Imperfect Wall

[CatherineJ]

We have one wall on the middle landing which is a solid one and I think would make a good feature wall.

I've just been busy trying to sort out the cracks on the plaster, but it also has quite a few imperfections in it which i won't really be able to resolve.

Can anyone tell if I go down the feature wall route and paint it something like a dark truffle instead of the light colour it is at the moment, will it disguise the imperfections or pronounce them.

Edited to add, does anyone have any useful tips for making sure I have a nice neat edge where the darker colour meets the lighter surrounding walls.

Edited by CatherineJ on Monday 1st August 11:17

[skeeterm5]

Not sure if it will cover it, but as for getting a neat line, I have done similar with a nice straight piece of masking tape. Paint the top half first and let it dry and then do the bottom, minimises the risk of drips.

S

[Sam_68]

Darker colours can tend to make imperfections more obvious, I'm afraid.

[SS2.]

CatherineJ said:

..does anyone have any useful tips for making sure I have a nice neat edge where the darker colour meets the lighter surrounding walls.

From experience, a good quality paintbrush (a small one) is vital if you want to make a decent job of cutting in, as is having decent light to work in and a steady hand.

Take your time and you will get the result you want.

[CatherineJ]

Sam_68 said:

Darker colours can tend to make imperfections more obvious, I'm afraid.

That was my fear.

Also does anyone have any suggestions for plaster cracks which I think are caused by movement in the staircase.

Edited by CatherineJ on Sunday 22 November 16:53

[Sam_68]

CatherineJ said:

does anyone have any suggestions for plaster cracks which I think are caused by movement in the staircase.

If they are genuinely being caused by your staircase, then chasing out a thin gap between the string of the stair (the diagonal 'plank' of wood that runs up either side) would do the trick (you can fill it with a bead of silicone or flexible mastic afterwards, if you like). Stair cases span (impose loads) from floor to floor - they should't be relying on the wall for support - but they obviously flex a bit in use and the only way this flex would transfer any loads into the plaster will be via the strings.

Frankly, I'd be quite surprised if there is significant cracking caused by the stair though - usually it would be very localised in the area immediately above the string. There could be other reasons (structural cracking of the underlying wall, or the wrong mix used for the plaster originally), so you'd be well advised to sped a few quid getting a decent Building Surveyor to have a quick look at it for you before you make your mind up on remedial works.

Edited by Sam_68 on Sunday 22 November 17:10

[rlw]

You could try lining the wall with a very thick - expanded polystyrene ? - under layer and then a very heavy lining paper on top to smooth out the imperfections. It really depends upon how bad they are. Also, use a very high quality paint. I have always used Dulux or Crown but I was absolutely amazed at how much better Sanderson was at covering crap walls.

[allegro]

Matt paint is a good idea for imperfect walls, it doesnt catch the light and show up every lump and bump

[CatherineJ]

Well I used some of that smooth over stuff you can buy from polycell and ronseal. It's actually made the wall an awful lot better. Might pop out tonight and pick up some feature wall paint from Dulux and see what it's like after a few coats.

[shirt]

why not use a french plaster [there's a fancy word for it that escapes me now] to make it look rougher/aged? might work better than a perfect wall in a barn conversion.

[CatherineJ]

shirt said:

why not use a french plaster there's a fancy word for it that escapes me now to make it look rougher/aged? might work better than a perfect wall in a barn conversion.

Hhhmm, I think the problem is that whilst that would look really good with the horizontal beam that frames the top of the wall, as all the other walls are smooth, it could end up looking a bit odd.

Edited by CatherineJ on Monday 23 November 18:54

[CatherineJ]

Ok, well this might all end in disaster but i've sort of taken shirt's advice in terms of texture. As it's going to be a feature wall i've bought some crown suede paint. It will need 2 coats and if ever we want to go back to a normal matt paint then we apparently just sand over it.

I haven't gone too dark a colour so hopefully a combination of texture and a medium colour rather than a chocolate or a mulberry/plum will do the trick.

I could of course be talking out of my bum and the next post will be an ARGGGGGHHHH