Wallpaper Removal & Painting Advice

[relicmata]

Hi All,

I decided to start with 'easy' DIY and get rid of some horrendous wallpaper and just want to replace it with paint. I've just taken a steamer to the paper and removed one corner.

See Photo

So, question is as a complete newbie. On the left wall is the green stuff some previous paint, or some kind of plaster board? On the right wall, it seems much more like old paint that's peeling off, and there is the same layer of green under that as well. The green layer seems fairly smooth and I guess it's paint/adhesive on top of that.

How much do I actually want to remove, i.e. what does the primer coat want to go on?

Many thanks!

 

[Jackrae]

Unless you remove every last bit of the old paper and paint, then fill any nicks and sand smooth, it will look like a dog's breakfast after you've painted it.

I'd suggest you strip as best you can then line the wall with a thick lining paper. Ensure the paper seams do not overlap and fill any seam gaps with a filler compound. Let the lining paper glue dry thoroughly and then paint onto the lining paper.

 

[relicmata]

Ok thanks, so if I go down to the green layer, which seems like a smooth paint layer, is that something I can put primer on assuming there's not cracks or rough surface?

I was just concernerd that on the wall on the right, I seem to be removing a layer of thin plaster like stuff under the wallpaper...

 

[geraldthehamster]

Ok thanks, so if I go down to the green layer, which seems like a smooth paint layer, is that something I can put primer on assuming there's not cracks or rough surface?

I was just concernerd that on the wall on the right, I seem to be removing a layer of thin plaster like stuff under the wallpaper...

The green on the left hand wall does indeed look like paint, and the brown layer on the right hand wall is almost certainly plaster skim. Possibly either that wall alone was re-skimmed at some time, or perhaps only the green wall was painted.

You might get the green wall smooth enough to paint, if the paint covers the entire wall and remains undamaged. If skim is coming off the right hand wall, the only way to a smooth surface is going to be to get it re-skimmed. Which needn't be horrendously expensive.

Cheers
Richard

 

[relicmata]

Thank you, is re skimming difficult to do? Or is it advisable to get a pro to do it?

Also, what's the best way to remove the vinyl like flakey white paint that's onto of the smooth green paint?

 

[alan333]

It seems like whatever is on the green paint will come off fairly easily and leaves a clean surface. This probably means that whatever you put on top of the old green paint will also come off. Therefore, once you've got the old paper off, sand the walls with fairly course reduction paper, then something a bit finer. This will "key" the surface to take your new paint. If you're good with your hands you can fill any holes/scratches/blemishes with something easy to sand (like Fastset) and sand it smooth with a sanding block. Be sure to use a block as it will sand level. For the other (bad) wall, I'd use the steamer and see how bad the wall turned out. If you only lose small sections you can fill/sand it with the same Fastset, if you lose big sections it'll probably need skimmed. If you've never tried skimming then get someone in to do it, it's a practiced art to get it looking good.

Edit...as mentioned above, lining paper covers a fair bit of uneven-ness on old walls, depending on how good you want the finish.