Mapping behind wallpaper

the heathen

Hi folks,

Just wondering if anyone might have a solution for this that doesn't involve plastering the wall again?

Decorator stripped old wallpaper which obviously left a mapping issue behind the new wallpaper.

I do have some rolls of the wallpaper left so it can be re-papered but this problem would obvioulsy need to be solved first

Any ideas?

looksee

Is the problem caused by bits of old wallpaper backing left on the surface or by the surface of the plaster having been pulled off?

the heathen

My understanding is that the wall was painted after being plastered before the old wallpaper went on and that this mapping is caused by that old paint being pulled off.

Does just make sense?

looksee

Yes, that makes sense, pulling off the old paper took some of the old original paint off, leaving that impression. Though honestly the depth of the impression looks like more than a thickness of paint? I suspect there was both damaged plaster and wallpaper residue, it looks very messy. There are also a couple of 'points' at the top of the photo that are definitely something left on the surface.

Either way, if it were old paper showing through you could strip the new paper then scrape the remnants of the old paper off, provided the surface was sound plaster underneath. However if it is old paint or old paint and plaster (which seems more likely) then some sort of skim coat of plaster would be needed. Unless there is a more up to date method that I am unaware of. People used to line walls with horizontal lining paper to disguise irregularities on walls before re-papering, but I doubt lining paper would completely sort that.

Really, an experienced decorator should not have attempted to cover that degree of damage with wallpaper.

the heathen

Thanks a mil for your replies.

Tell me this, would it be possible that sanding the affected areas (even by hand) and then using lining paper behind the wallpaper might get a tolerable result?

looksee

Short answer, I don't know. It would depend on how much damage there is, and exactly what kind of damage, and that's very difficult to guess from a photo. Maybe someone else may offer some thoughts, I am just someone who has done a fair bit of wallpapering in the fairly distant past!