Removing wild wine: the best remedies for sticky roots

A wall covered with wild vines is a beautiful sight. Especially in autumn, when the leaves turn red, it gives the house a touch of romance. Unfortunately, sometimes he has to go. For example, when a facade renovation is due. But its suction feet connect it firmly to the wall. So tight that it can hardly be loosened. How do you get everything off completely?

Remove large vines

The first step in removing wild vines always starts with removing the many tendrils.

1. Cut thick branches directly at the root base with a suitable cutting tool.

2. Wait a few weeks until the wild wine has completely died.

3. Tear off the dead tendrils from the walls. A little force may be required.

Although this work is a bit time-consuming and exhausting, it is still comparatively easy to accomplish. Unfortunately, removing the tendrils is not enough. These come off the wall well, but not completely. Parts of the wild wine, such as the numerous and fine roots and small branches, remain firmly attached to the house wall. Unfortunately, tearing it off does not help here. Nor can they be torn off in an additional operation. They are too numerous and too fine for that. In addition, they are firmly attached to the wall. Other methods must be used here.

Means for removing adherent roots

The dried up suction feet can theoretically be left on the wall. Painting over with wall paint is possible without any problems. However, the visual result leaves a lot to be desired. Small remnants of the adherent roots can still be seen as small dots. So that the unsightly appearance does not subsequently lead to additional work, the adhesive roots should be removed beforehand. There are five methods available for this:

• Burning with a gas burner
• Remove with a pressure washer
• Sanding with a drill
• Soaking with acetic or hydrochloric acid
• Knock off the plaster

The execution of the individual methods is very different from one another. Each individual method has its own requirements in terms of tools, time and costs. That is why everything has to be carefully considered beforehand in order to ultimately find the most suitable method.
Tip: Whichever means you choose for the removal of wild wine, there will usually be several days of work waiting for you. You should therefore plan a generous time budget so that you do not come under time pressure.

Burning with a gas burner

Burning it with a gas burner is a good method to remove the adhesive roots from solid house walls. This method works best on lime plaster. A propane burner works well for this. The removal of the adherent roots with the burner does not require a lot of effort and can therefore be carried out by anyone without any problems.

1. Burn off the plant remains that are still on the wall with a gas burner. Proceed as planned and carefully so as not to miss any spots.

2. After burning, remove the remains with a wire brush.

3. The gas burner and adhesive roots have left traces on the walls. These can be repainted now or at a later date.

Note: This method of root removal is not suitable for walls that are provided with external insulation. The gas burner can damage the insulation.

Remove with a pressure washer

Removing the stubborn suction feet with water is certainly one of the gentlest and most environmentally friendly methods of removing the roots of the wild wine from the walls of the house. The hard water jet pulls the remains off the wall with its strong pressure. Unfortunately, there are still a few suction feet left. With this method it will therefore be necessary to rework here and there.
Tip: Remnants of adhesive roots, against which the high-pressure cleaner could not do anything, can be removed from the wall by hand with a wire brush.

Sanding with a drill

A drill is available in almost every household these days. With a wire brush attachment, it can be converted into a suitable tool for removing wild wine in no time at all. You can get such an attachment cheaply in any hardware store. Alternatively, an angle grinder with a coarse-grained attachment can be used. The sanding method is effective, but also labor-intensive and tedious. For these reasons, it is more advisable when smaller areas have to be freed of adherent roots. It is only suitable to a limited extent for larger areas.
Tip: When sanding off the adhesive roots, part of the plaster is inevitably sanded off. In the process, fine dust is whirled up, which can get into the lungs with the air we breathe. For such work, it is essential to use a face mask and protective goggles, which are also available in hardware stores.

Soaking with acetic or hydrochloric acid

By soaking the roots with acetic acid or, alternatively, diluted hydrochloric acid, they are softly foamed. If necessary, the initiation must be repeated several times. Then the adhesive roots can be removed from the wall with a brush. The wall will only be completely clean when the very fine residues have been sprayed away with a high-pressure cleaner. Using acetic or hydrochloric acid in large quantities is not exactly environmentally friendly. From this point of view, this method is not recommended.
Note: Mineral substrates are replaced by vinegar or Hydrochloric acid attacked. Adhesive roots on such substrates must be removed using a different method.

Knock off the plaster

Sometimes the wild wine is so firmly attached to the subsurface that none of the methods listed above can get it off the wall completely. Then the homeowner has no choice but to knock the plaster off the walls.

• very labor intensive method
• it has to be re-plastered and painted
• hence the most expensive method
• may have to be carried out by a bricklaying company

Due to the disadvantages involved, this type of removal should only be considered if the other four methods do not produce the desired result. A precise cost calculation is recommended so that there is no nasty financial surprise waiting in the end.
Tip: Safety glasses and a dust mask are essential when tapping the plaster, otherwise fine dust particles can get into the respiratory tract.