painting or lined paper?

naf123

Hi,

I wanted to redecorate my bedroom. I got a steamer and steamed the paper off. (both paper and lining paper)

Now I wanted to go for the painted look but I am unsure how to proceed : - should I : -

1. Hang lining paper, and paint two coatings of emulsion?

2. Paint directly onto the plaster with two coats of emulsion? Or are you supposed to "seal" it first with what?

If I went for lining paper it probably does provide some insulation to the room but I don't want the "step" look between the lining paper? How do I avoid this?

If I paint on the plaster what should I do to get the smooth perfect finish? I am not skimming the plaster as I cannot do that. Plaster is quite smooth although old.

Thanks for any help and advice

keystone

As long as you get every last vestige of the old paste off the wall you should be fine just to paint straight over it.

When hanging lining paper for painting I always slightly overlap each drop (I guess thats what you mean by step). Then sand back when dry using abrasive of increasing grades of fineness until the seam completely disappears from view. Take care when sanding though - do it by hand - not to roughen the final surface too much because although the seam has gone you'll stil be seeing the texture change through the paint. Don't use the 800 grade carp the sheds sell its far too thin. Go for 1200 minimum (1400 if walls are bad) and it should be fine.

Cheers

tanith

If the plaster surface is fairly smooth just paint over it.. I've done this in all my bedrooms and it actually looks quite good even the couple of roughish patches don't really notice unless you are a perfectionist of course..

naf123

I like the idea of overlapping the lining and sanding it down but I fear it may be far too much work! Is it that time consuming?

If I go for the option of paint, what paint should I use on what layer? First layer, 2nd layer and 3rd layer?

thanks again!

tanith

I just used a white emulsion over the plaster as it was different shades of pink then directly over that with my colour of choice emulsion 2 coats . I would imagine sanding down would be quite a job the bigger the room the longer it would take..

Leif

If you are back to bare plaster, and want to paint, you MUST get the old wallpaper paste off, and you can do that by washing it off. If paste remains, the paint will reactivate it, and the result will not be nice. I am in a similar situation, and I am not convinced I have washed the walls properly (they have high suction so are hard to clean) so I will apply an acrylic primer called Zinsser Gardz which seals the wall, and creates a suitable surface for paint. I also hope the Gardz will help seal some of the pores in the plaster. I have filled holes, but it is still a bit porous.

If you do wash the wall, then use white emulsion watered down 4 parts paint to one part water, and paint that on to seal the wall. Then apply neat paint, one or two coats, probably two if not white.

As Tanith has said, paint can hide some imperfections, matt paint is best for that, and also a roller will create a stippled pattern that helps too. But you do want to fill holes and gouges. Shine a bright light such as an LED torch or a desk lamp along the wall at an angle. That will show any imperfections that need filling.

hcb42

we always line, but then the house is 100 yr old

keystone

naf123 wrote: »

I like the idea of overlapping the lining and sanding it down but I fear it may be far too much work! Is it that time consuming?

No not at all. You need to do it lightly though.

If I go for the option of paint, what paint should I use on what layer? First layer, 2nd layer and 3rd layer?

If no new pl;aster invoilved just use your finish paint. If retail spec thin first coat by about 5% then use neat for second. For trade spec paint thin first coat by about 15%, then 5 - 10% for topcoat. You shouldn't need a third in either case.

Cheers

naf123

I am still reading around online. Since the room tends to be cold (I live in a block of flat so forget any idea of external insulation!!) and I found this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Q072gox7I

Seriously considering it! My bedroom is so chilly in the winter! Maybe this would help but it is expensive about I would guess 40 quids a roll and I would need about 6 or 7 rolls!! :-(

Not sure if its worth it....on one hand I guess I won't need the boiler on all the time, the other hand, is it really energy efficient??