I've stripped the wallpaper in our master bedroom and rather than getting it reskimmed we are going to clean/sand/fill holes etc.
Could anyone give me any good tips on doing this to get the best finish?
I have done this in my front room. I didn't want lining paper. Unless the walls are in a very, very good condition, it is a massive undertaking, however, doable, if you have a lot of time, patience and don't mind a lot of dust and disruption.
My house is 1920's, lime plaster walls. 9ft ceilings. For the front room, 90% of the plaster was sound, however, blown areas around the windows due to rotten leaking windows. The existing plastering looks level, however, running a hand down a length you can feel the undulations. Pretty much like any plastering from that period.
What I did:
Stripped the wallpaper / tile adhesive.
Washed with sugar soap.
Filled all holes and damage from removing the wallpaper, with toupret filler. Use this, not a cheap filler. If properly sanded, you cannot tell where the filler was.
Removed blown plaster, used bonding coat around windows to bring near level, then, toupret.
For minor dings and scratches (less than 2mm), I used toupret fine surface filler.
At this stage the surface of the walls were 90% filler.
Sanded it.
Second round with filler. Sanded it.
Painted it with Farrow and Ball Estate emulsion.
Use a very, very matt paint FB Estate emulsion is 4% sheen. This helps to hide imperfections.
Went around the room with a lamp on the floor, pointing up at the wall. This highlighted even more imperfections I missed.
Cursed every previous owner of the house for the century of holes they'd drilled and filled.
Filler.
Sand.
Filler.
Sand.
Cursed myself for not being more careful stripping the wallpaper.
Keep going until you cannot see more imperfections.
View the room in different lights. The morning light and bright sun will expose more imperfections.
Filler.
Sand.
Curse.
Add second coat of paint.
Vow to never do this again.
Tips:
Don't do it.
Use toupret filler.
Properly sand the filler and feather the edges of holes. Use decent sand paper and a block.
Inspect in different lights.
Use a very matt paint.
It now looks beautiful and looks like the original walls are in great condition. You cannot tell the new bits from the old.
I did this gradually during lockdown when I couldn't get a plasterer, and, it took a long time. It also cost a lot of filler and sandpaper.
Unless your time is free, and, time is of no concern, use lining paper, or, get it skimmed.
Since then, the WC has been skimmed by a plasterer as it was similar condition. I, against my better judgment, stripped the wallpaper in the bedroom, and, used toupret. The walls were near perfect so it only took 2 cycles of filler and sanding before painting. Took a few days. Nowhere near as traumatic.
