I have the unenviable task of tarting up a 70 year old brick house for deceased estate resale. The owner was evidently a heavy smoker and the bedroom wallpaper is pub-yellow! And peeling in places.
The said wallpaper (applied 25 years ago, I'm told) appears to be stuck straight onto what looks like pale grey, grainy plaster, like fine cement, as opposed to snow white plasterboard of today. This smooth, grey layer is 'plastered' straight onto the bricks behind, but there's no 'cavity' behind it, so it's not dotted onto brick like you might a modern house.
With a steamer I think and hope I can remove the wallpaper, leaving this grey surface. I accept that if any paper takes off chunks of it I may have to bite the money-bullet and get the room skimmed- but my plan is to steam the wallpaper off, then SEAL the wall surface, then paint it.
Can I 'seal' the surface with 60:40 magnolia:water water-based paint, then 'Mag' it? Like they tell you to with new plaster? £ are of the essence! I tried sugar-soaping the wallpaper and over-painting it (Bodge-Ahoy!) but oddly, that didn't work.. I hope the slightly vinyl-surfaced wallpaper has protected the underlying 'plaster' from nicotine.
I am genuinely sorry if I am offending experts and purists here in my quick-fix attempt but I am aware the bill payer is broke and there a strong likelihood the buyer will demolish the lot- though they'd be mad to! THIS is the end of the house they might retain and extend the other end!
Thanks for any thoughts. And please, bear in mind, I'm a radiographer, not a painter and decorator, which is why I ask!
The said wallpaper (applied 25 years ago, I'm told) appears to be stuck straight onto what looks like pale grey, grainy plaster, like fine cement, as opposed to snow white plasterboard of today. This smooth, grey layer is 'plastered' straight onto the bricks behind, but there's no 'cavity' behind it, so it's not dotted onto brick like you might a modern house.
With a steamer I think and hope I can remove the wallpaper, leaving this grey surface. I accept that if any paper takes off chunks of it I may have to bite the money-bullet and get the room skimmed- but my plan is to steam the wallpaper off, then SEAL the wall surface, then paint it.
Can I 'seal' the surface with 60:40 magnolia:water water-based paint, then 'Mag' it? Like they tell you to with new plaster? £ are of the essence! I tried sugar-soaping the wallpaper and over-painting it (Bodge-Ahoy!) but oddly, that didn't work.. I hope the slightly vinyl-surfaced wallpaper has protected the underlying 'plaster' from nicotine.
I am genuinely sorry if I am offending experts and purists here in my quick-fix attempt but I am aware the bill payer is broke and there a strong likelihood the buyer will demolish the lot- though they'd be mad to! THIS is the end of the house they might retain and extend the other end!
Thanks for any thoughts. And please, bear in mind, I'm a radiographer, not a painter and decorator, which is why I ask!