Painting after steam stripping wallpaper

[HertsDIY]

Hi,

Currently stripping off wallpaper in our 70s house which is coming off ok but in places the old paint is peeling and can be ripped off in big chunks revealing the plaster. What's the best way to get a good paint finish when done stripping, i.e. primer everywhere/thin layer of filler in the gaps where paint is now missing/other?

Also, any top tips to restore wall corners back to a nice clean 90 degree state unlike Pic 2? Scrape out all offending bits and use filler or with a little bit of plaster??

Finally the crack in the 3rd pic is about 5mm in places - any tips for best way to resolve or is it just scrape out a bit more along the crack and fill?

Thanks in advance!

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[Richard C]

To do it properly, you really need to strip all the paint off, re-prime with the plaster with matt emulsion thinned 25-30% - 2/3 coats in quick succession, dry overnight & then your chosen finish. I would not advise you fill in the missing bits & sanding, not only is it a bodge but you’ll be creating some horrendous problems for you or some other poor unsuspecting soul in the future; you will probably see it anyway. If the remaining paint is well stuck to the wall a re-skim may be the best option & will also allow your other problems to be sorted out as well.

The cracks shown in both pics have been caused by movement (which hopefully is not ongoing) & will require a lot more remedial work than just filler or plastering over or you’ll see them return in just a few short months. It involves removing plaster to check if the cracks got right through the blocks as well; it’s common in older houses but in this case a metal lath reinforcing is required, re-rendering & a re-skim.

My profile albums has some examples of the way I repair these cracks.

Be carefull when using the steam stripper, concentrate the heat too much & you'll blow the finish plaster off the base.