Polycell 'sort-of plaster' over embossed wallpaper - anyone used it?

[tester]

Not exactly plaster, but some product you can spread directly on wallpaper and smooth to give a pseudo plaster-like effect - I wonder how good it is to get a smooth finish over horrible surfaces.

[Cicero]

=============================== It's probably quite easy to do but it seems like a rather pointless bodge. I think that it's quite likely to bring the old wallpaper off in patches because of the moisture content.

I would suggest that it's easier to remove the old wallpaper and repair any consequent plaster damage rather than try this cover-up.

Cic.

[EricP]

There have been threads in here about it.

Usually started by people like yourself who bought it and came asking if it was really as total rubbish as they had found or were they doing something wrong.

[Phil L]

The adverts say it's for smoothing over artex, I say it's for throwing in the bin - it would cost more than WW2 to get a room smooth with that stuff, and using it on wallpaper is possibly the worst idea anyone has ever had

[TheScullster]

"tester" wrote

Get the paper off and smooth the wall. As others have said, the moisture in the skim is likely to loosen paper anyway - cue a real mess.

Phil

[tester]

No need for such a condesending reply to a genuine question. I never bought it, just saw an ad on the TV by a reputable company not some fly by night start up. Thanks for all helpful replies.

[EricP]

I can't see anything condesending in it. It was intended as a straight reply, but suit yourself.

[jal]

I didn't think it was wallpaper they talk about in the ad (maybe I misheard). I assume that it is _artex_ that they're talking about: this is a notoriously difficult substance to remove - in fact virtually impossible. (See D-I-Y for years past)

Best way to deal with Artex is to get it skimmed by a plasterer - those time-served Wizards who can do wonderful things with sludge.

Enter Polycell, who are saying "skim it yourself - dead easy!". It's

*that* bit which I, too, am very curious to know about: even watching the advert, I just cannot believe that the guy'n'gal slapping this stuff on are going to end up with something you can paper, or emulsion.

There must be something in it (in the notion of doing this with Polycell's product I mean, not something in the product itself; (that too I suppose)). However I would say that if you have a wall or a ceiling of Artex to deal with, then grit your teeth and employ a plasterer to skim it: fast, and a perfect finish.

John IANAP [I am not a plasterer] [wish I was - plenty of pocket money in that job, alright]

[Aidan Karley]

Artex is the work of the devil and only to be used on paying work, not on anything you're going to admit to being responsible for. Removing Artex is a pretty grim task, but the feeling of righteousness you get as you do it eases a lot of the pain. Alternate between the steam stripper and the hot air gun, that way you don't get too badly cramped on the first day.

[Huge]

I've used Polyskim. Once. I get a plasterer in now.

[dmc]

I'm pretty sure when I saw the ad the other day it ended with something like "even suitable for covering textured wallpaper" which instantly made me dismiss it :)

Darren

[Phil L]

Polycell don't sell products to do the job they are sold for, they sell watered (and dumbed) down versions of the 'real thing', often for extortionate prices - a 5L tub of this 'smoothover' crap would probably cover about 6m2 *, or to put it another way, less than one 12ft by 8ft wall and costs £25...oh and it doesn't work.

Bag of finishing plaster (25kg) is £3, add to water (free) will cover easily

20m2.

@ £3 a bag, I don't know why more people don't just buy some and learn...even if it all ends up being scraped off and thrown in the bin, at least people are getting better every time they try.

• a bedroom of 12ft by 12ft by 8ft high is approximately 45m2, even if this stuff covered 8m2 (not a hope) it would still cost a householder £150 to do it himself, probably over a fortnight or so...one plasterer would do it in one day for approx £200, less if the householder sheeted up and cleaned up afterwards.