# Plaster walls



## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

We started this project today. It had a paintable wallcovering(forget the name) made for hiding old plaster and paint that has hairline cracks. How would you guys go about getting a smooth finish on the walls again? The current plan is remove adhesive, scrape, sand, oil prime, MD Crack fix as needed, patch/skim, acrylic primer, finish. 1st pic shows where the water leak happened. You can see where the paint also came off with the WC. Last pic is what all walls look like. For the most part the existing paint is tight to the walls


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## Boco (May 18, 2013)

Looks like you got the trifecta hear. Wallpaper, cracks, and water damage. There is a lot of prep work here but i am sure it will look great.


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## PremierPaintingMa (Nov 30, 2014)

PRC said:


> We started this project today. It had a paintable wallcovering(forget the name) made for hiding old plaster and paint that has hairline cracks. How would you guys go about getting a smooth finish on the walls again? The current plan is remove adhesive, scrape, sand, oil prime, MD Crack fix as needed, patch/skim, acrylic primer, finish. 1st pic shows where the water leak happened. You can see where the paint also came off with the WC. Last pic is what all walls look like. For the most part the existing paint is tight to the walls


Is that a horse hair plaster? Old cement board?


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## PremierPaintingMa (Nov 30, 2014)

I done few of these old houses before.
That's what i used before skim coat I used 24" Wide Nylon Mesh Tape covered all the walls before skimming, it came out really good. There is a lot of spider crack if you don't use mesh tape it may come back.
Is not cheap to fix so make sure you put your amount of $$$.
Please take some pictures.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

It's horse hair. The cracks are in the paint. The plaster is sound except maybe around the leak. Would you use mesh for cracks in paint?


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Was the previous paintable wallpaper Anaglypta ? An embossed type of paper. 


There are also a couple of options from "FLEXi-WALL Systems", either their _Plaster On A Roll_ or _Faster Plaster_:

http://www.flexiwall.com/pages/products_home.htm


Although I have never used it, there has been a lot of chatter about it on NGPP boards

It hangs like wallpaper ; but doesn't hang like wallpaper - from what I understand.


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## PremierPaintingMa (Nov 30, 2014)

PRC said:


> It's horse hair. The cracks are in the paint. The plaster is sound except maybe around the leak. Would you use mesh for cracks in paint?


PRC!
I don't think you need it if the cracks in the paint only, what I would do is oil prime it first than patch or skim coat.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

PremierPaintingMa said:


> PRC!
> I don't think you need it if the cracks in the paint only, what I would do is oil prime it first than patch or skim coat.


That's the plan. I thought I would check with you all to make sure I wasn't missing a step!


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

daArch said:


> Was the previous paintable wallpaper Anaglypta ? An embossed type of paper.
> 
> 
> There are also a couple of options from "FLEXi-WALL Systems", either their _Plaster On A Roll_ or _Faster Plaster_:
> ...


I don't know a product name. What I know is that it is probably been on for 20-25 years. I started out stripping it like any other and found DIF and perforating unnecessary. We just slide 3" knives under it along the chair and cornice and pulled it off in sheets. It had a mesh backing with a textured vinyl-like surface. Removal took 2 hrs. which I was very pleased with.


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## PremierPaintingMa (Nov 30, 2014)

I use to love doing old historic homes, but it take a lots of time and patient and I don't have either one any more
I did a historic house about 3 to 4 years ago I used a Swedish putty for the dinning and living room that think came up awesome flawless, but Swedish putty it is very very expensive.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

I like the historic work, at least for now! It is the niche I honestly fell into about 7 years ago. And it keeps me busy! A good bit of my business is property management for a few horse farms. Anything from barns and stables to rooms like this.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

PremierPaintingMa said:


> I use to love doing old historic homes, but it take a lots of time and patient and I don't have either one any more
> I did a historic house about 3 to 4 years ago I used a Swedish putty for the dinning and living room that think came up awesome flawless, but Swedish putty it is very very expensive.


I have only used Swedish putty on doors. I can't imagine what the walls looked like. What finish did you use?


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## PremierPaintingMa (Nov 30, 2014)

PRC said:


> I have only used Swedish putty on doors. I can't imagine what the walls looked like. What finish did you use?


I believe was eggshell.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

Here we are one week into it. Wednesday was a half day on account of weather. 
- Wallcovering and paste removed
- Oil prime on ceiling repair and all walls 
- Caulk removed at trim/wall
- Cornice prepped/repaired (30 hrs.) and partially primed
- Ceiling finished 2 coats of Benny WB ceiling paint
- First full skim coat on walls
- Begun prep on window casings


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

So we finished the painting back in February and then it took a while for them to decide on paper. But it finally got finished on Monday.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Looks real nice now. Good work.

Although not a result of your work, I can't understand the decorative choice of the blue/turquoise for the wainscoat with that wallpaper.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

daArch said:


> Looks real nice now. Good work.
> 
> Although not a result of your work, I can't understand the decorative choice of the blue/turquoise for the wainscoat with that wallpaper.


It's not showing the color correctly, it's actually a sage green. Doesn't look blue of turquoise in person. Maybe this one is truer.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

PRC said:


> It's not showing the color correctly, it's actually a sage green. Doesn't look blue of turquoise in person. Maybe this one is truer.




That's MUCH better, thanks.

Picks up the green in leaves, I would imagine.


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## matt19422 (Oct 2, 2009)

PRC how much do u like MB Crack Filler? I'm on the fence about it myself


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## PremierPaintingMa (Nov 30, 2014)

:thumbsup:Very nice work PRC


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

daArch said:


> That's MUCH better, thanks.
> 
> Picks up the green in leaves, I would imagine.


It does pickup the green. The designer also picked a slightly different color for the face of the skirting then the rest of the trim.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

matt19422 said:


> PRC how much do u like MB Crack Filler? I'm on the fence about it myself


I have only used it a dozen or so time. I find it to be useful as one more low cost step in a repair system. I like how it works on plaster. I have used it to stabilize the brown coat, repair and then over top the repair. As with all "problem solving" products, it will never make up for issues due to framing, structure and the like. I will continue to use it unless I see it is not working.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

PremierPaintingMa said:


> Very nice work PRC


Thanks!


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

Little late to date but I always cover plaster hairlin cracks wit wide rolls of fibafuse and skim out with mud to aglass like finish.Bridges cracks very well.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

mudbone said:


> Little late to date but I always cover plaster hairlin cracks wit wide rolls of fibafuse and skim out with mud to aglass like finish.Bridges cracks very well.


The walls were covered with a high quality wall liner before the paper went on.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Very nice work PRC. Just curious. Would a wallpaper liner under the new wallpaper have been sufficient enough over the hairline paint cracking?..Better safe than sorry of course..


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

finishesbykevyn said:


> Very nice work PRC. Just curious. Would a wallpaper liner under the new wallpaper have been sufficient enough over the hairline paint cracking?..Better safe than sorry of course..


Given the condition of these walls, I felt comfortable with the wall liner. The whole process for the walls was oil prime, skim twice, sand, acrylic primer/sealer, liner and paper. The plaster was in good shape everywhere except for the water damage where it needed some mesh.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

PRC said:


> Given the condition of these walls, I felt comfortable with the wall liner. The whole process for the walls was oil prime, skim twice, sand, acrylic primer/sealer, liner and paper. The plaster was in good shape everywhere except for the water damage where it needed some mesh.


Wow. That's going to be one expensive room. Haha.:thumbsup:


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