effect of the remover, in use, is to soften and plasticize the paint film to allow its removal as a coherent layer rather than to dissolve the resin completely. To this end, the proportion of solvent and/or plasticizer in the wallpaper remover is carefully regulated to give this desired result.

The thickening or suspending agent is provided to thicken the wallpaper remover and/or to help suspend an inert filler in the solvent or plasticizer to thicken the composition to allow it to be spread on a painted wallpaper and to remain, particularly on a vertical surface.

The wallpaper remover may be applied to an emulsion-painted wallpaper with a convenient applicator such as a paint brush or paint roller. After a period of time depending on the nature and thickness of the paint, but normally between 15 minutes and 24 hours, to allow the solvent and/or plasticizer to act on the emulsion paint binder resin, the paint film may then be removed, together with underlying paper adhering thereto.

It has been found that an application of approximately 20two by weight of solvents per weight of emulsion paint binder resin gives very good results.

Water, either incorporated in the wallpaper remover or added subsequently, is preferably also applied to the painted wallpaper prior to its removal in order to soften the backing adhesive and release the paper from the supporting surface; the softening of the paint film due to the action of the present wallpaper remover allows penetration of the water into the paper for this purpose. Alternatively, sol vents provided in the wallpaper remover may themselves be solvents for the wallpaper adhesive, in which case no water would be required.

The softened paper and adhesive, together with any remaining paint film, may be removed, for example, by scraping after the removal of most of the paint film.

Domestic emulsion paints, in common use, contain various binder reisns such as polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride, polyacrylates, vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymers, vinyl ace Water Flash Evaporation Boiling Mscibility Point Number Range GLYCOL ETHERS C (diethyl ether = 1) C Ethylene glycol monomethyl ether M 38 34 122-127 (1 methoxy.24iydroxyethane) Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether M 42 43 132-137 (1 -ethoxy-2-hydroxyethane) Diethylene glycol monomethyl ether M 87 900 190-196 (2-hydroxy-2'-methoxy-diethyl ether) Diethylene glycol mono-nbutyl ether M 98 1200 226-234 (2-hydroxy-2 -butoxy-diethyl ether) Diethylene glycol dimethyl ether M 57 90 155-165 di (2-methoxyethyl) ether Ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether M 60 160 167-173 (1 -n-butoxy-2-hydroxythane) "Dalpad A" I 129 245-275 (aromatic glycol ether) Diethylene glycol monoethyl ether M 90 1200 196-204 (2-hydroxy-2'-ethoxy-diethyl ether) Butoxybethoxypropanol Triethylene glycol monoethyl ether Triethylene glycol mononbutyl ether ESTERS Ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate M 44 34 142-148 (2-methoxy ethyl acetate) Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate 28% 51 60 152-158 (2-ethoxy ethyl acetate) Glycollic acid n-butyl ester 25% 75 460 186-200 3-Methoxy-n-butyl acetate 3% 60 75 169-173 Diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether acetate 5% 108 1200 244-250 (2-butoxy-2 cetoxy diethyl ether) 2,2,4 - trimethyl-3-hydroxypentyl isobutyrate I 120 244 ALCOHOLS Diacetone Alcohol M 58 135 162-169 Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol M 74 190 178 Diethylene glycol tate-acrylate copolymers and vinyl acetateethylene-vinyl chloride terpolymers. Many washable wallpapers, other than vinyl papers, also have a coating containing one of the above binder resins, and particularly acrylic, polyvinyl acetate and polyvinyl chloride resins.

Such coatings are applied to the wallpaper during manufacture, in the form of an emulsion, but without the pigments and fillers of the domestic emulsion paint, to provide a transparent, water-resistant surface film.

Washable wallpapers of the duplex type, that is, those comprising two bonded layers of paper coated with a relatively thick layer of resin may, in fact, be removed by the method of the invention since the resin coating is usually sufficiently thick to be plasticized to form a coherent film. The thinner resin coating of simplex wallpapers, on the other hand, may simply be softened so that it can be removed by scraping but may not be sufficiently coherent to be removed in strips.

In order to allow the wallpaper remover to be used onthe wide variety of emulsion paints and washable wallpapers mentioned above, it may include a single solvent or plasticizer capable of dissolving a wide range of the polymers mentioned above or a plurality of solvents each capable of dissolving one or more of the above polymers and/or a plasticizer for one or more of the above polymers.

Since wallpapers are commonly used over large areas of wall or ceiling, a considerable quantity of wallpaper remover is required at any one time. The solvents and plasticizers provided in a painted wallpaper remover used in the present invention, have a high boiling point and a low vapour pressure at normal room temperature to reduce their evaporation, in use, and hence the precautions necessary for their use in large quantities and/or in confined spaces. They preferably also have a low toxicity and mild odour and a flash point above 350C; the wallpaper remover is then relatively safe and pleasant to use in large quantities compared with known paint removers, which have been developed primarily for removing the more resistant gloss paints, and which often contain noxious, highly volatile and/or inflammable solvents.

Solvents which have been found useful for incorporation in a painted wallpaper remover used in the present invention are glycol ethers, esters and alcohols having a boiling point above 120 C, a flash point above 35 C and an evaporation number greater than 30 (based on the evaporation number of diethyl ether = 1). Some solvents having lower boiling points than 1200C are also useful when combined with other solvents in proportions such as to ensure a boiling point higher than 1 200C for the mixture.

The provision of solvents with low vapour pressures in the wallpaper remover also renders them more efficient as less solvent evaporates during a prolonged period of soaking of the painted wallpaper, in use.

Examples of suitable solvents for the present invention are given in the table on the previous page wherein M = miscible and I = immiscible: Examples of suitable plasticizers for the present invention, that is, substances capable of penetrating a hardened emulsion paint layer and plasticizing the binder resin, are as follows: dibutyl phthalate, tricresol phosphate, tributyl phosphate, triethylene glycol dicapryplate, ditridecyl phthalate, certain di-alkyl adipate and tri-alkyl trimellitate compounds and esters of phthalate nylonate.

The wallpaper remover may, for some applications, simply comprise the solvent, or a mix- ture of solvents, a thickening or suspending agent and an emulsifying agent, but for most uses it prfeerably includes up to 50% by weight of inert filler to improve its spreading capacity.

Alternatively, or in addition, it may contain a diluent, such as water, the inert filler and water preferably comprising less than 75% by volume of the paper remover. The inclusion of an inert filler or diluent is useful both for economic reasons and to prevent the application of a high concentration of solvent to a small surface area, although alternatively, a concentrated wallpaper remover may be diluted with water immediately prior to use.

Inert fillers which are useful for the present purpose are, for example, finely ground clay, chalk, talc and asbestine.

The suspending or thickening agent in the wallpaper remover has the function of thickening the wallpaper remover to assist the spreading capacity of the solvents in embodiments containing little or no inert filling material. It also assists the retention of an inert filler or powdered emulsifying agent in suspension in embodiments containing such particles. Suitable suspending and thickening agents are emulsifying waxes, high molecular weight polyethylene glycols, celluslosic polymers, such as hydroxypropyl cellulose, and the surface treated clays, such as a magnesium montorilionite known as "Bentone" (Registered Trade Mark) gellant.

The thickening or suspending agent may constitute up to 40% by weight of the wallpaper remover.

The thickening or suspending agent has the added advantage of helping to prevent evaporation of the solvent during soaking of the wallpaper, although up to 1OOJo by weight of at least one humectant, such as glycerine, propylene glycol or polyethylene glycol is preferable included for this purpose.

The emulsifying agent provided in the wallpaper remover assists the solvents or plasticizers to reemulsify the paint layer to facilitate its removal. In addition, the emulsifying agent is preferably a detergent or wetting agent which can assist the penetration of water, or another suitable solvent, through the paper to soften the wallpaper adhesive so that the paper can be scraped from the wall in the usual manner.

In compositions containing solvents and/or plasticizers immiscible with each other or with water, an emulsifying agent is chosen which can also stabilize the composition and in such cases, the emulsifying agent may constitute up to 40% by weight of the wallpaper remover. If this additional stabilizer action is not required, however, much lower emulsifying agents for use in the wallpaper removers are: a substituted ethylene oxide condensate, an alkyl phenol ethoxylate, a fatty alcohol suphate and Empilan KA5 (Registered Trade Mark). "Bentone" gellant and emulsifying waxes act both as thickening and suspending agents and as emulsion fying agents.

The wallpaper remover may also include a reodorant such as a high-boiling terpene oil, for example, pine oil.

The method of the invention and emulsionpainted wallpaper removers for use therein will now be more particularly described by way of example: Example I An emulsion painted wallpaper remover for use in the present invention has the following composition by weight: Mó by Ingredient weight Function Hydroxpropyl cellulose 1 thickening agent Tetrahydrofurfuryl high boiling alcohol 25 alcohol solvent Diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl glycol ether ether 25 solvent Ethylene glycol mono-ethyl ether glycol ester acetate 25 solvent Alkyl phenol ethoxylate 2 emulsifying agent Pine oil 5 reodorant Water 17 diluent Example 2 An emulsion painted wallpaper remover for use in the present invention has the following composition by weight:: %0 by Ingredient weight Function Hydroxypropyl cellulose 1 thickening agent Tetrahydrofurfuryl high boiling alcohol 30 alcohol solvent Diethylene glycol glycol ether monomethyl ether 30 solvent Glycollic acid n- high boiling butyl ester 30 ester solvent A fatty alcohol con densate of ethylene oxide 4 emulsifying agent High boiling terpene oil 5 reodorant Example 3 A third embodiment of an emulsion painted wallpaper remover for use in the present invention has the following composition by weight:: % by Ingredient weight Function Hydroxypropyl cellulose 0.5 suspending agent Diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl high boiling ester ether acetate 48 solvent A fatty alcohol sulpate 2 emulsifying agent Pine oil 5 reodorant Finely ground clay, talc, chalk or asbes tine or a mixture of two or more of inert filing these 44.5 material Example 4 A fourth embodiment of an emulsion painted wallpaper remover for use in the present invention has the following composition:: %by Ingredient weight Function Hydroxypropyl cellulose 0.5 suspending agent Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol 10 solvent Diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl acetate 25 solvent Pine oil 5 reodorant Ethylene oxide fatty alcohol condensate 2 emulsifying agent Ground chalk 20 inert filler Fine ground clay 10 inert filler Water 27.5 diluent The compositions of Examples 1 to 4 are made by simple mechanical mixing. More particularly, the compositions of Examples 2 and 4 are made by adding the hydroxypropyl cellulose slowly to the diethylene glycol solvent, with continual mixing. When these are fully dispersed, the tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol is added and the mixture is stirred until a clear solution is obtained.The remairlder of the ingredients are then added in the order shown, the viscosity being adjusted to around 5 poisel 20"C (using an ICI Rotothiner) by varying the water content slightly to allow for batch variations in the quality of the ingredients.

Example S A fifth embodiment of a wallpaper remover for use in the invention has the following composition: SO by Ingredient weight Function Diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether 12.0 solvent N-butyl ester of glycollic acid 35.0 solvent Klucel H (Reg istered Trade Mark 0.3 thickening agent Glycerine 5.0 humectant Empilan KA5 (Reg istered Trade Mark 1.0 emulsifying agent Fine clay (FPC) 41.7 inert filling Pine oil 2.0 reodorant The composition is made by premixing the Klucel H and glycerine and adding them, with stirring, to the premixed solvents. The mixture is allowed to stand for about one hour until a clear sol is obtained.

The other ingredients are then added separately, with stirring in the order: pine oil; empilan KA5; fne clay.

Example 6 A further embodiment of a wallpaper remover for use in the present invention has the following composition: % by Ingredient weight Function Diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether 25.00 solvent Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol 12.00 solvent Diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether acetate 12.00 solvent Hydroxypropyl cellulose 0.5 thickening agent Glycering (Technical grade) 1.25 humectant Ethylene oxide fatty alcohol was pliable and easily removable from the board whereas that tested with the composition for comparison was nearly dry, the solvent having evaporated.

In use of one of the wallpaper removers of Examples 1 to 11 above in a domestic situation, the wallpaper remover is spread with a brush or roller, over a papered wall covered with hardened emulsion paint and the remover is left to soften the emulsion-paint binder resin until a cohesive, pliable paint film is formed. This may take several hours and, particularly in the case of a wallpaper coated with several layers of emulsion paint, the wallpaper remover is left to act on the paint film overnight.

The paint layer and underlying wallpaper are then scored with a sharp instrument, such as a knife or scraper blade, the score line preferably being substantially horizontal. The edge of the paint film adjacent the score mark is then raised with the knife or scraper and the raised edge is pulled away from the supporting surface to remove a strip of the paint film progressively therefrom.

Unless the paint surface comprises a large number (more than eight) coats of paint it should be possible to remove all the layers of kpaint with a single application of the painted wallpaper remover, the thickness of the application and time between application and removal depending on the number of coats to be removed. If necessary, however, one or more further applications of the wallpaper remover are made, sufficient time being allowed after each application for the solvents and/or plasticizers to act on the paint film before the paint is removed.

The lowest layer of paint is, in many cases, sufficiently bonded to the paper for at least the surface layer of the paper to be raised together with the paint film; the backing layer of paper and adhesive attaching it to the supporting surface must be removed in a subsequent step.

After the paint layer has been softened by the wallpaper remover, any water, or other solvent for the adhesive, present in the wallpaper remover, can penetrate the paint layer to soften the backing paper and adhesive to allow its removal, the detergent or wetting action of the emulsifying agent assisting the penetration. If the wallpaper remover used contains little or no water, or other solvent for the adhesive, water is applied to the wallpaper separately, preferably after the paint has been softened. The backing paper may be removed, for example, by scraping after the plasticized paint film and any paper adhering thereto has been removed.

Attention is directed to my application No.

32100/77, from which the present application is divided, which describes and claims an emulsion-painted wallpaper remover for removing wallpaper having a hardened coating of an emulsion paint containing plastics binder resin, including at least one solvent capable of dissolving the plastics resin and/or at least one plasticizer capable of plasticizing the plastics resin; an emulsifying agent, and a thickening or suspending agent, the solvent or plasticizer or mixture thereof having a flash point above 350C, a boiling point above 12(1-C and an evaporation number greater than 30, based on the evaporation number of diethyl ether being 1; and the wallpaper remover being such that, if spread on a vertical emulsion-painted wallpaper surface, it will remain on the surface and plasticize the emulsion paint to form a coherent, pliable paint film.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method for removing, from a supporting surface, wallpaper having a surface coating of emulsion paint containing a plastics binder resin, including the steps of applying to the surface coating an emulsion-painted wallpaper remover including at least one solvent capable of dissolving said plastics resin and/or a plasticizer for the plastics resin, an emulsifying agent and a thickening or suspending agent, the solvent or plasticizer or mixture thereof having a flash point above 35"C, a boiling point above 1200C and an evaporation number greater than 30, based on the evaporation number of diethyl ether being 1, leaving the wallpaper remover to soften the binder resin to form a cohesive, pliable plasticized paint film and removing the plasticized paint film together with any underlying paper adhering thereto.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, in which, once the cohesive, pliable paint film has been formed, the paint film and underlying paper are scored with a sharp instrument, the edge of the paint film and any adhering paper adjacent the score mark are raised and the raised edge is pulled away from the supporting surface to remove a strip of the paint film and adhering paper progressively from the surface.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which water is applied to the surface coating after the coating has been plasticized by the wallpaper remover to soften the apper and adhesive attaching the paper to the supporting surface.

4. A method as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2 or Claim 3, in which the emulsion-painted wallpaper remover is left to soften the paint film for a period of several hours.

5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the or each solvent is a glycol ether, a glycol ester or an alcohol.

6. A mehtod as claimed in Claim 5, in which the or each solvent is one of the following solvents: ethylene glycol monomethyl ether; ethylene glycol monoethyl ether; diethylene glycol monomethyl ether; diethylene glycol mono-nbutyl ether; diethylene glycol dimethyl ether; ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether; diethylene glycol monoethyl ether; butoxyethoxy propanol triethylene glycol monethyl ether; triethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether; ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate; ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate; glycollic acid n-butyl

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Claims

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was pliable and easily removable from the board whereas that tested with the composition for comparison was nearly dry, the solvent having evaporated.

In use of one of the wallpaper removers of Examples 1 to 11 above in a domestic situation, the wallpaper remover is spread with a brush or roller, over a papered wall covered with hardened emulsion paint and the remover is left to soften the emulsion-paint binder resin until a cohesive, pliable paint film is formed. This may take several hours and, particularly in the case of a wallpaper coated with several layers of emulsion paint, the wallpaper remover is left to act on the paint film overnight.

The paint layer and underlying wallpaper are then scored with a sharp instrument, such as a knife or scraper blade, the score line preferably being substantially horizontal. The edge of the paint film adjacent the score mark is then raised with the knife or scraper and the raised edge is pulled away from the supporting surface to remove a strip of the paint film progressively therefrom.

Unless the paint surface comprises a large number (more than eight) coats of paint it should be possible to remove all the layers of kpaint with a single application of the painted wallpaper remover, the thickness of the application and time between application and removal depending on the number of coats to be removed. If necessary, however, one or more further applications of the wallpaper remover are made, sufficient time being allowed after each application for the solvents and/or plasticizers to act on the paint film before the paint is removed.

The lowest layer of paint is, in many cases, sufficiently bonded to the paper for at least the surface layer of the paper to be raised together with the paint film; the backing layer of paper and adhesive attaching it to the supporting surface must be removed in a subsequent step.

After the paint layer has been softened by the wallpaper remover, any water, or other solvent for the adhesive, present in the wallpaper remover, can penetrate the paint layer to soften the backing paper and adhesive to allow its removal, the detergent or wetting action of the emulsifying agent assisting the penetration. If the wallpaper remover used contains little or no water, or other solvent for the adhesive, water is applied to the wallpaper separately, preferably after the paint has been softened. The backing paper may be removed, for example, by scraping after the plasticized paint film and any paper adhering thereto has been removed.

Attention is directed to my application No.

32100/77, from which the present application is divided, which describes and claims an emulsion-painted wallpaper remover for removing wallpaper having a hardened coating of an emulsion paint containing plastics binder resin, including at least one solvent capable of dissolving the plastics resin and/or at least one plasticizer capable of plasticizing the plastics resin; an emulsifying agent, and a thickening or suspending agent, the solvent or plasticizer or mixture thereof having a flash point above 350C, a boiling point above 12(1-C and an evaporation number greater than 30, based on the evaporation number of diethyl ether being 1; and the wallpaper remover being such that, if spread on a vertical emulsion-painted wallpaper surface, it will remain on the surface and plasticize the emulsion paint to form a coherent, pliable paint film.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method for removing, from a supporting surface, wallpaper having a surface coating of emulsion paint containing a plastics binder resin, including the steps of applying to the surface coating an emulsion-painted wallpaper remover including at least one solvent capable of dissolving said plastics resin and/or a plasticizer for the plastics resin, an emulsifying agent and a thickening or suspending agent, the solvent or plasticizer or mixture thereof having a flash point above 35"C, a boiling point above 1200C and an evaporation number greater than 30, based on the evaporation number of diethyl ether being 1, leaving the wallpaper remover to soften the binder resin to form a cohesive, pliable plasticized paint film and removing the plasticized paint film together with any underlying paper adhering thereto.
2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, in which, once the cohesive, pliable paint film has been formed, the paint film and underlying paper are scored with a sharp instrument, the edge of the paint film and any adhering paper adjacent the score mark are raised and the raised edge is pulled away from the supporting surface to remove a strip of the paint film and adhering paper progressively from the surface.
3. A method as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which water is applied to the surface coating after the coating has been plasticized by the wallpaper remover to soften the apper and adhesive attaching the paper to the supporting surface.
4. A method as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2 or Claim 3, in which the emulsion-painted wallpaper remover is left to soften the paint film for a period of several hours.
5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the or each solvent is a glycol ether, a glycol ester or an alcohol.
6. A mehtod as claimed in Claim 5, in which the or each solvent is one of the following solvents: ethylene glycol monomethyl ether; ethylene glycol monoethyl ether; diethylene glycol monomethyl ether; diethylene glycol mono-nbutyl ether; diethylene glycol dimethyl ether; ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether; diethylene glycol monoethyl ether; butoxyethoxy propanol triethylene glycol monethyl ether; triethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether; ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate; ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate; glycollic acid n-butyl

ester; 3-methoxy-n-butyl acetate; diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether acetate; 2, 2, 4 - trimethyl-3-hydroxypentyl isobutyrate; diacetone alcohol; tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol.
7. A method as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, in which the or each plasticizer in the emulsion-painted wallpaper remover is one of the following: dibutyl phthalate, tricresol phosphate, tributyl phospate, triethylene glycol dicaprylate, di-tridecyl phthalate, certain dialkyl adipate and tri-alkyltrimellitate compounds and esters of phthalate nylonate.
8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the emulsifying agent constitutes up to 40% by weight of the wallpaper remover.
9. A method as claimed in Claim 8, in which the emulsifying agent is: a fatty acid amide of diethanolamine, a substituted ethylene oxide condensate, an alkyl phenol ethosylate or a fatty alcohol sulphate, or several of these mixed together.
10. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the thickening or suspending agent constitutes up to 40% by weight of the emulsion-painted wall ap er remover.
11. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the thickening or suspending agent is: an emulsifying wax; a cellulosic polymer; a surface treated clay; or a high molecular weight polyethylene glycol.
12. A method as claimed in Claim 11, in which the cellulosic polymer is hydroxypropyl cellulose.
13. Amethod as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the emulsion-painted wallpaper remover further includes up to 50% by weight of inert filler.
14. A method as claimed in Claim 13, in which the inert filler comprises one or more of the following substances in a finely ground state: clay; chalk, talc and asbestine.
15. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the emulsion-painted wallpaper remover further includes a diluent.
16. An emulsion-painted wallpaper remover as claimed in Claim 15, in which the diluent is water.
17. Amethod as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the emulsion-painted wallpaper remover further includes up to 10% by weight of humectant.
18. A method as claimed in Claim 17, in which the humectant is: glycerine; propylene glycol; or a polyethylene glycol.
19. A method for removing, from a supporting surface, wallpaper having a surface coating of emulsion paint containing a plastics binder resin, including the steps of applying to the surface coating an emulsion-painted wallpaper remover substantially as herein described, with reference to the examples, leaving the wallpaper remover to soften the binder resin to form a cohesive, pliable plasticized paint film and removing the plasticized paint film together with any underlying paper adhering thereto.