# Prepping horsehair plaster walls



## elizabrat72 (Apr 4, 2013)

What is the best way to prep horsehair plaster walls for painting?


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

With that little info how would we know?
Are they full of cracks, keys broken off and it's coming away from the lathe, water stained.


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## elizabrat72 (Apr 4, 2013)

They are in really good condition as far as I can tell, only a few small cracks but mostly intact, and no water stains....


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## elizabrat72 (Apr 4, 2013)

Here you go.....


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

We have been giving Joe a hard time, sorry you might feel in the middle of that.

Are your walls presently painted? kind of looks like something is on it already. Did it have wallpaper on it?
Also it looks like it has a sand texture- correct?


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## elizabrat72 (Apr 4, 2013)

Totally fine to give Joe a hard time, in enjoying that! It had wallpaper on it. It's in the process of being stripped (which bites, big time). It isn't a very smooth finish on it, it feels coarse.


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

OK- So it has a paint on it, then paper. You need to remove the paste off also- which will be a drag I know on a rough surface. Use a sponge, water. and even a scrubbie.
Some think stuff like Dif or fabric softener helps- I have found just water and patience is sufficient.
The fact that it is a plaster wall at this point makes little difference, because you aren't dealing with the raw plaster surface. 
Prime after removing paste with a clear sealing primer called Gardz- this will seal the paste residue in so it doesn't cause problems later.
Then you can finish with 2 coats of whatever you want for wall paint.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

You said the walls were in good shape and on the surface this would seem to be true so count your blessings in this regard. 

You should make sure the plaster has not separated from the lathe anywhere. You can pull it back into contact with plaster repair systems that look like large washers with a boltish sort of thing in the middle. Then patch over them. Hopefully you will not need to do so.


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## elizabrat72 (Apr 4, 2013)

Joe, I can't reply to your personal message, so here is what I wrote to you....


joecaption said:


> That's some nasty looking walls you have there.
> Sure looks like you have some moisture coming through the back sides of the plaster.
> 
> Just a guess, really old house, ballon wall constrution, little or no insulation in the walls, wooden siding just attached to the studs with no sheathing or house wrap.
> ...


The walls I took the pictures of haven't been totally cleaned or stripped properly by me, I actually haven't done any of the wallpaper stripping in this room. This is my fiancé's house and he and his ex wife started in that room (not sure what they were using to help strip the paper), I just started stripping the paper last week and the walls in the living room and dining room look much cleaner. There really isn't a whole lot of moisture in the house at all. It is about 100 years old, and I'm not positive about the construction. It seems to deal up nicely, no drafts etc in the winter.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Use GARDZ, not an oil-based primer, over possible wallpaper paste residue. :thumbsup:


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## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

Horse hair was put in the brown base coat, not the white top coat, so why is the horsehair even considered? 

Washing with TSP, bleach and warm water seems like a reasonable approach to me, Vinegar and water might be required also, to break the old wallpaper paste.

Let it dry out, then prep it like its masonry, cause it is :laughing:


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Brushjockey said:


> We have been giving Joe a hard time, sorry you might feel in the middle of that.
> 
> Are your walls presently painted? kind of looks like something is on it already. Did it have wallpaper on it?
> Also it looks like it has a sand texture- correct?


Don't worry about it, the OP won't see those posts.


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## elizabrat72 (Apr 4, 2013)

The vinegar and water works well for removing the wallpaper


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## elizabrat72 (Apr 4, 2013)

So, is the consensus that TSP is the best prep after the wallpaper is removed?


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## elizabrat72 (Apr 4, 2013)

Oh you boys! I'm completely confused now, but laughing hysterically!


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## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

It looks to me like there is still a lot of wheat paste on these walls. Dif seems to break it down the best. Warm water and white vinegar works too, but not as good. Follow with TSP warm water and bleach, then rinse.


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

Tsp is an etcher. It will etch any surface it touches. 
It is no better at removing paste than just water.
Bleach is for what? maybe to kill mold that no one said was present.

When I ask why you use something, can you answer (at least before my reasonable and logical challenge gets deleted..)?


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## elizabrat72 (Apr 4, 2013)

Brush jockey, there is no mold present, and the vinegar and water is removing the paste residue quite nicely, I wanted to know what was best to prime the walls with before we paint.


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

Actually I already said what I would do and with what on post 7..



> OK- So it has a paint on it, then paper. You need to remove the paste off also- which will be a drag I know on a rough surface. Use a sponge, water. and even a scrubbie.
> Some think stuff like Dif or fabric softener helps- I have found just water and patience is sufficient.
> The fact that it is a plaster wall at this point makes little difference, because you aren't dealing with the raw plaster surface.
> Prime after removing paste with a clear sealing primer called Gardz- this will seal the paste residue in so it doesn't cause problems later.
> Then you can finish with 2 coats of whatever you want for wall paint.


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## elizabrat72 (Apr 4, 2013)

Thank you!!! The vinegar helps though, just so you know....it helps A LOT


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

Good luck!:thumbup:


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