Has anyone skimmed a wall with plaster?

[PizzaDays]

Not quite sure which topic to put this in.

I have some plasterboard walls in a back (utility type) room that has some old fashioned wallpaper on (unfortunately the pattern is raised). I've been taking it off carefully (trying not to damage the plasterboard underneath), but the result is not really satisfactory. I would like a finish that’s as smooth as possible, so I think I have these options:

1. Wallpaper onto the remaining finish, then paint. I think that will leave me with a rough surface and messy finish.

1. Get the plasterboard replaced. I think that this will be expensive

1. Remove what I can, then have a go at skimming the walls myself… could be a disaster…

1. Get a professional in (too expensive)

I wondered if anyone else had any experience.

Thank you

Lining paper then wallpaper?

@SunshineOnKeith

Lining paper then wallpaper?

That was my first thought, but I think that the lumps and bumps will still show through.

I’ve just done heavy lining paper on a really shitty ceiling and it is not perfect but looks so much better.

Skimming is really quite tricky not to mention the mess afterwards when you have to sand it down.
The finish will be much better than anything else though, so it's a bit of a catch 22 situation.

For a smallish wall I’d give it a go with a ready mix product like make good (I’m sure other brands are available). It’s a bit easier to work with then straight plastering. You’ll probably need to do a coat, sand when dry, repeat and then sand to a good finish.

We are quite happy plastering but we've had practice and our old plasterer taught us well. It's not the easiest skill. A decent finish makes a huge difference to the look of a room. Have you had quotes from a professional?

I have, a smooth finish is a bit tricky if you’ve never done it.

I would start by sanding what you’ve got and seeing how it looks, you may be able to get away with only soothing a few bits with filler afterwards.

I do a fair bit of DIY to a reasonable standard and made a complete mess of plastering the one and only time I attempted it. I'd perhaps paper for now and then save to get a professional in when you can.

Definitely don't attempt plastering yourself. Its very tricky, my DH basically renovated our house down to the electric and plumbing but finds the plastering really difficult

DH is brilliant at all DIY except plastering. Has done a couple of very small areas which are OK but not great before now. We have also tried the lining paper route, not happy with finish so got a plasterer in for the ceilings and full walls. I thought it was worth every penny and thought our guy wasn't expensive for the skill involved.

Op how bad is it? Is it something that a good decorator could do? I had a hole in a ceiling recently- you could easily have put your first through it - and I showed it to a decorator who was quoting for other work assuming she’d say I needed a plasterer. I don’t know how but she filled it in and painted and you’d never there was a hole there.

1. Unless you use a heavily embossed paper it will look bad. Another layer will not fix the poor underlying surface...oh, and it will look like something your great great granny had on the wall.
2. No need.
3. You cant, and the advice from others about sanding the plaster after you have applied it defeats the whole object of skimming.
4. Your only sensible option. Get 3 quotes, hold your breath , save up , deny yourself a few treats and feel good about the end result.

Have you had quotes? I’d ask around to find a plasterer. We had someone in to do a kitchen wall that was awful. charged us a £100.it looked great, he sorted all the mess. Worth missing a few treats for.

I think I might need to get the professionals in (again 😅)

The wallpaper was put directly onto the plasterboard (which wasn't even completely prepared - gaps between the joints, rather than having had the tape over and plastered smooth). I expected to find already skimmed walls underneath, not unprepared plasterboard.

I am going to have to get the main living area done professionally and I suppose that it won't take much more for them to do another room.

The other rooms have smooth lining paper, which I can paint over, but these rooms have raised patterned paper.

Our had raised patterned paper on every wall and ceiling. Sure fire way of indicating that there are problems underneath. Under textured wallpaper we've so far found actual gaping holes, plasterboard, cement, gravel, external render (on the bedroom ceiling) and a room we didn't know about. We've had to strip back to brick in some rooms and replace ceilings. They were literally papering over cracks in most cases. Did I mention the carpet stretched over a hole in the front room floor? You could see the garden through it!