Would an even wall need sanding?

[kilo_4que]

Hi guys my newly plastered walls are even however when you rub your hands across the wall the texture varies from very smooth to a medium rough.

To the naked eye it looks normal but when you rub your hand across you can feel the differences. I was wondering whether I could get away with two mist coats and one fine coat of paint which would cover the slightly rougher patches or would i need to sand down all the walls to get them fluent

I dont mind sanding all the walls down as it only takes 120 grit to make it all the same but I would prefer to save a day or two if this is not necessary.

cheers

 

[andy2306]

get the mist coat on, if it feels rough use a scraper and knock off any big lumps (cafefully) put the next coat on, if it still feels rough, gently rub it down........ ps im not a pro just a diy enthusiast

Andy

 

[kilo_4que]

hi Andy thank you for the reply matey,

I was thinking of a mist coat first but im wondering whether i will be wasting time and to be on the safe side whether it is better to give a quick 120 grit rub down instead?

 

[JohnD]

sanding new vinyl emulsion is difficult as it is inclined to peel.

 

[kilo_4que]

John, funny you say that as recently at our other business premises some freshly plastered walls had a single layer of emulsion and some peeled off after someone removed a poster. I tried sanding it down and more started peeling

 

[17thman]

1) get a new plaster

2) spend two days sanding

3) lining paper

4) matt finnish hides a multitude of sins

5) remember that when you are so close and involved you identify every blemish, when the paint is on and you are relaxing with a glass of wine, no one will know or care

LOL

 

[kilo_4que]

To be fair the plaster is very nice in the sense its bang on straight etc but is just rough here and there. Not one of those things which you can go around and sand patches as it would be as time consuming as doing the whole wall anyway.

Likewise, would it be advisable to sand all the walls?

I dont think id prefer lining paper as it takes time to put on to start with and you lose the feel of freshly plastered walls

And when you mention matt finish hides a multitude of sins, do you not think I should be able to get away with not having to sand these rough patches im referring to as the 3 coats of matt emulsion in my opinion owuld be a thick enough coat to cover up the difference. However I would prefer some of you guys with more experience than me to give me suggestions rather than me following my instincts

Cheers

 

[17thman]

remember that emulsion coats are amazingly thin so if you require an amazing finnish then sand away. or coat away, I rennovate houses for a living and when my plaster has been in i can usually just 2 coat over it all. ther is the very odd rough patch but unnoticable from 3 feet. HAve you got a bare light bulb shining in a bare room? I dont mean to sound complacent but softer lighting, and distance can make a huge difference. No, i am not a perfectionist, but i know when a job is good enough. An earlier post said you were watering down, top coat will makle a difference. good luck

 

[17thman]

nice and straight plaster is good, but they shold polish it more, dont worry though.

 

[kilo_4que]

Yeh I was going to add two mist coats and one fine coat as a lot of guys on here recommend it especially on fresh plaster.

In my case also similar to yourself 17thman, from around 3 feet or even closer you cant quite tell any difference until you rub your hand over it.

I was wondering whether it is safer to bite the bullet and sand away. I mean it doesnt take too long to spend on a single spot as with 120 grit i can cover around 2 square feet in a few minutes which is enough to give it a perfectly tamed finsih for paint. However the problem is the size of the room and my small orbital sander lol

 

[kilo_4que]

nice and straight plaster is good, but they shold polish it more, dont worry though.

To be fair with the plasterer he did ask me if i wanted it polishing more. He wasnt going to charge me more as he is a good friend but the problem was, I have seen a few friends premises which have been polished and the walls look so good you feel like leavin them as they are. As soon as you start painting, you get paint dribbles everywhere. Ive seen this at several premises.

Following this i have been reading the such type of polished finish is best for wall paper

 

[17thman]

very very fine grit on a sanding block and go lightly. sanding block is small piece of wood with the paper wrapped around, very lightly. orbitals cause fine gouges.

 

[kilo_4que]

17thman, with a sanding block it takes too long man plus gives you a severe arm ache after a while. For odd touch ups etc i find it perfect but for larger concentrated areas its difficult

With my orbital, so far i have had no issues with gauging etc but that maybe down to me having a decent technique not because i sand a lot lol but because im really heavily into car detailing and spend hundred on car care products. One of my pride and joys is my Meguaires Random Orbital Polisher. Now you need to have a good technique to use this polisher which is what i apply to the orbital sander, i use it more like a polisher and feather any defects i find in walls.

 

[kilo_4que]

also guys, the walls once sanded are obviously dusty, would i need to wipe down with something or just paint over and expect it the dustyness to go away?

cheers

 

[JohnD]

wipe with a damp sponge

if you sand with wet-and-dry and lots of water it makes slurry instead of dust.