Best way to cover imperfect walls?

[Mark]

Having had my flat for 4 years I am finally getting round to some decoration/DIY. Some of the (interior) walls are very pock-marked, and even bulge in places. I assume this is the result of very poorly applied plaster at some point (this is a 1900 tenement). I was thinking that textured paint of some description would be the easiest/cheapest way to address this. I don't think there's anything to be done with the bulges though. I am on a horrendously tight budget... Any other suggestions?

Cheers ... Mark

[mark]

Use Polyfilla or similar for the pock marks. Paint with matt emulsion as it is quite forgiving. Vinly silk emulsion would highlight all the defects as it is somewhat reflective.

mark

[Mark]

On Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:16:56 +0000, mark wrote (in article ):

Thanks. Some of the pock-marks are palm-sized (and there are a /lot/ of them). It seems as if chips/chunks have come loose in the past and just been plastered or painted over leaving "highs" (ridges, etc) as well as "lows". I don't think there's anyway to hide the larger blemishes, but wondered if a textured paint would at least draw attention away from the flaws...

Cheers ... Mark

[Fredxx]

Try hanging some pictures and mirrors. They'll cover and distract.

Sand high spots and fill low ones. It might take a few goes at filling the larger lows. Use a wide scraper to ensure anything you fill you leave reasonably flat.

[Mr Benn]

Textured wallpaper is excellent for hiding blemishes. And of course you can paint it any colour you want assuminmg it's not vinyl-covered.

[Rob Graham]

Polyfilla makes stuff especially for levelling largish areas of poor plaster. When Mark suggested Polyfilla, that's quite right but I suggest not what one normally thinks of as Polyfilla, just one of its other products.

The high areas can be lowered with coarse sandpaper.

Rob Graham

[mike]

On Jan 20, 12:10=A0pm, Mark wrote: I was thinking that textured paint

If you're on a tight budget, I would go with matt emulsion. If you want to spend a little more time and effort, take an afternoon with some fine filler and some sandpaper to fill the pock marks and lessen some of the ridges prior to painting. You might be surprised at what a decent coat of pale emulsion covers up.

The risk with textured paint is that instead of having a crappy wall, you have a crappy wall covered in textured paint. Think back to when godawful woodchip wallpaper was the fad for covering dodgy plasterwork. A few years later, everyone sees woodchip and thinks, "Oh, dodgy plasterwork".

You can always add a picture or a vase of flowers afterwards.

[JimK]

how deep is the average pock mark?

I'm thinking a bag of plaster is yours for a fiver, a fiver more should get you a float, bucket, some pva (to apply diluted to the marks before you plaster them). Seriously this is an excellent opportunity to "have a go" at patch plastering.

Cheers JimK

[Mark]

On Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:10:24 +0000, Mark wrote (in article ):

Thanks for all the feedback. I'll look into Polyfilla and maybe textured wallpaper.

Cheers ... Mark

[Old Git]

Have to agree wholeheartedly. In one of my previous houses I had a major problem with uneven walls, when trying to redecorate the dining room. The previous owner was a teacher with the DIY capabilities of a turd and it looked as if he had done some plastering with a shovel. I started out trying to sand down and level it but just after starting the job I had a heart attack. So then decided the problem wasn't worth dying for and took a punt on painting the walls with a light emulsion. I was quite surprised at how well it turned out, we had many dinner parties in there and nobody ever noticed the lumps and bumps. Even I forgot about them after a while.

[Tinkerer]

Someone earlier mentioned that Polyfilla do a product for this purpose. I have used it and it is brilliant. It is called Smoothover and comes ready mixed in a rectangular tub. It is worth spending a bit more and getting the proper tool for applying it. Obviously it won't disguise the raised areas but that's what sandpaper's for.