Do I need to go back to bricks / plastering
Discussion
I want to redecorate my daughters room this summer. When I last did it in 2014 it was a bit of a ‘this will do this time, next time I’ll get it replastered’ effort. The walls are very wobbly but have been papered, (I think lining paper) which I painted over last time. Basically they all look pretty crap.
Is my only answer to take it back to brick, then get it replastered with hardwall and skimmed? (I’ve been reading, can’t you tell)
This is one wall last time you can kind of see looks crap. It looks worse in real life. This one had a chimney great taken out at some point in the distant past and was just made good it looks like,
If it all needs to come off I’m thinking sds drill with chisel attachement, do that myself then get plasterer in, viable?
Is my only answer to take it back to brick, then get it replastered with hardwall and skimmed? (I’ve been reading, can’t you tell)
This is one wall last time you can kind of see looks crap. It looks worse in real life. This one had a chimney great taken out at some point in the distant past and was just made good it looks like,
If it all needs to come off I’m thinking sds drill with chisel attachement, do that myself then get plasterer in, viable?
On an older house (pre plasterboard) the plaster separates from the wall and has hollow sounding patches if you tap it.
If there isn't too many you can simply re skim - some use mesh to hold it all together.
If it is loose - a shovel is all you need to remove it - about 5 seconds a wall
So I'd tap it before removing the paper - it's annoying spending a day removing paper to them remove all the plaster !
(Now is the time to consider a re wire / re plumb too)
If there isn't too many you can simply re skim - some use mesh to hold it all together.
If it is loose - a shovel is all you need to remove it - about 5 seconds a wall
So I'd tap it before removing the paper - it's annoying spending a day removing paper to them remove all the plaster !
(Now is the time to consider a re wire / re plumb too)
I'm not a big fan of of lining paper, I'm pretty critical and feel you can never get it perfect and not see the seams due to it contracting as it dries or sometimes lack of! Then there's the fact that its pretty awful at hiding imperfections!
After a few house renovations I always skim any room that doesn't look great without fail, talk to the plasterer and he'll tell you what can be done and what can't, as someone else mentioned it depends a lot on what is behind the plaster.
You'd be amazed how much a difference a 3mm skim makes compared to even a 2000 grade lining paper.
We renovated an old victorian house and some of the rooms were 12ft wall to ceiling and the cost of skimming got prohibitive, in the end we used a product called Wall Doctor from B&Q which I was very surprised at, the pattern suited the room and style (appreciate it wouldn't work for everyone), it might be worth a look as an alternative, from memory I think I still lined under it!
Finally its really important to use matt paper or paint as the final finish on any uneven walls anything satin or glass really shows of imperfections as well!
The wall in that house were a mess with the original plaster coming away from the lathe underneath but with some butchering it got there!
https://www.diy.com/departments/walldoctor-beadboa...
After a few house renovations I always skim any room that doesn't look great without fail, talk to the plasterer and he'll tell you what can be done and what can't, as someone else mentioned it depends a lot on what is behind the plaster.
You'd be amazed how much a difference a 3mm skim makes compared to even a 2000 grade lining paper.
We renovated an old victorian house and some of the rooms were 12ft wall to ceiling and the cost of skimming got prohibitive, in the end we used a product called Wall Doctor from B&Q which I was very surprised at, the pattern suited the room and style (appreciate it wouldn't work for everyone), it might be worth a look as an alternative, from memory I think I still lined under it!
Finally its really important to use matt paper or paint as the final finish on any uneven walls anything satin or glass really shows of imperfections as well!
The wall in that house were a mess with the original plaster coming away from the lathe underneath but with some butchering it got there!
https://www.diy.com/departments/walldoctor-beadboa...
Edited by strath44 on Monday 15th July 09:37
What is the age of the property and what is the construction of the wall?
It's relatively unusual to need to strip a wall all the way back to the substructure. If you do however, be prepared for the job to be extremely messy.
If the house is pre WW1 be ready for lath and plaster & horse hair bonding in the plaster which is beyond horrible to deal with
It's relatively unusual to need to strip a wall all the way back to the substructure. If you do however, be prepared for the job to be extremely messy.
If the house is pre WW1 be ready for lath and plaster & horse hair bonding in the plaster which is beyond horrible to deal with
Started on 1 wall, some small patches are loose and fell off but the cement (?) screed over the blocks in those places still seems sound. So presumably this could be made good by plasterer?
Question: should I remove the skirting boards or is that a bit OTT? They’re hardly visible once all the furniture is back in the room.
Question: should I remove the skirting boards or is that a bit OTT? They’re hardly visible once all the furniture is back in the room.
Ok thanks couple more questions if anyone has any advice:
I’ve now stripped the walls and there are various areas which are hollow sounding (I’m tapping them) but still hanging on.
Should I leave well alone ie just get it skimmed as is. Or should I break open these hollow sounding areas. I don’t want to create a mountain out of a molehill.
Most of the plaster when you look at it in real life not shown easily on above pics, has multiple crazing. Is this a problem / sign I should pull it down? See below
I’ve now stripped the walls and there are various areas which are hollow sounding (I’m tapping them) but still hanging on.
Should I leave well alone ie just get it skimmed as is. Or should I break open these hollow sounding areas. I don’t want to create a mountain out of a molehill.
Most of the plaster when you look at it in real life not shown easily on above pics, has multiple crazing. Is this a problem / sign I should pull it down? See below
That looks very similar to a project I’m currently doing. Sand and cement render with a skim over it. The plasterer will be able to sort that out including small hollow sounding areas so long as it’s pretty sound.
Personally I’d take the skirting off and replace. Presume you were planning on rubbing them down and repainting? It’s probably easier to get yourself a mitre saw and chop some up, then you get nice brand new skirting to match your lovely smooth walls
I found a wiping a soaking sponge over the paper was just as effective as a steamer and you don’t fill the room up with hot steam, especially in this weather! Then one of these scrapers https://www.screwfix.com/p/heavy-duty-scraper-4-/1...
Personally I’d take the skirting off and replace. Presume you were planning on rubbing them down and repainting? It’s probably easier to get yourself a mitre saw and chop some up, then you get nice brand new skirting to match your lovely smooth walls
I found a wiping a soaking sponge over the paper was just as effective as a steamer and you don’t fill the room up with hot steam, especially in this weather! Then one of these scrapers https://www.screwfix.com/p/heavy-duty-scraper-4-/1...
Edited by matt666 on Monday 22 July 21:38
All done, chap did it to a very high standard IMO. He used a k-rend type mesh on most of the walls to prevent further cracking. I’ve read lots online about pros and cons and I’m happy with it (I didn’t suggest it he said he uses it so I left him to it). Glad I didn’t pull all plaster off walls.
I left skirting on as didn’t want massive never ending job to be honest. Now I can just paint when dry and get on with it
Did ceiling too to cover the mild artex. He pva’d the whole room the day before.
I left skirting on as didn’t want massive never ending job to be honest. Now I can just paint when dry and get on with it
Did ceiling too to cover the mild artex. He pva’d the whole room the day before.
Looks great, good work. Skirting boards look to be of a design which hides the additional thickness well which is one of the main challenges.
We have just had our large room done with lining paper, infact actually done twice because the first time was awful, and the first coat of colour is going in the walls today. I am a little bit nervous, we have been through the mill and back with it, but I am hopefully this time we have got the prep good enough and used nicer paper (75mm Fibreliner 150 'smooth' from Anaglypta, hung vertically, if anyone cares) and have gone with a not too dark colour in full Matt. There where various reasons for wanting to avoid a skim, including the skirting and plasters mouldings, radius broomstick corners and the fact its a solid brick lime plastered external wall and that its an older house which somewhat suits it and fits the other fittings. But certainly if you want flat walls, a skim of new plaster is the way forwards and that looks like a grand job.
Daniel
We have just had our large room done with lining paper, infact actually done twice because the first time was awful, and the first coat of colour is going in the walls today. I am a little bit nervous, we have been through the mill and back with it, but I am hopefully this time we have got the prep good enough and used nicer paper (75mm Fibreliner 150 'smooth' from Anaglypta, hung vertically, if anyone cares) and have gone with a not too dark colour in full Matt. There where various reasons for wanting to avoid a skim, including the skirting and plasters mouldings, radius broomstick corners and the fact its a solid brick lime plastered external wall and that its an older house which somewhat suits it and fits the other fittings. But certainly if you want flat walls, a skim of new plaster is the way forwards and that looks like a grand job.
Daniel
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