# How Can I Get The Surface Of The Interior Wall Smooth Again?



## byronwells (Aug 7, 2013)

Alright guys I am very much new to this site and need a lot of help please









Right here goes....

Orignally in the hallway we had some metallic shinny patterned wallpaper










We firstly attempted to paint over it to only see the pattern still coming through the paint. So I decided to strip the actually wallpaper.. In doing so some of the plaster/brickwork has come off as well. The wall is like flaky/patchy in certain areas... Not smooth at all.

My wife suggest to use some white emulision paint and that would make it smooth/flat.. But as you can see from the following images that hasn't work at all...



















I want to get the wall smooth.. I don't know if I should use a filler or even some sort of basecoat paint (that I have heard is rubbish)

Please somone help... I'm not a complete expert and I haven't got tons on money to hire a plasterer/builder in....


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Time for a full skim coat-----that may be an old plaster wall that had flaking paint and other problems before the wall paper was installed---

Are you experienced with drywall mud?

If not--you might consider calling in a pro---if you want some instructions,we will help.


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## byronwells (Aug 7, 2013)

oh'mike said:


> Time for a full skim coat-----that may be an old plaster wall that had flaking paint and other problems before the wall paper was installed---
> 
> Are you experienced with drywall mud?
> 
> If not--you might consider calling in a pro---if you want some instructions,we will help.


Sorry no I know experienced with drywall mud at all.. 

I'm in the uk and if I have to hire someone out I wonder how much it will cost me to fix.. Like I said I have got huge amount of money


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

byronwells said:


> Sorry no I know experienced with drywall mud at all..
> 
> I'm in the uk and if I have to hire someone out I wonder how much it will cost me to fix.. Like I said I have got huge amount of money


I think you have a typo here. 

Get yourself a wide mud trowel, take your time and start skimming. Lay it on super slim.
Try a small area and see if you're up to it.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Here in the USA we have three kinds of mud---

Multipurpose----also known as setting compound--this contains glue and would be the choice for your first coat---it will bond well to the painted wall--but is rather hard to sand---

Light weight---also called topping compound---this mud is soft and easy to apply and sand---I would use this for the top coats--

Powdered----fast setting--20-45-90 minute set times----not good for what you are planning----

To skim coat---use a 12 or 14 inch trowel----apply a very thin coat ---just enough to fill in the rough surface---(multipurpose)

When dry---take your blade and knock off any ridges==no need to sand--

Then switch to the light weight topping compound and add another very thin coat---just filling in the rough texture---

Repeat the steps one more time and sand---

The biggest mistake beginners make is building up to much mud---no need for that---three thin coats is usually plenty---

Dust off the wall--then prime---touch up any missed spots--sand and prime those---and you are done---


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

I would skim coat but with plaster, not drywall mud, on an antique plaster wall. You can polish something like venetian plaster to incredible levels given the marble dust in it. You cannot polish drywall mud. You can only add sheen with finish on top of it.

Plaster and drywall mud have different consistencies, compositions and densities. They heat up and contract differently. 

I agree with the process suggested though. Skim coating just takes some practices. Plaster is harder than drywall compound and will be harder to sand and work with to a point but all doable. Just be patient. 

That patterned wall covering was a bit much for the hallway and must have been impossible to clean. It was rather cool looking though.


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## byronwells (Aug 7, 2013)

Alright there 

I have gone out and brought http://www.wilko.com/fillers+sealan...skim-polyfilla-1l/invt/0162078?VBMST=skimming which I am currently now using for some of the holes.

It does come with it's own smoothing tool. But I am wondering what do if the hole is actually bigger than the smoothing tool. How am I got the same level of thinkness to the rest of the wall?? I can get it for the outsides, but not for the middle... Should I use a plaster float for these parts??










Or just another stupid thought for the bigger holes.. I should work from the outside, in.. Do small bits at a time and letting it set??




sdsester said:


> I would skim coat but with plaster, not drywall mud, on an antique plaster wall. You can polish something like venetian plaster to incredible levels given the marble dust in it. You cannot polish drywall mud. You can only add sheen with finish on top of it.
> 
> Plaster and drywall mud have different consistencies, compositions and densities. They heat up and contract differently.
> 
> ...


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## byronwells (Aug 7, 2013)

my wife has just said another thing to me which I could kill her from now lol

She has suggested using some lining wallpaper and this will cover it all. Really??


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

That's rather rough for the lining paper--the texture might come through---

What you bought is a patching material---I think you need something like the products I mentioned--along with a good long blade to apply and smooth it----

How big is the 'smoothing tool ' that you have?


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Check this out to get an idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs3I4z0RhCM


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## byronwells (Aug 7, 2013)

oh'mike said:


> That's rather rough for the lining paper--the texture might come through---
> 
> What you bought is a patching material---I think you need something like the products I mentioned--along with a good long blade to apply and smooth it----
> 
> How big is the 'smoothing tool ' that you have?


It's tiny.. It was inside the 1kg tub of skimming product. What's the long blade called??


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## byronwells (Aug 7, 2013)

oh and another thing am I going to have to cover the whole wall to get a smooth finish?? 

I just thought I could do little parts of the wall in the skimming product.. Not the whole wall...


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Skim the whole wall. Take your time and apply it thin and smoothly with a wide drywall knife.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

The key, as suggested is a nice wide drywall knife or plaster trowel. Either can come with handles on the end or the middle although drywall knives usually have handles on the end and plaster trowels in the middle. Drywall blades tend to be more flexible since the material is lighter. You want something like 12" to 14" (that will fit in a mud tray). What you have is not wide enough. Plasterers usually work from a hawk which looks like a square piece of metal with a handle in the middle to hold plaster for application. A hawk can really load your wrist so where a brace. I like mud pans better even for plaster. 



















And do the whole wall. You may have to build up large depressions with several coats. Do not try to get them in one or the material will just crack.

If they are actual holes? You will have to either support them from behind or you get get mesh patches at the paint store.


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