Plaster/Filling bubbling Nightmare!

[hiwatt]

I had my gas fire removed and the wall was "plastered" up for painting.However it wasn't ready to just paint over and previous decorator added filler to level it out so it could be painted over.
It needed another coat and when applying the paint some bubbles appeared.Sadly they didn't go back down when dry.
Painter was just going to sand them down and repaint but after applying the second coat the bubbles got much worse and he was able to just peel away the filler!
The problem seems to be with the filler under the paint?
He is gonna come back and try and fill it again or he said he might have to add lining paper.
There is already lining paper on the wall,apart from the bit in the middle where the hole was plastered up that is causing the problems.
Will it be ok to add lining paper on top of already painted lining paper?
Any ideas are much appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[hiwatt]

We added filler to cover the part that bubbled/peeled away so should it be ok to put some lining paper up and repaint even though there is already painted lining paper on the wall already?
It's not going to be possible to strip all the paper off as they have plastered over the wall/lining paper.
Any advice on how to get this wall looking good please?
Thanks.

 

[joe-90]

Fill it again and when ready for painting brush it with water/PVA 5 parts to one. This will harden the filler and allow you to paint over it.

 

[hiwatt]

Fill it again and when ready for painting brush it with water/PVA 5 parts to one. This will harden the filler and allow you to paint over it.

Joe,the guy has filled it and is coming back to put lining paper over it and repaint.Do you think this would be a bad idea?The problem area is a square where the fire once was.The rest of the wall is fine.When painting the middle area the filler that was used is bubbling really bad.

 

[joe-90]

I can't see how he can blend it in. The problem you have is that the filler needs to be a certain depth to set properly, being as you are applying such a thin coat it is drying before it can set so it's little more than dry powder. The idea of using PVA is that it soaks into the filler and hardens, so that when you apply paint it has something to adhere to. If you apply paint to the raw filler, it being absorbent sucks out all the water in the paint and the paint doesn't stick and then it bubbles. I've done what I have suggested loads of times and it has always worked for me.

 

[hiwatt]

He's gonna sand it,put lining paper up on the problem wall and then apply more paint but there is already lining paper on the wall with matt elmusion painted on it?

 

[misterhelpful]

Where he has filled the wall, make sure he sands it as flush as possible and then dust off. Take a tiny amount of the paste for the lining paper and water it down a little to use as a size on the bare filler. Once dry, he can apply the new lining paper on top of the existing stuff without any problem, assuming the existing is stable and solidly adhered to the wall.
Theoretically, a layer of lining paper on top of another layer of bare lining paper should be hung perpendicular to each other but, as the existing paper has already been painted, it should already be stable enough not cause an issue if hung in the same direction. If the paint was silk, it may have needed a light sanding all over but matt should be fine - just make sure to stagger the joins of the new and old so as not to cause any weak points.

 

[hiwatt]

Where he has filled the wall, make sure he sands it as flush as possible and then dust off. Take a tiny amount of the paste for the lining paper and water it down a little to use as a size on the bare filler. Once dry, he can apply the new lining paper on top of the existing stuff without any problem, assuming the existing is stable and solidly adhered to the wall.
Theoretically, a layer of lining paper on top of another layer of bare lining paper should be hung perpendicular to each other but, as the existing paper has already been painted, it should already be stable enough not cause an issue if hung in the same direction. If the paint was silk, it may have needed a light sanding all over but matt should be fine - just make sure to stagger the joins of the new and old so as not to cause any weak points.

Thank you very much for that.I'll read him this post tomorrow before he starts.My worry is that the new lining paper won't "match" the paper on the adjoining walls and stick out like a sore thumb but I don't really see what else can be done?It's been a nightmare with this house recently.One thing after another.All because a new combi boiler was fitted.You wouldn't believe the upheavel it has caused.
Thanks a lot!

 

[misterhelpful]

Oh, I would believe it. I've patched around countless boilers, fireplaces, kitchen cabinets, closed up doorways, etc, etc... In some ways I miss it, but I'm glad it's not part of my (seemingly) daily ritual anymore!!

 

[joe-90]

Wallpaper paste is likely to turn the filler (that isn't dried properly) to mush and then you'll have to start again. As I've already explained, you need to harden the filler with PVA, then it won't turn to mush. You may get away with it - but you may not. Your choice really. You may end up with a big patch of lining paper that's fastened to nothing. Then it'll balloon out when you paint it.

 

[hiwatt]

Wallpaper paste is likely to turn the filler (that isn't dried properly) to mush and then you'll have to start again. As I've already explained, you need to harden the filler with PVA, then it won't turn to mush. You may get away with it - but you may not. Your choice really. You may end up with a big patch of lining paper that's fastened to nothing. Then it'll balloon out when you paint it.

The decorator applied some filler to the problem area,let it dry for a couple of days and came up and put lining paper over it.It looks ok but it's still to be painted.I'm praying that there is no problems when the paint is applied.

 

[hiwatt]

Right guys I'm glad to say that the after applying the lining paper and painting it looks great.Problem solved.
My new dillema is the decorator got a bit of paste on the adjoining wall while hanging the linging paper and although he wiped it down with a sponge it has left a noticable darker/shiny patch down the side and has caused some shading that stands out(at least to me)
Is there a way I'd be able to remove this without having that wall repainted?It's right down the edge of the side wall where the lining paper was hanged.
I didn't want to wipe it with a soapy cloth or anything incase it made it worse and maybe took some of the paint off too.

 

[misterhelpful]

Presumably the paint is matt as you mentioned that was what was on the existing lining paper. The problem with most matt paints is that they are not wipeable, and that is probably why there is a noticeable mark where the excess paste was wiped off. If you try wiping it more you may well make it worse, so it may be necessary to try touching up the paint carefully to see if that helps, but if not, you might have to paint the whole wall again.
That said, assuming the rest of the walls are the same colour as the newly painted walls, could the decorator have painted a little around the corner and it is that which has caused the issue rather than the paste??

 

[hiwatt]

Presumably the paint is matt as you mentioned that was what was on the existing lining paper. The problem with most matt paints is that they are not wipeable, and that is probably why there is a noticeable mark where the excess paste was wiped off. If you try wiping it more you may well make it worse, so it may be necessary to try touching up the paint carefully to see if that helps, but if not, you might have to paint the whole wall again.
That said, assuming the rest of the walls are the same colour as the newly painted walls, could the decorator have painted a little around the corner and it is that which has caused the issue rather than the paste??

Yes the paint is matt and the same colour.It's definitely a result of the paste.I seen him wiping it down and noticed it the next day before the wall was repainted.In hindsight I should have asked him to repaint that wall while he was here but the guy was actually doing me a huge favour relining and repainting the problem wall as the problems were not caused by him,yet he sorted them and a few other things for me.
Sigh!I might have to ask him up again.It is only a small wall.I don't know if anybody else would even notice it,it bothers me because I know it's there and I can see it.OCD!
Thanks man.

 

[joe-90]

I think he'll have had enough by now.