paint peeling off walls

It's plasterboard that hasn't been plastered and you are now seeing one of the reasons why it's a bad idea to tape and fill rather than plaster a PB wall - the other major PITA is trying to strip wallpaper from a wall like yours, put up by some innocent ignoramus who didn't realise that the wall would now require demolishing should anyone down the line decide that they wanted to change the decor.

Get it plastered, anything else is a botch.

I didnt know it was plasterboard. I thought PB was light in colour and not darkish like this stuff. It just looks like cardboard lol.

As some of the walls are painted is it OK to plaster over this?

Two solutions:

2) Wallpaper over lining paper.

You'll never be able to fill and/or feather the edges well enough for them not to visible under just paint.

what about glueing very thin plywood sheets on to it- how much would that cost?

or sheets of hardboard, or something else so the wall is not so soft and less damagable..

Polyfilla is ok to use for such a job. Buy the ready mix stuff and apply with a 6" blade,the type with wooden handle ..

Then put some filla on the scrapers edge and sweep the blad at an angle over the imperfections imperfection. You'll be suprised how much it actually wors well without sanding providing the angle of the blade is kept right

Watch the videos to the left of the site

Lining paper?

It is, The other technique is to fill any dents and line the lot with lining paper, and paint that.

Bought some of that as I thought it would better for small filling jobs rather than trying to mix up a teaspoon full of ordinary. Trouble is the stuff I have has some fine grit in it so you can't feather it out properly. The dry powder is *much* smoother.

Does the existing paint have a texture or is it fairly smooth? If the latter it gives you a much better chance of success, as there won't be a marked change between previous and newly filled bits.

I'd try a sample with ready-to-use '1 part' plain white wood filler and a sanding block, if a _little_ water is added to the filler it makes it easier to spread thinly.

Also I found shining a torch on the wall at a low angle helps show up any uneveness round the edges of the filled patches

For doing a lot of this a random orbital sander connected to a hoover is the way to go, a long washing machine outlet hose duct taped to the sander and hoover makes things easier.

cheers, Pete

Does the existing paint have a texture or is it fairly smooth? If the latter it gives you a much better chance of success, as there won't be a marked change between previous and newly filled bits.

I'd try a sample with ready-to-use '1 part' plain white wood filler and a sanding block, if a _little_ water is added to the filler it makes it easier to spread thinly.

Also I found shining a torch on the wall at a low angle helps show up any uneveness round the edges of the filled patches

For doing a lot of this a random orbital sander connected to a hoover is the way to go, a long washing machine outlet hose duct taped to the sander and hoover makes things easier.

cheers, Pete Thanks for the advice

i am going to fill and then put up lining paper.

i am off to b&q in the morning, there is also a crown decorating shop nearby. What filler is the best to use for such a job, I have a lot of small patches to use.

Thanks again

Mangers polyfilla

Just normal ready-to-use filler in a tub, look for something 'easy sanding' as some are cement based and will set like rock!

The decorating shop will be able to give good advice, for the small extra they may charge for a tub of filler it'd be well worth going there.

If you try painting a sample over some filled bits and don't like it, you can still just paper over it.

cheers, Pete.

Not being pedantic but "easy sanding" stuff in a tub doesn't normally give as smooth a finish as your bog standard Polyfilla or own brand equivalent "interior filler". You can fill dents in the lining paper afterwards as well. However careful you are, there are always bits you miss and the paper highlights them a treat

OK Dr Pedant ;) any _sandable_ filler.

In any case the decoraters merchant can advise the OP.

Were you dozing in 'wall filler 101' classes? :)

cheers, Pete.

They're all sandable but the lightweight stuff for deep filling doesn't give a good enough finish to paint IME.

Totally asleep I imagine :-) What did I miss?