To achieve a good wall surface on which to hang the lining paper, fill all knock marks, holes and cracks using a filler knife and flexible filler, remove any loose plaster and re-plaster if necessary (see wall plaster repair post). Go back over areas you have filled several times as I was amazed how much I had missed on the first pass. Let the filler/plaster dry hard, then sand the wall down, concentrating on a small area at a time, sand the filler level and remove any loose flecks of old paint and bits of wallpaper, this does take time to do but it is well worth the effort. I used an electric sander and sanding block to do this but you could always use a small block of timber wrapped with sandpaper to enable you to sand down using a flat surface and not your hand. Don’t forget to use dustsheets to cover furniture and floor coverings, and I would also recommend using safety goggles and a face mask to avoid breathing in any small particles of dust.

Safety tip :- Keep children and pets clear of the walls/room being sanded down to avoid them breathing in any dust present in the air. Ventilate the room by opening windows, if possible close the doors to adjacent rooms to avoid the dust spreading throughout your home.

If you have used a lot of filler or plaster to patch up the wall it is worthwhile sizing the wall prior to hanging the lining paper, size is basically diluted wallpaper paste (the dilution ratio can usually be found on the packet), this is applied to the wall to stop the filler or plaster from removing too much water from the pasted piece of lining paper too quickly and therefore reducing its adhesive properties. Sizing a wall also allows you to slide the paper more easily into position when you start papering the wall.

Should you decide to hang the lining paper horizontally across the wall, mark a level line, preferably with a chalk line and spirit level, see fig 1 below. If your lining paper has a width of 24 inches (600mm) mark the line approximately 20 inches (500mm) below the ceiling, this should easily take into account any discrepancies in the existing ceiling level. Measure the width of the wall and add 6 inches (150mm) to the length for trimming in the corners. You will need two pairs of steps and a walk board or planks supported where necessary in order to reach the work area, the lining paper is pasted and folded in the same way as normal wallpaper (see hanging wallpaper post) the only difference being you are hanging the lining paper horizontally rather than vertically.   

Safety tip :-  Great care must be taken when working at height, especially as you will no doubt be concentrating on hanging the paper correctly rather than looking where you are placing your feet as you move along the walk board or planks. An assistant is invaluable, if only to watch your step for you and pass any decorating tools you may need.

  

fig 1

As shown in fig 1 above, hang each piece of lining paper in position butting the joints together, try to ensure there are no overlaps as these will show through your wallpaper eventually and spoil the finished look. Cut the lining paper into the corners of the wall and trim as required along the ceiling and skirting board edges, once again don’t let the lining paper overlap anywhere if possible. Let the lining paper dry out for approximately 24 hours and then you can start to hang your wallpaper. Have a look for other tips and advice in the main decorating section on hanging wallpaper etc.

I overcame this problem by using lining paper on every wall and I was very pleased with the results. Lining paper is relatively inexpensive and can be obtained from most decorating suppliers or DIY stores, the rolls come in different weights, usually 1200, 1400, 1700 and 2000, basically the higher the number, the thicker the lining paper. I chose the 1400 paper to cover my walls, they were reasonably flat but had lots of knock marks and old patches of emulsion on them. I found the 1400 lining paper was easy to hang and of a suitable thickness to cover any slight discrepancies on the walls I wanted to paint. Depending on the condition of your own walls you may need to use a heavier lining paper to suit your needs.

To achieve a good wall surface on which to hang the lining paper, fill all knock marks, holes and cracks using a filler knife and flexible filler, remove any loose plaster and re-plaster if necessary (see wall plaster repair post). Go back over areas you have filled several times as I was amazed how much I had missed on the first pass. Let the filler/plaster dry hard, then sand the wall down, concentrating on a small area at a time, sand the filler level and remove any loose flecks of old paint and bits of wallpaper, this does take time to do but it is well worth the effort. I used an electric sander and sanding block to do this but you could always use a small block of timber wrapped with sandpaper to enable you to sand down using a flat surface and not your hand. Don’t forget to use dustsheets to cover furniture and floor coverings, and I would also recommend using safety goggles and a face mask to avoid breathing in any small particles of dust.

Safety tip :- Keep children and pets clear of the walls/room being sanded down to avoid them breathing in any dust present in the air. Ventilate the room by opening windows, if possible close the doors to adjacent rooms to avoid the dust spreading throughout your home.

If you have used a lot of filler or plaster to patch up the wall it is worthwhile sizing the wall prior to hanging the lining paper, size is basically diluted wallpaper paste (the dilution ratio can usually be found on the packet), this is applied to the wall to stop the filler or plaster from removing too much water from the pasted piece of lining paper too quickly and therefore reducing its adhesive properties. Sizing a wall also allows you to slide the paper more easily into position when you start papering the wall.

Lining paper is sometimes hung horizontally if it is being used as a base for wallpaper (see how to hang lining paper before wallpapering post), but as I was using the lining paper to obtain a good surface for painting I hung the lining paper vertically just as you would when wallpapering a wall (see pasting and hanging post), when all the strips of lining paper were hung in position, I allowed 24 hours for the lining paper to dry out, I then filled any noticeable small gaps in the joints between the strips of lining paper using a filler knife and flexible filler, where the joints had overlapped a little I cut out the excess paper using a Stanley/craft knife and filled the gap, again using the filler knife and flexible filler. Allow the filler to dry out fully, then lightly sand the filler surface flat, if you are not happy with the finish, refill the joint and repeat the process until the joints have a level flat finish. Now you can start to paint the wall and hopefully you will be pleased with the results. I used an inexpensive base coat of White emulsion, as the first coat tends to soak into the lining paper, then finished off with two coats of coloured emulsion using a paint brush for around the edges and a roller for the larger surface area. 

Preparing the walls, filling the paper joints etc, does take quite a lot of time and patience, but the difference to the end result is very impressive and well worth all of your efforts, when I had finished my walls, several of my family members thought the walls had been re-plastered prior to painting.

Many recently built properties have plasterboard stuck in place on interior walls (Dot & Dab), this method of fixing the plasterboard’s to the walls leaves voids between the plasterboard and wall, therefore a good knock with a piece of furniture etc, will result in a hole in the plasterboard (see fig 1). The same problem occurs with none load bearing walls such as dividing walls between bedrooms, they will more than likely be constructed from timber and plasterboard/drywall.

Fortunately these holes can be repaired fairly easily by anyone with a little DIY skill and a few tools.

Start the repair by cutting the hole in the plasterboard as square as possible (see fig 2) using a pad saw or sharp knife, taking great care the knife does not slip as a lot of pressure may need to be applied to cut through the plasterboard.

If the hole when squared up measures as an example 5″ (125mm) square, cut a piece of plasterboard 4 3/4″ (120mm) wide by 7″ (175mm) long. Note you may have to reduce the longer measurement if there isn’t enough space to to slide the new piece of plasterboard behind the existing plasterboard.

Screw a couple of drywall screws around 1″ (25mm) apart in the center of your cut piece, apply a grab adhesive (Gripfill, etc) to each end of the cut piece (see fig 3) and slide the cut piece of plasterboard into position inside the hole, now pull on the two drywall screws gently so the adhesive bonds to the inside edges of the existing plasterboard, hold the piece in position for a couple of minutes until it bonds and then allow the adhesive to set (see fig 4).

As an alternative to using drywall screws for grip you can poke a small hole in the centre of the piece of plasterboard with a screwdriver, then pass a piece of string through the hole and tie it to a small piece of wood (e.g. a peg), when you have placed the piece of plasterboard in position and the adhesive has set , simply cut the string flush with the hole it comes through.

When the piece of cut plasterboard is stuck in position, the remainder of the  hole can be filled with an appropriate plaster (e.g. one coat plaster), or if it is only a small hole use a flexible filler. If your finished plaster or filler is not very smooth, use a sanding block to obtain a good level and smooth finish (a short piece of 3″ x 2″  75mm x 50mm timber with sandpaper wrapped around it will do the job).

Any ‘old’ plastered walls / ceilings will probably require a great deal of preparation in order to achieve a good paint finish. All holes, cracks and knocks etc, will have to be filled and sanded smooth with an appropriate filler and sand paper. It may be worthwhile preparing the wall / ceiling first and then wallpapering it with a cheap plain wallpaper, letting it dry out and then painting over it to obtain a good finish.

Any walls /ceilings that have been painted previously should be cleaned using warm water and soap, if there are any stains especially on the ceiling from nicotine etc, then try using sugar soap (available in powder form to mix with water or as ready to use wipes), this is more effective and recommended by most decorators.

Painting wall and ceilings to obtain the desired finish will probably require a couple of coats, dependant on the colour you are applying to them and any stains or marks that can’t be removed. I always use a paint roller and tray for the majority of the painting and finish off corners and around woodwork with a suitable size brush. Don’t overload the roller or brush with too much paint (after a short while you will be able to judge how much paint to load onto the roller or brush). Cover any flooring or furnishings with a dustsheet that you don’t want speckled with the paint from the roller. Give the paint time to dry before worrying that it looks a mixture of shades as sections of the wall / ceiling will dry quicker than others.

• New timber / woodwork.

New timber should have any knots sealed with knotting compound so the wood resin is prevented from staining the paintwork in the future, this can be purchased from most good DIY stores for around £5 to £6 and is applied with an ordinary paint brush. The timber should be lightly sanded down, cleaned off with a damp cloth and then a coat or two of wood primer should be applied prior to the top coat.

• Previously painted timber / woodwork in good condition.

If the timber / woodwork is in good condition it will probably only require cleaning with warm water and soap, or sugar soap if you prefer ( sugar soap contains a degreasant for cleaning painted surfaces and is generally recommended by most decorators),  it comes in a powder form that is mixed with water, or as ready to use wipes. As with any cleaning product I would wear protective gloves when using it. If the timber / woodwork has slight damage such as dints and holes in it, these can be filled using a good wood filler and sanded smooth.

• Old or unsightly painted timber / woodwork.

Safety tip :- Chemical paint stripper and heat guns should only be used in a well ventilated area due to the fumes that are given off, the area should be kept clear of children and pets. Paint scrapings should be disposed of as soon as is practical, gloves and goggles should be used at all times when using these methods to remove paint. If you suspect the paint you want to remove contains lead then I would try and obtain a DIY lead test kit, failing this I would remove the paint using a chemical paint stripper rather than using a heat gun.

If the timber / woodwork is covered with a zillion coats of old paint then the only solution may be to remove it completely using either a chemical paint stripper or a heat gun in order to obtain a good surface on which to apply new paint. Chemical paint strippers are straight forward to use, you simply apply the paint stripper to the painted surface with an old paint brush and after a short while the paint will start to peel and bubble, this can then be removed using a scraper, taking care not to damage the surface of the timber/ woodwork. For those awkward areas (spindles on stairs, mouldings etc), you can use wire wool and a wood chisel to scrape paint off. The timber / woodwork surfaces will need to be cleaned with warm water and soap, then left to dry completely before any primer and paint is applied.

Heat guns are relatively inexpensive tools to purchase and work by heating the paint surface up until it starts to bubble and then can be removed with a scraper, again taking care not to damage the timber / woodwork. Be careful not to scorch the wood or set fire to anything combustible in the work area. Heat Guns usually come with clip on guards that protect walls and glass in windows and doors etc, from the heat.

Spending time preparing the wall surfaces for decorating can be a little tedious, but it is time well spent and can make a great deal of difference to your wallpaper or paint finish.

Once you have covered any furnishings and carpet with your dustsheet, start by removing all the old wallpaper, I would recommend using a wallpaper steam stripper, and if like me you have little patience for what I consider to be the worst decorating  job there is, then they can be purchased for around £20 – £30 for a DIY model or you can hire a more professional version for around £20 for a weekend or £31 for the week, either way I always use one when necessary. If your budget won’t allow for a steam stripper then the alternative is to scratch the wallpaper with a knife (not too deep, you don’t want to damage the walls) and wet it down with warm water, wait a short while and then scrape it off using a wallpaper scraper. With the steam stripper let it reach temperature then start at the top of the wall, the steam soon penetrates the wallpaper and it can be removed quite easily again using your wallpaper scraper. Check the water level in the steam stripper tank regularly to ensure it doesn’t run dry.

Safety tips :- Keep a watchful eye on any water that may run down the walls onto power sockets and light switches etc, have a dry towel or cloth handy just in case. Steam wallpaper strippers obviously release hot steam and water so take precautions against burns such as wearing gloves and keeping children and pets away from the work area. Check your stepladders are in good condition and take care not to step on any stripped wallpaper that may be on the treads or at the bottom of the steps as the old adhesive on wet wallpaper can be very slippery.

When all the wallpaper has been removed you can start to fill any holes or cracks in the walls using a flexible filler that won’t crack, the filler can be left a little proud of the wall surface and sanded down flush when dry. Fill any gaps along the skirting boards and architrave too as these will show up as black lines when the decorating is completed. Run your hand over the wall surface and remove any remnants of wallpaper or small bits of plaster and dirt using your wallpaper scraper and fine sandpaper, even the smallest pieces of debris will show through the wallpaper and spoil the finished look.

You should always paint any woodwork and the ceiling prior to hanging your wallpaper, when you do this paint about 1/2″ – 1″ (12 – 25mm) of the wall above the skirting boards, around any architraves, window ledges and just below all the ceilings outer edge in the appropriate colours. This is done to hide any discrepancies that may happen when you trim the wallpaper to length or make cuts around doors etc.