Repainting and replastering interior of home

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Repainting and replastering interior of home

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#2777267 13-Sep-2021 11:34

Regarding wallpaper...

If the wallpaper was applied properly initially (i.e. proper wallpaper paste and wall sized, not superglue/PVA applied straight to plasterboard) it should come off with only a bit of effort. A steam stripper and paper tiger will help a lot.
If the wallpaper is porous (e.g. paper) you will need to seal it before painting or it will dry blotchy and may lift.
If the wallpaper is not porous (e.g. vinyl) you should be able to paint directly but some vinyls wallpapers have plasticisers that don't react well to paint. Test in an inconspicuous spot first.
If the wallpaper is heavily patterned, you will need at least one coat of concealing undercoat before topcoating.
Paint is not a miracle solution and painting peeling, blotchy wallpaper will only result in painted, peeling, blotchy wallpaper. But wallpaper in good condition is usually fine to paint.

networkn

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#2777268 13-Sep-2021 11:38

eracode:

networkn I’ve been an avid DIY’er for 45 years and, being a big-head, reckon I’m pretty good at a lot of stuff. As part of this, have done a fair bit of gibbing. However I’ve never got the hang of gib-stopping to the point where I’ve been happy with the quality of my own work. IMO it’s a helluva lot harder to do (properly) than it looks. Definitely a skilled job.

I guess it depends on the appearance standards you set for yourself but I’d think twice about doing the stopping yourself. However I would certainly consider taking @jonb second option advice to get a pro to skim and prepare the walls - then do the painting yourself.

Hi.

There is no way on earth I'm going to try regibbing or plastering myself. I am just not that guy. Painting, maybe, if it really came down to it, I guess it will depend on how long it takes and what the quotes look like. I guess perhaps the first thing would be to either have a builder or gib stopper come and take a look and decide what they think they can do.

We have put up with pretty poor paintwork for 16 years, and often notice the uneven non-sharp areas, plus with cracking. We considered a new house at some stage, but feel right now, we will likely stay here for at least 5 years and as such, are keen to make sure this time we do things properly.

We are wondering if we do the house in quarters or top then bottom floor. It's a 5 bedroom house, so it's really a matter of finding a way to try and do this without causing major issues.

Perhaps skimming might do the job. I have heard the best plasters do a level 5 finish but I am unsure what that costs.

eracode

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#2777272 13-Sep-2021 11:42

networkn:

I have heard the best plasters do a level 5 finish but I am unsure what that costs.

Sounds a sensible approach.

How are you going to get a Level 5 finish? There's no Level 5 - we're still in Level 4 - maybe you're in Level 2?

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

networkn

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#2777273 13-Sep-2021 11:44

eracode:

networkn:

I have heard the best plasters do a level 5 finish but I am unsure what that costs.

Sounds a sensible approach.

How are you going to get a Level 5 finish when we're still in Level 4 - maybe you're in Level 2?

We are going to invent a new level where everyone is required to wear a mask by law :)

mdf

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#2777274 13-Sep-2021 11:44

networkn:

...

Perhaps skimming might do the job. I have heard the best plasters do a level 5 finish but I am unsure what that costs.

Lots.

In a home situation, a level 5 finish might be required if you were planning on using the wall as a (large) projector screen. Level 4 is super smooth.

timmmay

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#2777275 13-Sep-2021 11:46

rb99:

Just as a matter of interest, can you actually remove painted wallpaper from gib (and leave the gib behind...) ?

I talked to a professional decorator who said yes, takes more work. In our case he suggested regibbing because the walls are a bit wonky in places - really old house.

networkn

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#2777277 13-Sep-2021 11:48

mdf:

Lots.

In a home situation, a level 5 finish might be required if you were planning on using the wall as a (large) projector screen. Level 4 is super smooth.

Ok. We just want something really good. Flat surfaces, sharp even edges.

When they originally tried to rectify, they ended up plastering over and over the edges to get them level, they tried retaping then re-plasting, they just couldn't get it looking right.

Perhaps I should post some photos for reference.

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blackjack17

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#2777280 13-Sep-2021 11:51

rb99:

Just as a matter of interest, can you actually remove painted wallpaper from gib (and leave the gib behind...) ?

You can if you are careful and if you have a decent stopper to resurface the gib. You are probably never going to get as good a surface as new gib. If your gib is really old (i.e 1950s then regibbing is an option esp if you want to put insulation in (you normally need consent).

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mdf

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#2777285 13-Sep-2021 11:53

networkn:

...We have put up with pretty poor paintwork for 16 years, and often notice the uneven non-sharp areas, plus with cracking. We considered a new house at some stage, but feel right now, we will likely stay here for at least 5 years and as such, are keen to make sure this time we do things properly.

...

Have you got a reasonably long straight edge? Maybe a spirit level or long steel ruler? If you hold the straight edge up to the wall, what do you see?

Significant (2-3mm +) rolling, wavy gaps between wall and straightedge, particularly if there is a stud behind peaks or troughs are probably an indication of a building issue like studs not being in line or having shifted over time. This is a strip all gib, builder fixes wall, re-gib and plaster scenario.
If the wall is mostly straight, but there is a bulge, this is probably still a building issue but you might be able to get away with just fixing the area with the issue.
Generally straight, but with straight vertical or horizontal cracks along the walls, and issues in the corners probably means that a new coat of plaster from a good stopper will fix a lot of the issues.

Another option is anaglypta or scandatex, a textured paintable wallpaper/covering. Because it's textured it hides a *lot* imperfections and other sins.

In terms of timing, if you've got young/active kids or pets, might be better to wait until their older before investing a lot in lovely flat walls.

elpenguino

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#2777286 13-Sep-2021 11:54

networkn:

Perhaps skimming might do the job. I have heard the best plasters do a level 5 finish but I am unsure what that costs.

Depends. If you have on-going structural issues, then the new plaster and paint will just crack again. Some builders do not fit GIB to framing correctly and this leads to cracks.

This is especially the case around penetrations (known as door and window frames to us normal peeps). If you have this type of issue then you may need to have GIB replaced in those areas.

And, when painting, just do a room at a time. Empty the room, paint the whole room, re-furnish. Repeat till you lose the will to live :-)

There are times and places where lower quality plastering work will suffice because defects are not noticeable. For example, if you have a hallway with a window at the far end, you will see every small wall imperfection at eye level, but not those closer to the floor. Underneath a window is usually not going to be seen in relief either. I don't know how a level 5 plasterer works or what they charge, but whoever you engage, it might be worth asking for the most attention in the most noticeable areas.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

mdf

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#2777288 13-Sep-2021 11:58

elpenguino:

There are times and places where lower quality plastering work will suffice because defects are not noticeable. For example, if you have a hallway with a window at the far end, you will see every small wall imperfection at eye level, but not those closer to the floor. Underneath a window is usually not going to be seen in relief either. I don't know how a level 5 plasterer works or what they charge, but whoever you engage, it might be worth asking for the most attention in the most noticeable areas.

^ +1 this.

The glossier the paint, the more imperfections will be obvious, especially "along" a wall. Flatter paint (e.g. flat, low sheen) will hide more imperfections. Flatter paint does tend to wear worse than glossier paint though, so care is always required with high traffic areas like hallways.

allan

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#2777689 13-Sep-2021 16:29

rb99:

Just as a matter of interest, can you actually remove painted wallpaper from gib (and leave the gib behind...) ?

Having done this in a previous house, the big issue was how to get through the paint layer to then soften the wallpaper glue in order to remove it - particularly as the wallpaper layer with the paint had then been papered on top as well. It took a lot of effort and having to score through the layers and then using a steam removal tool. Wouldn't pretend it was easy and I managed to damage the gib in several places.

networkn

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#2854226 20-Jan-2022 15:56

Coming back to this in the new year (just in time for Omicron to break out!

We are thinking skimming might be the option, I guess someone who does it will be able to give us more of an idea, but has anyone here had it done, how much prep work etc is there? We have a two-story house (250m2 incl garage which we won't redo) and we are wondering what the chances of being able to still live in the downstairs while the upstairs is being done then swapping, or if we need to move into a temporary place, and if it's going to be days or weeks etc.

Just trying to get a feel for things at the moment.

timmmay

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#2854253 20-Jan-2022 16:55

We recently got a quote for about $20K or maybe a bit more for rejibbing a 4x5m lounge and a 2x5m hallway, including plaster and paint. We decided to get plasters in as well, found a good team who said they'll do 3-4 days $2500 + GST to fix the bigger problems.

Can't answer your question sorry, but thought prices might be interesting.

networkn

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#2854254 20-Jan-2022 17:00

timmmay:

We recently got a quote for about $20K or maybe a bit more for rejibbing a 4x5m lounge and a 2x5m hallway, including plaster and paint. We decided to get plasters in as well, found a good team who said they'll do 3-4 days $2500 + GST to fix the bigger problems.

Can't answer your question sorry, but thought prices might be interesting.

Are you serious!? 20K for rejibbing two rooms? That seems incredibly high?

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