When do you replaster?

[Matt42]

Hi,

I am a complete novice to decorating so any advice welcome. A decorator painted entire house about 4 years ago. He just painted over the existing papers but the walls look 'lumpy' in places behind the wallpaper and give a different sound when we tap the walls. Our old decorator said that the plaster was crumbling behind the paper and is best left alone and just to paint over existing wall paper as plastering expensive.

We now are redecorating only one boy's room and wondered whether we should be replastering it before decorating i.e. starting each room afresh? Just seems to me that we are covering up a problem?

Any advice welcome?

Matt

 

[roughcaster]

Doing up one room at a time is the best way to go, to save a lot of major disruption in the house. If the painter said a few years ago that the old plaster was crumbling, and you're now ready to do the room again,, take the paper off, and get a reputable plasterer/s in to give you some idea of the plasterwork required, and the costs involved. Get 2 or 3 quotes overall, and then it's up to you. It's often better to bite the bullet and have the whole room plastered, rather than have patches done here and there, but as i said, get quotes from each plasterer.

 

[Nige F]

Do you Really want the mess - even @ one room at a time . Did that @ my last house, because my son`s a plasterer. and the walls were really too far gone . But I`ve 2 generations of decorators before me , so I`ve seen/done a bit of papering ( helping out) > My opinion is - leave it alone , just an opinion

 

[TheDec]

Matt.

My advice to you here will depend greatly on the condition of the walls, so if possible could you post a pic. There is a product called Wallrock Fiberliner which can hide a multitude of sins. Although more expensive than other lineing papers it is well capable of producing mind blowing results.

To offer further advice here I really need to see a detailed pic or at the very least more description regarding the condition of the walls and also do you speak of plaster skim or lath & plaster.

Dec.

 

[Matt42]

Thanks for the advice. 'Plaster skim', 'plaster lathe' what are these terms?

The walls aren't bad to look at by all means but you can just tell they don't look as smooth as they should, the other thing is the curtain rail above the window is now starting to lose grip with the screws about to fall out, I remember making them grip in the loose plaster was a real bugger using bits of raw plug.

 

[TheDec]

Matt.

Please bear in mind here thet I am no plasterer, and never would I be so bold as to offer advice regarding the trade.

The difference between plaster skim and lath and plaster is the former is applied to a cement render or bonding coat the later would be attatched to thin strips of wood. giving the age of you property could help the spreads here to give you far better advice than myself.

The indication of your curtain rail being hard to secure would point me in the direction of failing lath and plaster, yet as said I am no expert within that trade and I urge you to wait for further advice from people better qualified than myself. I am sorry that I cannot help you further at this stage.

Dec.

 

[joe-90]

Considering that you will sell the house one day you will get a much better price if the walls are nicely plastered than looking like painted wallpaper.

I buy, renovate and resell houses for a living and re-plastering is usually number one on the list. It turns a shabby house into a nice house - and people like buying nice houses.

It'll add about £250 to the cost of the average room - but when you come to sell you'll get your money back many times over. The best bet is to get someone that can do the whole job.
Oh and you are unlikely to have lath and plaster on an outside wall so I'd say the render has seen better days.

 

[Matt42]

There's no wood. My walls are solid breezeblock I think and freezing cold in winter, so I think they are just smothered with a layer of plaster straight onto the bricks I guess.

 

[roughcaster]

Considering that you will sell the house one day you will get a much better price if the walls are nicely plastered than looking like painted wallpaper.

I buy, renovate and resell houses for a living and re-plastering is usually number one on the list. It turns a shabby house into a nice house - and people like buying nice houses.

It'll add about £250 to the cost of the average room - but when you come to sell you'll get your money back many times over. The best bet is to get someone that can do the whole job.
Oh and you are unlikely to have lath and plaster on an outside wall so I'd say the render has seen better days.

Joe's said it all in a nutshell!!