How do I remove old crusty adhesive from a wall?

Here's a post that might help - https://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-remove-adhesive-from-painted-walls

I would cover with bead board or new dry wall. Personally I love the look of bead board but may look odd unless you tie it in with something like a focal point like a chair and lamp. Put drywall (you can buy it thin since it is only a cover) if nothing else in the room doesn't go with it. You could possibly spackle over it with a cross hatch pattern, but that is pretty time consuming. You just load up a 4" putty blade and smear the spackling compound in all directions with about a 10" stroke. It goes on easily and has a great Tuscan feel when it is painted. Doesn't look like you are going to get that mess off any time in this century.

Hi, Wendy!

I agree with using beadboard or paneling... It will be a lot less work plus, the paneling also comes in brick or reclaimed wood patterns! I hope this helps!

I bought a 90 year old house and had a similar problem in the kitchen after we demo-ed. We put in new electric and then put up 1/4-inch dry wall. You would never know the difference after priming and painting. We glued and screwed the drywall into place. Good luck!

Wow, yeah, you might be best off covering over it with a panel product of some sort.

Take Dana's new reciprocating saw to that mess. Put up new drywall.

Resurfacing with drywall compound probably wouldn't work. It would more likely flake off and trying to get a smooth surface is not easy. That adhesive would too hard to remove without damaging the wall. Covering with bead board or paneling would be the easiest. Personally I would demo the wall, insulate, and hang new drywall.

Sheet Rock is Drywall. Just by another name.

It might chip off if done lightly with a hammer but some of the wall board paper will come with it. So, it would be better to go to shiplap, thin wall board, or bead board or even do a board and batten type wall.

Sorry my comment is late to the game, but seriously cover it up. There might be asbestos or worse in it. Good luck.

YES THEY ARE THE SAME. Sheetrock is a brand name (like Kleenex) and drywall is the same product just without a brand name. Sheetrock is a company name that provides "drywall" and "drywall" products. They are the same as the generic "drywall". Also known as the generic "wall board".

https://homefixcos.com/difference-sheetrock-drywall/

What you may have is plaster and lathe or wire mesh. A stucco scratch coat of mortar over lathe/wire mesh and a finish skim coat of plaster over the scratch coat.

William is right. It sounds like plaster / lathe. Love this stuff. Plaster is not going rip apart if you over clean or scrape. If you do gouge, you just apply some compound and then smooth over with a wet sponge when dry.

Have you researched how to remove various adhesives? There might be an easy solution to this. Personally, I would try to do this and get as much off as possible without too much elbow grease. Here's a google search link to get you started.

Shame the remuddlers wrecked the walls.

Good luck with your project!

Smooth as best you can. Drywall over top. Finished.