What can I do about this kitchen wall to smooth it out (pics included)?

[zorba]

Finally getting round to tackling the kitchen walls. The worst bit is the wall above the hob.

I pulled off the old units and tiles and put new units in. Haven't touched the walls until now but I would like to paint them, if at all possible.

Here are two pics showing some of the issues I'm dealing with:

A)

A) highlights the issue I have with the old blue paint (primer?) that was under the tiles. Some of it has come away with the tiles, but about half of it remains. It's thick enough to notice if you run your fingernails over the edge of the blue bits. Will this "edge effect" disappear with 2 coats of Johnstone satin paint?

Or do I need to tackle this somehow...

Also as you can see in A) there are some holes (e.g. to the right of the photo) where the top layer of plaster (skim?) has come off.. just a case of filling these somehow and then flattening out?... hmm but there could be some issues with this lol... see later

B)

B) exhibits more of the old blue paint issue, and introduces the attempts made to fill in the holes/unevenness. The white stuff was added by my friend today who I'm paying as a general handyman to fit the floor, paint and fit worktop upstands etc.

I do hope that this is his "first pass" and not the finished article. Or... is it not possible to get any smoother than this with filler?


Any general advice on the way forward from here. I'm not averse to buying sandpaper and sanding it down *if that will do any good*. Or can this be done mechanically - a "sander" ??

Or is there no hope for this wall without reskimming? And can I get this skimmed over, or do I have to get it pulled off and redone totally? Its going to be about 2 square metres, over a worktop and hob, with upper level cabinets along 2/3 of it (the other 1/3 having an extractor fan).

I might just get a square splashback for above the hob, but it might have to be clear or tinted glass. In which case the unevenness is going to show up still through the glass - correct?


many thanks people!

 

[flameport]

A - no paint will cover that, whatever 'edges' are there will show through.
B - Filler can be done to a seamless smooth finish if you are prepared to spend some time and effort on it. This: http://www.wickes.co.uk/Gyproc-Easi-Fill-60-Compound-10kg/p/117660 for example.
Forget any ready mixed tub type fillers, they are useless.

 

[amfisted]

I'd get a plasterer in to skim it, personally. With all due respect, you might spend a fair amount of time and money trying to sort it yourself and still end up with a rubbish finish, whereas a half decent plasterer will get it right straight away.
I speak from bitter experience.

 

[misterhelpful]

Ideally it should have been skimmed before any cabinets were fitted - it's far easier for a spread to skim a full straight wall than small areas around cabinets.
That said, skimming would still give the best results, although the Easifill method mentioned above can still work well if some time and patience is spent cleaning up and scraping the wall beforehand. This would allow you to apply a 'skim coat' of Easifill to the whole area, which wouldn't have to be trowelled to perfection, as it sands very well and easily. Just be aware that the filler is very absorbent when dry so must be sealed with a highly diluted first coat of emulsion (30-40% water) to stop it flaking off with the second coat.

 

[geraldthehamster]

I'd get a plasterer in to skim it, personally. With all due respect, you might spend a fair amount of time and money trying to sort it yourself and still end up with a rubbish finish, whereas a half decent plasterer will get it right straight away.
I speak from bitter experience.

+1