Should a decorator be able / willing to remove a picture rail and make good?

silvercar

Looks like they are in two pieces with a small strip of wood between. So the original picture rail is the lower one, then someone has added a plate rail above. Then the ceiling wallpaper (!) has been put on as far down as the rail.

My question is how easy to remove, does it need a plasterer? I’m guessing giving the need to hide the fact that there has ever been a rail, it would need a professional for a good finish.

stuart45

silvercar said:

My question is how easy to remove, does it need a plasterer? I’m guessing giving the need to hide the fact that there has ever been a rail, it would need a professional for a good finish.

I'd say that in the majority of cases small areas of repairs like this when done by a plasterer will still need a bit of work done by the painters for the repairs to be invisible. Using a fine filler like Easyfill or Knauf fill and finish and sanding the edges to nothing will do the job.

shinytop

I would think your main problem is going to be the wallpaper (if it is wallpaper and not artex) above the rail.  It's going to be hard to get that to look right with the rail removed. 

silvercar

shinytop said:

I would think your main problem is going to be the wallpaper (if it is wallpaper and not artex) above the rail.  It's going to be hard to get that to look right with the rail removed. 

The (expensive) plasterer quote includes removal of plate rack/ picture rail and plaster above picture rail to level off. maybe that is why it is expensive?

Murmansk

Removing it will make a real mess and it'll need significant plastering skills to make it right - I wouldn't blame any decorator for not wanting to do it

Eldi_Dos

I like the picture rail/architrave and think it is in keeping with the period of the house.

Would it be possible to offset the units from the wall and have the side panels cut to accommodate the picture rail.

Leaving them in place and paying slightly extra for the unit install might be the most cost effective and least messy option.

silvercar

Eldi_Dos said:

I like the picture rail/architrave and think it is in keeping with the period of the house.

Would it be possible to offset the units from the wall and have the side panels cut to accommodate the picture rail.

Leaving them in place and paying slightly extra for the unit install might be the most cost effective and least messy option.

I would agree, but we are going for a modern contemporary look. Plus there is an alcove created by the chimney breast sticking out so offsetting isn’t going to work.

WIAWSNB

If the area above the rail is set in further than the rest of the wall - could you confirm? - then this should be a very simple matter of ripping off the picture rail, scrapping off the textured paper above, filling any resulting large holes with bonding plaster, whilst also using it to raise the upper surface level, and a skim coat to blend it in.
This is easy, one day, stuff.
Are you ok with prising off the picture rail yourself? If so, just get a couple of quotes from plasters to make good afterwards.
In fact, you could obtain quotes via their FB page - just send a series of photos as you have, add some to show the whole room, explain the differences in level, and that you'll remove the rails yourself. Add a comment along the lines that you require a seamless transition between the two levels.
See what quotes they come back with.
To remove the rails, I'd first try hammering off - upwards - the top section. Then bolster against the bottom edge of the lower rail, club hammer upwards to break any bond between it and the main wall below, and then begin to prise it off.
You can use a saw - jig, oscillating, hand - or multi tool to divide it into easy sections, a metre or so apart.

Martin_the_Unjust

If you really want it to be seemless then I suspect you are looking at a complete re skim of it all.

In my experience taking off those rails is going to cause quite a bit of damage, filling that and the change of level above it means no decorator worth having will touch it because they will know that they will be unable to get it perfect enough that it won’t show through paint or paper.

silvercar

WIAWSNB said:

If the area above the rail is set in further than the rest of the wall - could you confirm? - then this should be a very simple matter of ripping off the picture rail, scrapping off the textured paper above, filling any resulting large holes with bonding plaster, whilst also using it to raise the upper surface level, and a skim coat to blend it in.
This is easy, one day, stuff.
Are you ok with prising off the picture rail yourself? If so, just get a couple of quotes from plasters to make good afterwards.
In fact, you could obtain quotes via their FB page - just send a series of photos as you have, add some to show the whole room, explain the differences in level, and that you'll remove the rails yourself. Add a comment along the lines that you require a seamless transition between the two levels.
See what quotes they come back with.
To remove the rails, I'd first try hammering off - upwards - the top section. Then bolster against the bottom edge of the lower rail, club hammer upwards to break any bond between it and the main wall below, and then begin to prise it off.
You can use a saw - jig, oscillating, hand - or multi tool to divide it into easy sections, a metre or so apart.

Exactly that, laser measure of the width of the room is wider above the rail than below.

I’m sure your idea would work for someone who had strength and tools. I have a hammer and a chisel. The only saw I have is little hack saw with a shaky blade. 

I’m almost relieved that this is more complex than first appears, as it justifies getting someone in to do it properly.