Lining paper or paint over strips of plaster? General decorating topics, questions and answers. find help, tips and advice on completing your decorating projects

[simonlebon]

Hi everyone

I really hope someone can help.

I have just had my house rewired. As part of that work, the electricians needed to cut channels in the ceilings in order to get to the overhead lights, and on the walls below the light switches and around the sockets, and where some wires have been chased in. They have filled these in with plaster. In some cases they have left a very smooth finish (smooth to touch, they are level with the wall) in others it is slightly rougher.

All the rooms have lining paper and are painted. The lining paper looks in decent enough nic (apart from where the electrician cut the channels).

I would rather not have to replace the lining paper in these rooms because that will no doubt be a lot of effort and more expensive. I was hoping it might be possible to make all the areas where work has been carried out smooth (somehow), and paint directly over it with white paint. But would this look bad/would it look obvious that those areas had been plastered.

The only other problem is that in the front room and the hallway the lining paper on the ceiling is chip style, which means filling it in with smooth plaster and painting over the top will leave those areas looking different to what was there before. I can live with this, but if it's possible to find another way that would be good. My question is should I:

1) Somehow smoothly finish using plaster and then paint straight onto the affected areas ; or
2) Reline with lining paper only the parts of the walls that have been affected by the rewiring; or
3) Failing that, remove all the lining paper in the affected rooms and replace it with new lining paper that can be painted directly onto.

Thanks a lot!

[stoneyboy]

simonlebon,
Cut back the lining paper from each side of the chasing.
Fill and sand the strips so that you get a finished surface level with the original.
Paste strips of lining paper over the repaired area wide enough so that you can cut with a knife through the new and old lining paper. Remove the new lining strip, remove the old lining back to the cut line and paste the new lining strip onto the cut out.
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[simonlebon]

simonlebon,
Cut back the lining paper from each side of the chasing.
Fill and sand the strips so that you get a finished surface level with the original.
Paste strips of lining paper over the repaired area wide enough so that you can cut with a knife through the new and old lining paper. Remove the new lining strip, remove the old lining back to the cut line and paste the new lining strip onto the cut out.
end

Hi Stoneyboy, thanks very much for your answer. I have also had these suggestions and it's making my head spin! Everyone seems to have a different answer:

"the way around you're problem is to pva (seal ) and bond ( undercoat plaster) all the channels leaving a depth of about 5mm to the surface,finish off with toupret interior filler (very easy to sand & leaves a nice smooth finish ) so it would work in the normal lined rooms.
for the rooms with the woodchip very slightly overfill with toupret, then dab with a torn piece of sponge before it sets.( works a treat ) seal filler when set with diluted pva before painting"

AND

"[person above] has given you sound advise, just one thing though, don't use pva to seal your filler before painting, just slightly water down the first coat of paint 60paint /40water"

AND

"strip of the ceilings and re plaster them it will cost you just as much to paper them. you will never be happy just patching them up. With regards to the wood chip walls patching in wood chip paper you will always see were you have done this even when you paint it you are better off re papering the whole wall . Were you have lining paper on your walls if its just a channel you can fill with fine filler and rub it done smooth"

AND

"Hello the correct solution is strip and reline ..you need to weigh up the cost and compare this with the length of time the lining paper will last..if hung right indefinately"

Stoneyboy - what do you say about the suggestions above? Onee guy sems to think a total replasting of the ceilings is required. Will I be able to notice the difference using your method? I know it won't be seamless, but I don't want it to look bad!

Thnaks again

[stoneyboy]

simonlebon,
Sorry I haven't been back to you, the DIY doctor web site has been "improved" so now I cannot easily see whether and further responses are need to my answers.
Certainly avoid pva under emulsion paints.
Whether you repair or totally replaster is a matter of cost vs appearance, try a repairing a small area and see how well it finishes. Decide from there whether total repapering is worth it.
As I understand things toupret is a waterproofing product which can be overfilled once set so no comment.
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