How to get a new smooth look in old houses ?

andrew-b

lynseyb29 wrote: »

I have the same problem in my kitchen and have been advised that the best way and cheapest to deal with the problem is;

paper the walls in lining paper but hang them accross instead of length ways, as you would usually do,

leave a gap between the joins,

fills in joins with filler,

give a coat of cheap paint and then sand down joints,

re-do until you have a look similar to freshly platered walls!

We havent actually tried this method but are planning to as soon as the kitchen has been fitted!

Lynsey,
You only hang wallpaper horizontally if your going to wallpaper over the top. Stick to hanging it vertically if your just going to paint over ..which is much easier anyway!

I've heard of the leaving gaps and filling idea though have been reluctant to try it. We found the best way is to butt each strip of lining paper up tight to the last, then a day or two later get a piece of fine grade sandpaper and very gently sand down the joint. A couple of strokes with the sandpaper is probably enough. Feel/look for any gaps and only fill as necessary. I found using flexible filler simplest. You don't really need to paint over the joins. By the time you've put on a couple of coats of emulsion the join will be invisible.

Our rooms are complicated by having rounded corners on the edges of the window recesses (but not completely uniform all the way up so a !!!!!! to paper - we tried in the kitchen!) so i used a similar approach and papered close to the corners rather than round them, then tapered the lining paper off by gentle sanding, filled with polyfilla, sanded and gave about 3 coats of white emulsion on top. Again completely invisble by the time emulsion was complete.

Andy

floyd

andrew-b wrote: »

Our rooms are complicated by having rounded corners on the edges of the window recesses

We have these too, on some of the walls in the hall and landing. When the plasterer saw them he said "Do you want me to square off the hand-turns"
Absolutely bleedin not, its part of the character of the house but apparently quite alot of people don't see it that way and get them covered up