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I'm usually using removable adhesive putty to fix stuff on the wall (mainly plastic I'm writing on). But this time the sticks don't stick on the surface because of a condensation issue (rock issue).

I can't use pins (too hard and would damage the wall: thin layer of plaster on old rocks), I can't drill holes for that (I would need 10+ holes per plastic and the landlord...).

I need to find a cheap and removable solution that would stick on my wet wall.

Any idea?

ps: the question is not about drying a wet wall.

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    If it's condensation from the air on your side of the wall (and not water seeping through the wall) if you dry the wall with a hairdryer, the putty should stick and further condensation will not be able to get between the putty and the wall so it should stay there. Though if it's large sheets of plastic, I'd be worried about it trapping moisture and causing mold issues.
    – Johnny
    Dec 9, 2016 at 17:04
  • If the plaster is smooth enough, suction cups might work. As long as the wall isn't too wet, suction cups usually work better with a little bit of moisture anyway.
    – Dan A.
    Dec 9, 2016 at 17:22
  • I can't see suction cups or putty working reliably on a wet plaster wall. What's the ceiling scenario? How large of an area do you wish to use?
    – isherwood
    Dec 9, 2016 at 17:33
  • Tough problem, you might try gaffer tape. Every tenant should own a roll of gaffer tape, the good $25/roll stuff not the cheap $15/roll stuff. It's made for gaffers who need to tape up temporary lighting and wiring, on sets or in executives' offices where marring the surface or leaving sticky residue is a dealbreaker. It still sticks very well. Extended use plus UV (sunlight) exposure voids the ability to come off clean.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Dec 9, 2016 at 19:01
  • thanks for your creativity, you are awesome! I'll try to dry it and see if the putty remains after, I 'll let you know. Suction cups is also creative but wont work in my case since 1/ the wall is not smooth enough, 2/ it's sometime very dry 3/ the plastic is 105x50cm (I use a roll of books cover as a board: it's not rigid at all), so it would require quite a lot of cups 4/ and I confess I don't know how cups could help me to stick the plastic (it should be fixed on the wall not jut hanged)
    – J. Does
    Dec 9, 2016 at 19:44

2 Answers 2

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If you have sufficient space, and in this case, it's not all that much, you could consider a modified lean-to for your purpose. A horizontal pole from which the plastic is suspended with a vertical pole at each end. The vertical poles would be vertical referenced to the horizontal sheet suspension pole, but not-vertical referenced to local gravity. Orbital dynamics are not considered in this example.

The poles would be longer than the distance from ceiling to floor and would not have to have much of an angle to keep the horizontal pole against the wall. The bottoms of each pole should be braced or have a rubber/high-friction end to keep them from sliding out. If the span is severe, it may be necessary but possibly undesirable to have a center support as well.

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  • that's also a good idea, I'll try if the drying-the-wall-before-the-putty-technic doesn't work. I'll keep you updated. Thanks for your help!
    – J. Does
    Dec 9, 2016 at 19:46
  • I see in a comment posted above that just hanging isn't going to work for you. Perhaps a combination of some adhesive method to keep the plastic stuck to the wall, but using the pole method to remove the shear forces from the adhesive.
    – fred_dot_u
    Dec 9, 2016 at 20:24
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Jonny found the best solution:

If it's condensation from the air on your side of the wall (and not water seeping through the wall) if you dry the wall with a hairdryer, the putty should stick and further condensation will not be able to get between the putty and the wall so it should stay there.

Condensed water get down the wall on the side of the adhesive putty but somehow the putty remains stuck on the wall since several weeks (the water is just flowing around each putty). I'll be interested to know the chemistry behind that...

Thanks everyone for your great help!

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