Should I paint over plaster or lining paper?

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Martian2035
Martian2035 Posts: 71 Forumite
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in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving
I'm currently having much of my home skimmed, and need to decide how to decorate.

Would you recommend painting direct onto plaster, or using lining paper?

I have concerns that lining paper will lead to visible joins throughout the room - is that a valid concern? If you used lining paper, do you have any photos of the end result?

Finally, if we were to go with lining paper I'd probably prefer a professional to come in and do the difficult spots such as the staircase - has anybody got experience of what I might expect to pay for this?

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  • Captain_Kirk427
    Captain_Kirk427 Posts: 14 Forumite
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    Paint the plaster. You can always decide to use lining paper in future over the top of paint (assuming it isn't a heavy gloss that will need sanding)

    Going the other way around is a pain - i.e. lining paper and then deciding you don't want lining paper in future, having to strip it, prepare the walls, and then paint.
  • onomatopoeia99
    onomatopoeia99 Posts: 6,964 Forumite
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    Paint the plaster. Can see no benefits and a lot of downsides to using lining paper. You have a lovely bare plaster finish onto which you can apply the paint (after a mist coat), why complicate things by wallpapering it first?
    Proud member of the wokerati, though I don't eat tofu.Home is where my books are.Solar PV 5.2kWp system, SE facing, >1% shading, installed March 2019.Mortgage free July 2023
  • Martian2035
    Martian2035 Posts: 71 Forumite
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    Thanks guys.

    Heart said straight to plaster, but the internet is full of lots of conflicting advice!
  • dunroving
    dunroving Posts: 1,881 Forumite
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    Captain_Kirk427 wrote: »
    Paint the plaster. You can always decide to use lining paper in future over the top of paint (assuming it isn't a heavy gloss that will need sanding)

    Going the other way around is a pain - i.e. lining paper and then deciding you don't want lining paper in future, having to strip it, prepare the walls, and then paint.

    I agree with this, as long as the plaster/skim job was a decent one. Even slightly flawed plaster can look OK in the right sort of context (a country kitchen, for example).

    I just had my house partially replastered after ripping off all the wallpaper and having a full rewire.I had thought the heavyweight lining paper would cover a multitude of evils, but that wasn't the case - flaws are still visible through the paper. The joins were also very visible in places. The bloke who did my brother's house rolled all the seams and you have to look really hard to see the seams. So, lining paper can work on the right walls, with the right person doing the papering.

    Also at my brother's house, a newly plastered room and hallway has subsequently erupted in cracks all over the place; lining paper would have covered these (they are pretty bad/unsightly).
    (Nearly) dunroving
  • robotrobo
    robotrobo Posts: 921 Forumite
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    Martian2035 wrote: »
    I'm currently having much of my home skimmed, and need to decide how to decorate.

    Would you recommend painting direct onto plaster, or using lining paper?

    I have concerns that lining paper will lead to visible joins throughout the room - is that a valid concern? If you used lining paper, do you have any photos of the end result?

    Finally, if we were to go with lining paper I'd probably prefer a professional to come in and do the difficult spots such as the staircase - has anybody got experience of what I might expect to pay for this?


    i recently painted my lining paper & you can not see any overlap or joint problems. at the time some years ago if there was a problem , i would rub it down or fine fill the problem, it looks like painted bare plaster.
  • Working_Mum
    Working_Mum Posts: 559 Forumite
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    I had my newly plastered walls lined by an elderly decorator on his recommendation 18 years ago and they still look great. You can't see any joins, they've been re-painted a couple of times and look fab. The lining paper has provided protection against the dings and chips of daily life.
  • armchaireconomist
    armchaireconomist Posts: 370 Forumite
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    Mist and paint the plaster. If it's a nice finish I can't see any benefit to lining it.
  • Wassa123
    Wassa123 Posts: 393 Forumite
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    We have lining paper on ours, wish we didn't, it's starting to peel off!
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