Another lime conundrum

[Trif]

Hi

Just joined. Am hoping to get help with my new home. I've been on other forums but just get tumbleweed.

I'm doing most things myself and I'm no spring chicken, so will need to have a healthy mix of 'correct' and easy/affordable.

Background
Flat (conversion) above shop.
1842
The seller decided to cover up everything to make it saleable, so I have lots of painted embossed wallpaper and thick white gloss to remove

Behind the wallpaper is horsehair lime plaster.
Lots of cracks, crumbling and some areas where it's coming away from the lath.

So I've done homework on:
- washer/screw/glue back
- patching
- hairlines

My first question is, how far do I go with gouging/scraping out loose plaster?
Just keep going or get to a point where it's fairly stable and patch/fill?

There are areas where it looks like they've spread caulk over it. Should I remove this or let sleeping dogs lie?

Do I have to wash all the old wallpaper paste off?

I'll be putting up lining paper as it'll never be pretty enough to paint.
Does 2500 grade make sense?
And does it matter what paste I use?

Many thanks in advance

 

[Trif]

Sigh. More tumbleweed.
Guess I'll go with the old fashioned method of trial and error.

 

[Trif]

It's got to the stage where I'm talking to myself

 

[noj]

Hi, sorry there's been no response before!
In my opinion, since you're planning in covering it in lining paper, then the aim should be to just get it relatively smooth and stable. The less original material you remove the better. You'll get a feel for what's needed as you progress.
Where there's caulk it may be easiest to leave rather than gouge out more material.
Removing old paste residue is always going to be better than leaving it...
For new paste I'd choose something without PVA and absolutely go for a breathable paint over the top for decoration.
Good luck, and share pictures!

 

[Trif]

Thank you so much.
Particularly as I almost ordered paste with PVA in it last night

Once I started patching, I realised the big areas I thought had been caulked were actually fillied with patching plaster . - it has that same rubbery feel as caulk.

And the gluing back is working in some places but not others
Tempted to leave it but i know I'll always be looking at those areas... Wondering...

Thank you again, for your advice

 

[Lacan07]

Hi

Just joined. Am hoping to get help with my new home. I've been on other forums but just get tumbleweed.

I'm doing most things myself and I'm no spring chicken, so will need to have a healthy mix of 'correct' and easy/affordable.

Background
Flat (conversion) above shop.
1842
The seller decided to cover up everything to make it saleable, so I have lots of painted embossed wallpaper and thick white gloss to remove

Behind the wallpaper is horsehair lime plaster.
Lots of cracks, crumbling and some areas where it's coming away from the lath.

So I've done homework on:
- washer/screw/glue back
- patching
- hairlines

My first question is, how far do I go with gouging/scraping out loose plaster?
Just keep going or get to a point where it's fairly stable and patch/fill?

There are areas where it looks like they've spread caulk over it. Should I remove this or let sleeping dogs lie?

Do I have to wash all the old wallpaper paste off?

I'll be putting up lining paper as it'll never be pretty enough to paint.
Does 2500 grade make sense?
And does it matter what paste I use?

Many thanks in advance

Hi, you can get breathable wallpaper (others here have more experience of that than me) but in your situation I wouldn't bother if the walls are dry, etc, I would just use normal lining paper and paste.

The advantage of employing lining paper is you can ignore the hairline cracks (perfectly normal in an old house) and any other bodge as long as its stable. The correct thing to do is to remove all loose plaster back to stable, you can try securing areas with a washer and screw / glue. I found using washers and a screw a bit hit and miss, getting a sound screw fixing in to lathe can be frustrating.

To patch I'd use Gyproc Easfill. Its good stuff, if you have large areas to patch buy a cheap trowel to apply and float flat with a sponge. Job done.

 

[Trif]

Many thanks

I now feel a bit less, rabbit in headlights and a bit more, what's the worst that could happen

I've already got the lining paper, it's breathable and it's probably overkill (too thick) but better safe than sorry
Probably got scared into getting the thickest stuff because there were quite a few wallpaper people on the web saying that no matter what you get, it doesn't do what it says on the tin, ie it won't cover up anything that's not smooth

I've finished most of the patching too. I'll get some easifill for doing the sitting room.

Yeah, I kinda gave up with the washer screw thing today. But it worked in some areas, and I think I can tell where to bother and where not to bother in future

Seeing some of the stories on here, I'm actually grateful that mine's not as bad
Having said that, I haven't stripped the sitting room yet and I've just discovered all the thick gloss is covering lead paint

Thanks again for the help

 

[EmmBee]

Would love to hear how your lining paper is holding up! Did you try any other methods to get rooms painted?

 

[Trif]

Good question Embee
Might help others in similar situation.

So, I love the lining paper.
I used Anaglypta 2500. It takes 15 minutes to soak! Definitely hides a lot of imperfections.

Mistakes:

I didn't sand the wall completely flat in 1 area, and it shows (thru shadow and light)

But worst was, even though I did two coats of size on the walls, the filled areas sucked the moisture from the wallpaper paste (I think) and so the seams are really bad in some places (see pic).

Not sure how to avoid that next time
I've seen some "crack hiding tape". Maybe some of that before putting the paper up

 

[Stevers]

The paste needs to go evenly to each edge, the paper needs to be left to 'soak' for a bit so that it expands slightly and once on I find that the seam needs to be rolled.

My father would paste two (or even three) lengths at a time so that one (or two) were 'soaking' while he put the first one up. The expectation being that the paper would go 'tight' as it dries.

 

[Trif]

Thanks Stevers.

I was careful with the edges but it seemed to fail where there was filler.
It's not just that the edges have lifted, I could fix that. But it's pulled the filler off the wall. So when i tried to get behind the join, it was crumbly

 

[Stevers]

You might need to stabilise what was under the filler with a weak PVA mix. On walls that are above ground and not subject to damp or salts I use Thistle One Coat to patch. It comes in sensible size bags, has good adhesion, doesn't shrink, and is a bit tougher than filler.

Although a gypsum plaster, I've used it where I probably shouldn't have to fill chases, but after twenty-seven years those are all still perfectly sound.

 

[fernicarry]

I was careful with the edges but it seemed to fail where there was filler.
It's not just that the edges have lifted, I could fix that. But it's pulled the filler off the wall. So when i tried to get behind the join, it was crumbly

I find the same, areas of new filler drag the water out of the paste so much faster. I generally put a coat (or two) of paste directly onto the wall and let it dry before papering which seems to help.

I use Toupret skim for most of the repairs and it usually behaves itself by staying put. Maybe my slow rate of progress means that its had a chance to harden more. But I do find that areas of old filler that were already there suffer from the problem you describe. If you have to peel off and reseat the paper for any reason it brings little gritty bits with it and those will show through once its dried. Sometimes you can sand that out through the paper. If I notice at the time I throw away the paper and go again. Lining paper is very cheap.

As Stevers says giving the edges a good thump with the brush or a seam roller is important. Especially if you have wiggled paste back under the edge because you will have stretched the paper in that area.

 

[Trif]

That's exactly what's happened fernicarry! I'm glad it's not just me

I'm reluctant to fix it at this stage because that would mean patch painting which might not blend
(And because I haven't got much paint left... and I mixed the colour myself ).

But lesson learned and your and Stevers words will be in my head when i come to do the sitting room.