Preparing new plaster for wallpaper - ensuring it comes off easily later

Hi,

I have a newly plastered room - been left to dry for 2 months. I have sealed the plaster with 2x mist coats of paint. Most of the room will be painted, but the Mrs wants a feature wall of wallpaper.

The question is two fold:
1. What else should I do to appropriately seal the plaster - I was planning on adding another single coat of undiluted cheap emulsion? I read somewhere that a coat of PVA or wallpaper paste is a good idea. PVA on new plaster feels like a bad idea, Wallpaper paste seems like it make the question below worse?

2. Are there any other tricks, to ensure that if/when the Mrs wants the wallpaper off, it comes of in a relatively straight forward manner e.g. would sticking a second coat of emulsion help prevent the steam from saturating the plaster etc etc. Or maybe use some left over Dulux trade Diamond emulsion which seems to be a bit tougher?

I want to avoid, wallpapering over wallpaper (cause it causes a mighty mess if you want to go back to the wall again) and I dont want to screw my newly plastered wall if she want a new design in 2yrs time....mainly cause I am lazy and plastering is hard work!

Any ideas gratefully received.

Jon

jonwestuk said:

PVA on new plaster feels like a bad idea,

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It is. PVA on plaster means you will never be able to paint that wall again.

Just put the paper on using normal wallpaper paste. It will come off perfectly easily with a steam stripper.
Steam and water will not damage the plaster unless you absolutely soak it and leave it dripping wet for days.

If its new plaster then don't paint it with anything. Size the wall first and apply the paper in the normal way. As its on new plaster this will strip easy next time round.

Similar question but for older plaster (60's grey finish). All the old emulsion paint just came right off leaving bare plaster. There are patches of old paint that are still stuck and holes, so was going the use filler to even out the odd paint patch and fill holes.
To make my life easier I'd like to line the walls with 1400, then paint. The old plaster feels very absorbent. Should I give it a mist coat with emulsion, size it or PVA?

Anything but PVA

Robbox said:

Should I give it a mist coat with emulsion, size it or PVA?

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If painting, use watered down emulsion.
If wallpapering, use size http://www.diy.com/departments/solvite-wall-sealer-61g/174415_BQ.prd
If you want to totally ruin the wall and make sure it can never be decorated again, use PVA.

flameport said:

If painting, use watered down emulsion.
If wallpapering, use size http://www.diy.com/departments/solvite-wall-sealer-61g/174415_BQ.prd
If you want to totally ruin the wall and make sure it can never be decorated again, use PVA.

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That product looks like bog standard Solvite. I did use "proper" sizing about 15 years ago, it stank. I can only assume that it was made from the remains of Steptoe and Sons' horse, Hercules.

I totally agree with you about PVA being a bad move, but I don't see why the OP shouldn't purchase bog standard Solite and add more water for the sizing coat. A three packet box of Solvite from a decorator's merchant is about a fiver- they have had a perpetual discount for the last 20 years.

You're looking at this the wrong way round. It's not sealing the plaster that will allow get the wallpaper off cleanly, it's a knack of using a steamer and a sharp scraper, and then filling in the inevitable holes that will always occur.