Sorting out my walls

Snakey

A couple of dozen little holes where built-in wardrobes used to be fixed, and ragged bits where old radiators used to be. And also a couple of patches where there used to be damp (from leaking radiators, so there's no damp there now) and the paintwork is all sort-of bubbly.

I want to paint rather than wallpaper so I don't want to try to botch it up myself using filler because if I can see all the bits where the holes used to be it will annoy me for ever.

Someone said I need to have the walls skimmed, is that the best way? Or can a professional do a near-invisible job using Polyfilla in a way that I would never be able to?

How much is it likely to cost? We're looking at five small walls (say six foot wide) and three large ones (fourteen feet or thereabouts).

I'm in central London, so don't forget to add about a thousand percent to your guesstimate.

flashg67

Depends how handy you are - skimming seems like overkill form how you describe the problem.
Polyfilla and an electric sander will do the job, but will be dusty. Why not try a small area - nothing to lose!

vansboy

Polyfilla would be expensive, but if you can risk less than £10, to try it yourself with this

http://www.diy.com/nav/build/building-materials/plastering-plasterboard-coving/plaster_filler/Gyproc-Easi-Fill-5kg-11877568

VB

Crinkmeister

vansboy wrote: »

Polyfilla would be expensive, but if you can risk less than £10, to try it yourself with this

http://www.diy.com/nav/build/building-materials/plastering-plasterboard-coving/plaster_filler/Gyproc-Easi-Fill-5kg-11877568

VB

+1 for EasiFill. I have repaired walls with this product. You can slap it on, not worry if it's perfectly flat then sand it down carefully to level. If you do it properly, you won't see the join!

Snakey

I picked up some Polyfilla in a squeezy tube and a flat knife thingy for about six quid, and it's going on a treat. I haven't yet tackled the bubbly ex-damp bits but I reckon the other holes should be OK when I've finished - at any rate, this has saved me having to pay a plasterer so I'm really pleased.

My lack of confidence had been because I'd found a tub of something under the sink that said it was for filling walls, and I'd made a right old mess of it. Now that I know what real Polyfilla looks like I realise that this other stuff had had paint mixed in with it - so it was just a really really thick gloopy paint - no wonder it wasn't doing what I wanted it to do!

LandyAndy

Snakey wrote: »

I picked up some Polyfilla in a squeezy tube and a flat knife thingy for about six quid, and it's going on a treat. I haven't yet tackled the bubbly ex-damp bits but I reckon the other holes should be OK when I've finished - at any rate, this has saved me having to pay a plasterer so I'm really pleased.

My lack of confidence had been because I'd found a tub of something under the sink that said it was for filling walls, and I'd made a right old mess of it. Now that I know what real Polyfilla looks like I realise that this other stuff had had paint mixed in with it - so it was just a really really thick gloopy paint - no wonder it wasn't doing what I wanted it to do!

Ive always found an old credit card (or similar plastic card) to be the best thing for applying polyfilla to smallish areas. It has just the right amount of 'spring' in it.

Snakey

Dammit, that's £1.99 that I won't see again.

vansboy

glad youve had success!

VB