Paint not gone on smoothly

MissPeachtree

Have noticed that the paint on the home we are trying to buy is a bit bumpy.  I am assuming caused by a roller?  Please see photo.  Not sure if something to do with the plaster - lathe and plaster walls and ceiling, original walls from 1920s? Or just a bad paint job?

MikeJXE

It’s whats under the paper

We used to live in a very old property and used to say it’s all part of the cottage 

MissPeachtree

MikeJXE said:

It’s whats under the paper

We used to live in a very old property and used to say it’s all part of the cottage 

so the plaster is bumpy? 

MikeJXE

Yep 

Thats what you get with lath and plaster, ours was a thatched cottage 

We used wood chip wallpaper throughout but it still showed through 

MissPeachtree

MikeJXE said:

Yep 

Thats what you get with lath and plaster, ours was a thatched cottage 

We used wood chip wallpaper throughout but it still showed through 

Wow!  Thank you for explaining.  Lots for me to learn.

MikeJXE

You need to accept that you can’t have 2024 perfection on a 100 odd year build 

mlz1413

MissPeachtree said:

Have noticed that the paint on the home we are trying to buy is a bit bumpy.  I am assuming caused by a roller?  Please see photo.  Not sure if something to do with the plaster - lathe and plaster walls and ceiling, original walls from 1920s? Or just a bad paint job?

I'd say that looks like a repair.  
Old ceilings will have moved over the decades.  Also damage may have occurred in the past.

If you want it flat it will probably need overboarding or removing and replacing. 

ThisIsWeird

Miss Peachtree, does the paint have a slight sheen to it? If so, then overcoating using flat matt paint will help to hide much of the unevenness. 

It looks as tho' it'll first help to go over it all using 120 or 180 grit sandpaper to remove any obvious high spots such as that ridge in your pic, the 'orange-peel' texture of the poorly-applied paint, and to give the new coat of paint something to key on to. You can buy 'pole sanders' - large sanding blocks on a pole - such as used by plasterers to tidy up their skimmed finish, and use this to quite easily give the surfaces a quick flattening. This should make quite a difference.

Albermarle

 the 'orange-peel' texture of the poorly-applied paint

I thought it looked more like it was the pattern of the wallpaper that was painted over? 

 If so, then overcoating using flat matt paint will help to hide much of the unevenness. 
I think it is almost always recommended to paint ceilings with matt paint, exactly for this reason.

I'd say that looks like a repair.  
Old ceilings will have moved over the decades.  Also damage may have occurred in the past.

I have a very  similar looking 'ridge' in an extension that was built only 20 years ago. It was caused by a leak, then  a poor DIY repair. Plenty of coats of matt paint have made it less noticeable.