Badly damaged walls - advice needed!!

[KatieKingswell]

Hi, I have just joined this site and I desperately need some advice!

So, we are expecting the arrival of a new baby in a couple of months and have decided to redecorate and swap the kids rooms around.
My DIY disaster father-in-law has removed most of the hideous 70's patterned, painted, then painted again wallpaper from my daughters wall with relative ease but it has revealed screw-holes, cracks and a couple of rather large (4-5 inch) holes in what I am assuming is plaster? (Looks more like concrete to me - sorry female in the room!)
I have already purchased paint for this room and am on a VERY limited budget, the human wrecking ball that is my father-in-law wants to pull down the remaining paper, fill the holes with filler then re-paper the wall and paint it?
I have been told by a builder/decorator that this will only look good if done by a professional (which my father-in-law is very far from ) and I am very worried about the best course of action, I have a friend who is a plasterer who 'might' be able to come and skim the walls for us, so really my question is;
Do I fill, re-paper and paint or do I get a mate to skim the entire walls and paint?? Any advice would be so greatly appreciated!!

Thank You,
Katie

 

[Richard C]

No contest; get your FIL to remove the rest of the wall paper influence your plasterer friend to repair, prep & plaster re-skim. IMO lining paper is god awful stuff & a bodge, even when professionally applied; it will never look as good as a well plastered wall.

 

[KatieKingswell]

I thought that was probably the best idea (fingers crossed he can do it on short notice).
I know I'm female but I am generally good at DIY lol, so, if I want to fill in the holes and save my mate some time will normal interior filler from Wickes do the job?
What is invloved with the
a) repair and
b) prep?
I will only have my friend for one day, two if I'm extremely lucky so I want to get as much ready for him as I can.

Thank You

 

[Richard C]

Nooo; don’t do anything by way of repair or prep work apart from removing the wall paper & washing off the paste residue as thoroughly as you can. I would not advise you do anything unless he agrees & then do exactly what he tells you. In reality, it won’t save him much time or you any money & if you get it wrong, it could make things more difficult for him. I always prefer to do all my own prep work, then I know it’s been done correctly.

How many rooms & what size are they? If average size, a plasterer should be able to skim one room a day easily, especially if ceilings are not involved; small rooms can be done two in a long day if he’s any good.

 

[KatieKingswell]

Okay I will leave it alone then!!
My daughters room is 25m ² and my sons is 30m ² that needs to be covered. I'm starting to wish I hadn't started now!!

 

[Richard C]

4 x 4m & 4 x 3m ish are average size rooms, he should easily prep & skim those in 1 good day let alone 2.

 

[KatieKingswell]

Lovely!! Thank you!!

 

[keyplayer]

If average size, a plasterer should be able to skim one room a day easily, especially if ceilings are not involved; small rooms can be done two in a long day if he’s any good.

I don't see how that can be done if the first coat of pva is left as long as it should be.

 

[Richard C]

I don't see how that can be done if the first coat of pva is left as long as it should be.

When prepping for a conventional re-skim, I don’t follow that; how long you think the first coat of PVA should be left then? Even in the case of Artex or problem paint finishes where a bonding PVA coat is required, what’s wrong with doing it the night before; two rooms ½ hour max.

With small rooms even working alone, a decent spread will be able to do two opposing walls in the same 2 hour session.

 

[keyplayer]

Oh sorry, I see what you mean, I thought you meant pva and skim all on the same day, yes to no problem if you do the first pva app the night before!

 

[Richard C]

I thought you meant pva and skim all on the same day, yes to no problem if you do the first pva app the night before!

But that’s what I did mean I really don’t know understand where you’re coming from M8 or who taught you to plaster! 95% of the time PVA prep is done in the 1/2 hour before skimming unless there is a problem with suction/adhesion on the base. Apply two coats, the first will dry fairly quickly & then skim over the second as soon as it goes tacky; you should never skim dry PVA. You will only need to prep the night before in the case of difficult surfaces where suction/adhesion may be a problem.

 

[peaps]

I thought you meant pva and skim all on the same day, yes to no problem if you do the first pva app the night before!

But that’s what I did mean I really don’t know understand where you’re coming from M8 or who taught you to plaster! 95% of the time PVA prep is done in the 1/2 hour before skimming unless there is a problem with suction/adhesion on the base. Apply two coats, the first will dry fairly quickly & then skim over the second as soon as it goes tacky; you should never skim dry PVA. You will only need to prep the night before in the case of difficult surfaces where suction/adhesion may be a problem.

You are right. PVP half hour or so before spread. I could do all 4 walls in one hit

 

[keyplayer]

you should never skim dry PVA. You will only need to prep the night before in the case of difficult surfaces where suction/adhesion may be a problem.

Who mentioned skimming dry pva? I'm just assuming "badly damaged walls" may need some sorting out the evening before skimming at least.

 

[peaps]

you should never skim dry PVA. You will only need to prep the night before in the case of difficult surfaces where suction/adhesion may be a problem.

Who mentioned skimming dry pva? I'm just assuming "badly damaged walls" may need some sorting out the evening before skimming at least.

Oh sorry, I see what you mean, I thought you meant pva and skim all on the same day, yes to no problem if you do the first pva app the night before!

That would mean the pva is dry, no?

 

[keyplayer]

That would mean the pva is dry, no?

Yes it would. First coat 5/1 water/pva put on, allowed to dry. Second coat 3ish/1 pva/water put on, skimmed while tacky. As advised by an untold number of plasterers on this very board.