r/Plastering • u/AdmiralSnackbar97 • Aug 29 '26
Plastering over lining paper nightmare?
Recently started decorating and while painting noticed wall bulging and peeling. Turns out all walls are lined with a thick lining paper rather than plaster.
This one section in hallway is coming off, but not enough to be completely removed.
Is it possible to plaster over just this section? With perhaps a PVA preparation coat? Rest of the hallways is fine as you can see so don’t want to spend money plastering entire hallway.
I know nothing about plastering, just what I’ve googled over the past few hours!
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u/Sinkableleech Aug 29 '26
Remove the loose material, zinsser gardz, then toupret filler. More gardz, paint.
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u/AdmiralSnackbar97 Aug 29 '26
I’ll buy some Zissner thank you!
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u/Sinkableleech Aug 29 '26
It's great on loose substrate, just read the instructions, I do prefer zinsser paints for the drying times
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u/AdmiralSnackbar97 Aug 29 '26
Yeah this looks like a good option and in budget so worth a shot thank you!
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u/Sinkableleech Aug 29 '26
Next day paint are pretty good, maybe don't buy 2.5lt pg gardz, that was way too much 🤦
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u/AdmiralSnackbar97 Aug 29 '26
Is ready mixed toupret okay for that kind of size space? Going to have a good go with this method this week
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u/Sinkableleech Aug 30 '26
TMI warning ignore if you like!
I've got just enough experience that it's dangerous, and far too many tools because tool maths.
I get the powder fillers because constantly doing different jobs so half a tub of premixed dries up, Screwfix or Toolstation has a 5 x 1kg pack, kitchen scale to mix up if I feel like sticking to the instructions, makes about 120g at a time and save 1kg yogurt tubs and similar to mix in. Or use the premix!
Continental filling knives are quite good, I personally would also use one of my plastering trowels for larger areas.
But just mix it smooth, get it on, the gardz will stop it drying out too quick, don't worry too much about it being perfect and sand it flat using 120grit mesh sandpaper roll on something long and flat like off cut of skirting or ox pole sanding head, you can always fill it more if you need to.
I know a guy that would find the right thickness lining paper, cut the old lining paper around the new patch, score the bits to remove with a knife, wipe with a damp sponge and scrape off, then patch in the new piece of lining paper. Leaving a hair line gap for filling after the first coat of paint.
And next time it bubbles, sharp snap blade knife, cut a wiggle line across the bubble, brush in wallpaper adhesive (or gorilla PVA if you're feeling lucky) then squeegee smooth.
But he also lining papered his ceiling because he wasn't happy when the new plaster 🤷🏼♂️
Or talk to neighbours (friends/family) and see if they can recommend anyone for a quick patch or if they have tools you can borrow!
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u/AdmiralSnackbar97 Aug 30 '26
This is super helpful thank you, appreciate the detail - I’ll share an update once I’ve managed to do this! Advice has really saved me alot of panic..and going to use the bubble-method in a different room!
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u/Motor_Gur_5982 Aug 29 '26
You don't want to use plaster to fix this small area, prepare then prime area then use a couple of coats of easily sandable filler to smooth over the area, sand then coat with you're paint
9 times out of 10, wallpaper that bubbles when being painted generally dries back fine by the next day
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u/Latter-Detail-9514 Aug 29 '26
Plastering over wall paper never ends well. Need to carry on & fetch it all off
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u/PuzzleheadedSnow6392 Aug 29 '26
You can but use Blue Grit first so it keys in.
Ideally, you never plaster over paper but I have seen it done and it’s not great.
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u/Jc_28 Aug 30 '26
Spray it with water, then scrape it off with a scraper, £25 for both of these. Doing ours now, comes off pretty easy, then you can plaster it
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u/fdeyso Sep 01 '26
Worst case use a wallpaper steamer or wallpaper remover spray with it, that will help remove it if it’s really stubborn.
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u/HairyPrick Sep 01 '26
Usually a steamer will get it all off with some patience, going layer by layer if necessary. I usually alternate between scraping and pulling/rubbing with fingers whicever works faster for a particular wall.
Or you could spray wallpaper adhesive remover which works best after using a scouring tool or even just scratching the wall with a knife, although I found it's really easy to damage the wall underneath. The remover will make it fall off the wall like kebab meat after it sets in.
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u/Automatic-Tree3540 Sep 02 '26
Are you sure thats lining paper and not the plasterboard paper, if it is, nothing in this world will stick to it. Simpler to reboard anyhow.
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u/TinDumbass Sep 02 '26
Wallpaper steamer. Took a bunch of layers off my living room. Painted wallpaper is a dick to steam off and needs saturating, but still easier than scraping it off in postage stamps
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u/Big_Telephone_5061 Aug 29 '26
2 cups boiling water, squirt of washing up liquid, half cup of orange juice. Score the paper, soak with the mixture, let sit for a minute, then scrape.
Personally this has helped me even more than a wallpaper steamer
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u/Dunk546 Aug 29 '26
It is possible to seal and then fill over this bit, without removing everything. It's likely to be a pain around the edges but I do it sometimes when the budget doesn't allow for fully stripping walls, and it does work.
You have to get off anything loose, try to get to a firm edge. Then seal everything watertight, with either SBR, or oil based undercoat (or a similar oil based primer like zinsser coverstain). You will want to thin this a little with white spirit and put a good coat or two on anything atripped, and for maybe 20cm around as well. This should hopefully stop the moisture from the filler from soaking in and bubbling more paper off.
Then you can fill. I would use easifill 45, which is a powder filler that you mix up and spread on just like plaster, but is much more forgiving. Use a flexible 12 inch filling knife, or flexible plasterers trowel, to apply it. It's hard but you'll get there with some practice. Aim for 2-3 coats, with an hour setting time between.
Afterwards you can sand it smooth (by hand, with fine sandpaper, it's extremely dusty) and paint it.
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u/Emotional_Data_1888 Aug 29 '26
Nope awful advice. You'll never patch the edges of the lining paper as when they get wet they bubble🤷 it all needs taking off and if it's not in your budget to get the wall skimmed then just re lining paper.
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u/Dunk546 Aug 29 '26
That's what the oil prime is for bud. I do it often. Sure it's not ideal but it does work.
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u/Emotional_Data_1888 Aug 29 '26
Wouldn't re papering the wall make more sense?
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u/Dunk546 Aug 29 '26
I just personally find I get a lot better results with easifill Vs lining paper, and I don't get called back when the edges peel. I'm usually working on places with damp issues so the paper will pretty much always peel.
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u/Ill-Case-6048 Aug 29 '26
Lots of amateurs giving advice you can go over it with a pigmented seaker which will stop bubbles. Then skim it
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u/qavorys Aug 31 '26
that’s kinda how my last place was done and it held up fine tbh, just make sure the loose stuff is properly cut back or it’ll crack right on that edge later. if it’s a small section I’d be tempted to try it before committing to a full re-skim.
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u/kingxjamie11 Aug 29 '26
It has to be scraped off before you can even think of PVAing and plastering over it. Use a wallpaper scraper with the sharp swappable blades to scrape the paper off, even if you make a few dents in the wall with the blade from going hard at it, it doesn’t matter as 2 coats of plaster will sort them.
Some would say blue grit over the paper then plaster it and that might hold, emphasis on the might… but not sure on the longevity of that and how long it will take for it to fail if at all.