Having house plastered: what to expect?

dgerrard

Hi All,
Bought our first house back in September, 3 bed terraced.
Textured wallpaper everywhere.  We basically want the whole house stripped and re-plastered.
House was built in mid-1930s.
It'll be the family room, reception room, downstairs hall, upstairs hall, and all three bedrooms.
Floorplan:

Our friends live close and own a wallpaper steamer, and they already had their whole house done similarly.
Notes and q's:

• Their builder did a great job, but won't give us a quote until we've already removed the wallpaper.  Our friends didn't have to do this, but apparently got the work done at a great price, so maybe the builder's learned his lesson.
• We've had one quote from another builder:  £700 per room, x 5 rooms and 2 halls.  £5000 is not an amount I have to spend on this right now:  does this sound about right for plastering?  We're in Bromley area, SE9.

• If £700 per room is about right:  any tips on how to make this go well?  Better to get all rooms done at the same time, or go downstairs first and upstairs later?  I'm hoping I can just have the Family room and Reception room done first, then the halls later, and finally the bedrooms.
• There are quite a few holes in the wall from where they had furniture mounted.  Recommendations on order of business with these?  Fill them pre-wallpaper removal, or after?

Couple pics of the wall.  Looks to me like it's multiple layers of textured wallpaper:

Overall:  Any advice on this project?

TELLIT01

Remove all wallpaper and see what state the walls are in.  Minor cracks and blemishes are easily filled, as are the holes left after removal of cabinets etc.  When you refer to replastering I presume you mean skim coat over the existing rather than hacking off all the existing plaster and starting again from brick. 

Skimming will make the room feel damp until it dries out, and drying out shouldn't generally be speeded up by using excessive heat.

robatwork

You really can strip the wallpaper yourself unless you have some physical impediment. It's hot, messy and physical but very satisfying. Don't fill any holes the plasterer will do that. 

I had a lot of plastering done recently and the difference in quotes was astonishing, the guys who did it in the end were fantastic and half the price of my original quote. He was recommended on a local FB group and Nextdoor as I couldn't get a personal recommendation.

https://buildingsheriff.com/plastering-walls-costs.php

theonlywayisup

Are there other works you want doing?  If you are rewiring, adding sockets/tv points etc then you would want this done prior to the plastering.  
Personally I would do one room at a time if I didn't have the funds to do the entire house.  I can't comment on the price as I am at the other end of the UK.  Not only will this help you with funding but it should also mean less disruption. 

ashe

Agree I would do one room at a time. It takes a while for the plaster to dry out and the house will smell musty and feel damp, and this time of year the air will be damp anyway. There will also be dust and crap everywhere from the plasterers. Are you changing the flooring? as protecting a whole house at a time is a big ask. I would literally do one room end-to-end - plastering, any electrical work/changing radiators, decorate, flooring. it will feel like you're achieving stuff and let you break it up into a manageable project, you can also gauge quality of work as you go and chop and change trades as a result

dunroving

You can expect lots of dust!  For a long time after it's finished! If you have belongings in the house, either store clothes, furniture, etc or move it to another room that can be sealed. Plaster dust can very quickly ruin textiles that can't be washed.

JIL

Like others have said strip the walls yourself. We bought a steam stripper from wickes for £35 and we stripped all the rooms in our 3 bedroom house in 3 weekends and a few evenings.  There was a mix of textured wallpaper and waterproof stuff.  We are doing the upstairs and coming downstairs because the mess gets everywhere.

ka7e

Plastering is notoriously messy! Do not allow plaster to be mixed inside the house - the dust flies everywhere during the process.That means the access to each room must be protected. Stipulate that the area for mixing must be cleaned down each day (they will need access to a hose and water supply) and drains should be protected from both excess plaster dust and "noggins". Left-over plaster must be properly disposed of.

davemorton

I always used to swear by my steam stripper, but have now seen the light, dont use one!  They damage the wall, and can blow the plaster off.  I now try to pull the top layer off, then soak the wall.  Use a garden spray with some warm water, perhaps a little sugar soap, wet it down and leave it 10 mins.  Leaves you with a much better end result. 

Ben1989

Same boat three months ago. 3 bed semi, 1935, all walls covered in multiple layers of wallpaper. It is hard work stripping yourself but recommended as you'll save a tonne in labour price. We did all the rooms in the house with a cheap steamer from screwfix.

The builder is correct. In the removal process you might find the old plaster will just fall off and the old wallpaper is literally keeping it all together. That's what happened to one wall in ours that I had to fill in. You might also find areas of damp that you're not aware of etc.

As has been said plastering the whole house is simply not practical at all. Don't even consider it. I lived in a house where just the downstairs was plastered and that was a nightmare in itself. You can't paint on the plaster for at least a week or two. Sometimes even a month. Just something to consider.

As has been mentioned the term plastering is general (eg. putting plaster boards up and skimming). Skimming specifically means going over the current walls with plaster for a smooth finish. I imagine this is what you're after?

Have you considered lining paper? This could a cheaper, less messy alternative? Something to think about

eamon

Do upstairs rooms first. Do it late Spring/Summer (longer days &  its just better). If you are able to tackle the stripping yourself then do so. Its all money in your pocket. Much better to pay for a tradesperson to use their skill rather than be a highly paid labourer. As another poster has said its probable that some plaster is being held up by the old paper (in my house that is certainly the case). Don't worry about it as your  chosen builder/plasterer will make good.