old wall - plaster board or wall paper?

[Steve R]

Hi,

We have a wall with thick embossed wall paper on it. One builder has said that the best thing to do is plasterboard the whole wall and then skim it (dot and dab?) and then paint it with a waterproof paint (its for a cafe) Another guy has said to strip the wall paper and put vinyl paper up and then paint over it - cheaper but will it look ok?

This is for a coffee shop I was going for the paint on plaster look as I think it looks best. Will it be really noticable that there is wall paper on the wall or will it look pretty much the same?

Thanks for any advice.

Cheers,

Steve

[spamlet]

Lining paper looks pretty much the same as plaster once you've painted over it. Ideally run the paper strips horizontally, so you won't have any edge problems if you decide to go back to wall paper later. The plaster itself will show through the paper as well (specially where you've put all the filler!) Would not like to get involved with trying to paint over vinyl: sounds horrible and the pattern would almost certainly show through. If it's for a cafe, make sure you treat the plaster for mould before you paper it. Whatever you do, don't put gloss paint straight on the wall (see thread 'which grade of sandpaper...').

S

[meow2222]

Heavy textured paper is routinely used to hide a messy uneven plaster surface. Only when the old is off will you know whether the surface is good or bad, and this whether you need to a) put something similar on / cover it all with pb / replaster / skim, or b) the wall's ok and you can do what you like directly.

My money would go on A though, meaning plain paper would more likely not be upto it. Good chance the builder knows this, and intends to show you the mess and ask for money after all.

NT

[Lobster]

I agree, but certainly wouldn't put up the lining paper horizontally. Firstly, it's a lot more awkward to hang that way; secondly, if it *is* possible to see any lines beneath the paint (and that's more likely with horizontal paper given that it's more difficult to hang) then they will look more jarring if they run horizontally; and thirdly, I cannot understand the oft-reported 'worry' about 'edge problems' if the lining paper and final paper are both hung vertically. You just make sure the two drops are out of synch when you hang them - not exactlty rocket science!

David

[spamlet]

Yes, I thought it would be a pain to put the lining paper on sideways, and never got around to attempting it myself, but a couple of 'old hands' who did some recent decorating for us, but the lining paper on sideways, without being asked, or even mentioning it, and I was surprised at how even it all looks. I think the paint fills up the join line more easily than when I go via the simpler vertical option.

S