Lining paper sadness - Piglet John?

[TinyGarden]

We're having lining paper sadness and wondered if PigletJohn might be kind enough to view the state of it and offer advice on how sad it really is / whether it's salvageable. (Or whether we need to ask the painter to start again - costly option, and likely to annoy the painter too ).

There are hairline cracks in the paint in places, as well as the lining paper lifting. (I should add the room doesn't have damp issues.)

Any thoughts on prognosis for likelihood of it being rescued gratefully received!

This crack is a couple of feet across.

Close up of previous pics, and cracks in corner where two walls meet.

The other wall - can see two sets of seams coming away, smaller gap than the other wall, but stretching right across wall.

Finally, I could live with this, but this is the state of the paper around the light switch. Not sure if this is 'normal', or an indication of a bit of a rush job.

The only time I have seen horizontal lining paper was when it was exactly that - lining paper is to have proper wallpaper over the top (either printed or textured to be painted).

Has it just been painted (still wet/damp) because that can stretch it and it can flatten as is dries.

Are the walls in need of a replaster?

My DH papers better round light switches!

God that's awful! Are the walls underneath in poor condition? Is that why you chose lining paper rather than just painting straight onto them?

I'd get the decorator back to sort that out. Why has he put it on horizontally?!

Thanks Seeline. It was painted yesterday (dry now).

The walls were replastered within last 10 years (at a guess - before we moved here, 5 years ago). A bit came off when the painter removed the wallpaper, so he replastered it and we thought lining paper would be good to cover any bumps. Cracks have appeared on other the other walls too though.

Re light switch - I was a bit surprised at how poor it looked

It’s a Victorian house and we thought lining paper might give a good finish. Google says some people do apply it horizontally. I am very sad face emoji about it as we waited quite a while to get it done and it doesn’t look great does it. What would you say we should say to the painter?

I saw that done in a house on Bristol very professionally. They lined horizontally, then when it was dry they polyfilla'd and sanded between the cracks. It looked great, v smooth.

We had a decorator put up lining paper and he did it horizontally. The seams were virtually invisible when it was painted. I would get your painter back to put yours right, it isn’t acceptable.

All of our walls are lined even though many are just painted over. Did the painter not warn you that it might lift when he painted over it? Did you line it and then he just painted it (in which case it isn't really his fault) or did he recommend lining and then painting?

@HasaDigaEebowai

All of our walls are lined even though many are just painted over. Did the painter not warn you that it might lift when he painted over it? Did you line it and then he just painted it (in which case it isn't really his fault) or did he recommend lining and then painting?

He lined it. He came on Friday and spent Friday removing the wallpaper. A chunk of plaster fell off so he replastered that bit.

He came back on Saturday and applied the lining paper himself. We asked for the lining paper as we thought it gives a smooth finish (but when the plaster fell off definitely thought it would need it).

Then on Monday (yesterday) he painted the ceiling and walls, doing two coats in one day.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

God that's awful! Are the walls underneath in poor condition? Is that why you chose lining paper rather than just painting straight onto them?

I'd get the decorator back to sort that out. Why has he put it on horizontally?!

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz do you think we should ask the painter to remove and start again? How do you think they would react to that sort of request (am assuming not well!)?

I'm prepared to buy paint and lining paper again (though not loving the idea), but paying him to do redo the work makes me feel very when it's his work that has created this. I guess he would have to strip, reapply lining paper and paint again - so that's three days work.

I'm wondering if he should have taken two days for the paint to dry in between each coat, rather than do two coats in one day. I did suggest that to him and say we didn't mind how long it would take, but he said it wasn't necessary.

Sorry @BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz - the walls were in good condition, apart from a bit of plaster that fell off which he then replastered, before applying the lining paper the next day. The cracks and peeling paper have appeared on other parts of the wall too though (i.e. not just where he'd replastered).

That looks shoddy. I can paper better than that.

In previous properties we’ve cross lined walls that were a bit lumpy (due to previous paper being pulled off before painting). Cross lining involves paper being put on horizontallly and then vertically.

You need to get him back and ask what he thinks has gone on. He lined and painted, it's his responsibility.

It all sounds a right bodge job to me I'm afraid. You don't typically plaster and then apply lining paper over it the next day (ours needed a couple of weeks to dry out). And you don't apply lining paper and then immediately put two coats of paint on top of that. It needs to dry because paper does often shrink up a bit.

Painting two coats in one day is fine, the cracks in the paint could be from any paste that was on the surface of the paper that's not been wiped off before painting.

@HasaDigaEebowai

It all sounds a right bodge job to me I'm afraid. You don't typically plaster and then apply lining paper over it the next day (ours needed a couple of weeks to dry out). And you don't apply lining paper and then immediately put two coats of paint on top of that. It needs to dry because paper does often shrink up a bit.

It did all seem very fast. We thought four days sounded about right for the work, but I know he had another job booked in for today, so I wonder if he was rushing it.

I’ve put lining paper on my ceiling instead of plastering (long story!) and got cracks like that. We solved it by filling a sheep syringe (my handyman was also a farmer!) with border glue and squeezing it in, then flattening down with one of those flattening tools. It would then need painting over again as leaves a slight sheen over the gaps, but it worked on my ceiling. I would send a picture to the painter, say you’re going to have to glue it but he then needs to re-paint.

Also second what hasadigaeebowai says

Has your painter seen it?

The cracks in the paint look like the paint has been applied too thickly, possibly to lazily try and compensate for not properly filling the joins where the paper meets.

We did the lining paper trick before and it's so much hassle I wouldn't bother again. Yes horizontal is perfectly normal.

We spent lots on some special wall Doctor paper and then filling the cracks where the paper met and coats of special paint etc... took us ages and ended up being so expensive.

It can look nice (our ceiling genuinely looked like they had been replastered) but it is so much time money and expense and all to avoid what would have been less than a days work for a plasterer.

Currently sorting out a chimney breast in our new house that had horrid wallpaper on but they've painted underneath with gloss. Everyone in our family is saying "ah just lining paper it" and there no chance I'm bothering again.

@HardAsSnails

The cracks in the paint look like the paint has been applied too thickly, possibly to lazily try and compensate for not properly filling the joins where the paper meets.

@HardAsSnails what should he be doing to properly fill those joins, do you think? Just wondering so I can ask him if he's used whatever it is he should be using.

I am worried about the paint cracks too (in addition to the gaping lining paper seams), as if he paints again, I don't want the cracked paint to happen again!