Any DIY'S here - plaster advice needed.

Every room in my new house, except bathroom and my bedroom, have been papered with lining paper. I started stripping it off in the smallest room, expecting to find more than 1 layer of paper and the walls not in great shape. There is 4 layers of paper in this room, top layer came of quite easily, remaining layers all stuck together and coming off in small pieces. Been working on the longest wall and around window area.The plaster is also coming with the paper, lots of it. Most of plaster has now parted company with the walls ( assuming other 2 walls will be the same) . The solution would be to replaster the walls, but I don't have the budget to do this and bearing in mind all the other papered walls in the house could well be in same state. I'm not sure how to proceed now as wasn't expecting to lose so much plaster off the walls. Anyone got any advice, please?

 

I totally agree JWK.

 

I never touch plastering myself.
It can look really bad if you get it wrong.

 

Can you say what depth of plaster is coming off, just a mm or two or 10mm+ ?

A picture of the whole stripped wall plus a close up of a small section would help.

Are the walls solid brick etc or stud partitions, the latter just sound hollow if you knock on them.

 

There is render under the plaster as you can see in the pic. It looks to be sound. Most of the plaster is blown and just comes away with the paper. I have started to fill cracks around the top of the window and there's a patch on the long wall I filled too ( wanted to rest out filler as not used that brand before ).

 

I'd say you need to get that skimmed.
Difficult to see what is paper and what is plaster.

 

Am no plasterer, but it looks like the base coat is sound, its just the skim coat thats coming away.
That could be due to the paste used on the paper and / or the effect of the steamer.

Cannot see any other repair than a new skim coat, which you really need advice from a good plasterer as to if all the rest of that old skim coat will have to come off ?

One thing we would suggest is you hold back on whatever you are using as filler as some of them can set rock hard and if it needs removing before a new skim coat it may cause more damage to the base coat/ render.

There are other things you could do to the wall like Tiles or Wall Panels but they will probably be more expensive than a plasterer, assuming you are wanting a nice smooth surface to paint ?

 

How old is your house? It looks modern and the walls looks like plasterboard with the paper surface damaged and coming off. If so it maybe easier to replace the plasterboard.

 

Built 1960's, I think. I didn't see any plasterboard. There is a render over the brick and then the plaster skim. I've been stripping off the paper layers, four of them. The top layer came away easily as thick and dry, the other 3 layers thinner paper and all stuck together. These are the layers that are pulling off the blown plaster with them.

 

Yes, as I said the render is fine. There doesn't appear to be any plasterboards used, plaster skim sits directly onto the render - unless plasterboard under the render and I can't see them. There is still paper on the walls and I think this probably looks like plaster as similar in colour.

I can't tile or wallpaper. Might be able to put up panels, but expensive no doubt and I just want to make house presentable enough to sell.

The top layers of lining paper in the rooms are all scuffed and ripped and peeling up, which is why I wanted to get it all off and make good the walls underneath.

 

I stripped my chimney breast a few years ago, the house was built 1947 so no plaster board just sand and cement followed by a plaster skim.
I got a plasterer to come and reskim it, I did most of the prep, getting all the lose stuff off, it didn't cost as much as expected to be honest and it looked great when he finished.

You could dot and dab it but it would still need skimming IMO.

Should add, I dont think the steam strippers do the plaster any favours, but its the easiest way to get lots of paper off.

 

It seems fairly common for people to do this to avoid replastering costs. I really don't like papered walls, but that's not just the reason for removing it. The top layers are all scuffed, ripped and peeling up, so look even worse. I didn't know there would be another 3 layers underneath!

 

Maybe my house is older then, the age I was given isn't confirmed.

I agree steamers aren't the best tools sometimes but 4 layers are a lot to get off and all stuck together into a sticky, gooey mess.