Paint v wallpaper

[DontDIY]

Planning to get my living room window replaced in the next couple of months, which will really mean a full redecoration.

The living room has sloping ceilings either side of the bay window (attic flat) and a picture rail at half height.

Just now it’s wallpapered, patterned on the bottom, plain on top. I want to remove the picture rail, but will that mean I need to replaster? Is there any chance of just filling in those bits? Even if I leave the rail, the walls aren’t 100% perfect. Is painting over a decent lining paper a naff idea?

To save me the cost of plastering, should I just line and paper again once the rail is gone? And how much would replastering be, roughly (4.25m x 4.25m)?

Bump

I know it's not what you asked, but do you really need to remove the picture rail? I can't think it would be that much in your way / annoying if you paint both top and bottom the same colour, and a lot of people would think it attractive when you come to sell, rather than spending money to remove what some would think of as 'a feature'

I guess not. I just assumed they were quite dated! And it makes me think the two parts need to be different in some way, but maybe that’s just me.

picture rail at half height? Surely a dado or a chair rail.

If it's been there since the house was built, it may leave quite a chasm in the plaster. If it was added later it won't be so bad once you find the screws or nails and remove them. You can expect a ridge of paint that you will have to sand away.

If it's an attic, depending on age it may have lath and plaster walls. These would benefit from serious improvement, and may collapse if you pull off an old rail.

Sorry, didn’t realise they were different. Never heard of a chair rail. It’s actually lower than half height.

If it's an original dado, don't remove it. Something original isn't really "dated".

I also don't like those rails. Never have. You sadly won't know until you remove the rail. I'm fairly sure a good plasterer could make it good without redoing the whole wall though. I had some plaster come off and mine just did that bit so you'd never know.

I live in an old house and my walls are lumpy, the decorators did sand down many of the lumps, but you can still see them even though I had a really heavy duty lining paper put up, but you have to look closely and I'm ok with that.