Shall I strip?

[Doodleoinkquack]

I've been in my first house 18mths and am finally getting around to decorating. I've helped people before and am fairly practical but this is my first time going it alone (well, with my rather less practical "that'll do" DH). I want to start with DDs room, which currently has (cream) paint on top of lining paper. I would just paint over it except some of the (horizontal) joins on the paper are really visible, it looks like a biro line drawn right around the room.

The house is 1980 and the walls feel smooth. The paper is stuck properly, so there's no peering underneath and I'd need to steam it off.
-Firstly, do you neeeed lining paper on the walls? If not, should I be worried what is being hidden? The whole house is the same, but without the visible joins.
-If I just paint over the top, the lines will still show, won't they?
-Should I strip it back to the plaster and risk it being a PITA to avoid the annoying lines, and if I do that, is re-lining it better than paint on plaster?

Sorry if I sound clueless, I'm just trying to get it right! Tips and opinions very much appreciated.

We stripped painted wallpaper and then had the walls "skimmed" by a plasterer. finish is great, really pleased, looks much better than it would if we had tried to patch up the walls ourselves... but of course is more expensive than lining paper.

the lining paper will have been applied to hide the scabby plaster. Unless they are plasterboard with no skim.

If the seams are visible, it will be because the emulsion paint got into the joints and softened the paste, so the seams lifted as they dried. You can try rubbing paste into the seams with a small brush and smoothing down firmly with a dry rag pad (you must remove all paste from the surface before painting) or you can use seam adhesive which will be difficult to remove when the time comes.

p.s.

horizontal lining paper is done when you intend to wallpaper (vertically) over the top. If you are going to paint it, you can hang it vertically, which is easier.

Wow, thanks both. So pigletjohn, are you suggesting that a new layer of lining paper and a coat of paint is a good option? I think it is plaster board, at least, these been a biggish hole drilled and there is clear space there, dont know how to tell if thats been skimmed though.

Gosh, I feel all grown up (am 30!) disscussing decorating MY house :)

plasterboard has a paper surface, it can go fuzzy if scraped. If skimmed it will (should) have a smooth hard surface, with very few blemishes.

If it was me I would strip it, and use extra-fine filler and a broad metal scraper to make it smooth and flat, then paint.

I would line (vertically) over whatever is there already & then paint with emulsion

I love lining paper - it covers a multitude & once painted gives a really good finish

(BUT if you ever subsequently paper over that, be prepared to line it again if you want to paint after stripping decorative paper - I found that out this month - damn!)

Thanks all.

I forgot to say there is a short section of left over border on one wall half way up. I think if that comes off without too much damage, a new layer of lining paper sounds a good option. I want a good finish, but it's a smallish room and my first real project so I'd like to avoid too much palaver if poss - plenty of time for that in the rest of the house!