How should I fill these holes?

[CatherineB]

Well, I've been having great fun stripping wallpaper!
What I'm finding is beautifully hung wallpaper, with a lining paper underneath, that steams off very cleanly from the bulk of my walls. I would guess that they are all relatively recently plastered since the plaster is generally very smooth, and there are no marks in it around the electrics. However, at the edges of the skirting/architraves etc, the decorators obviously did the lining paper first, then painted the woodwork, then put the patterned paper on. The end result is that the lining paper is a b*gger to get off around the woodwork, as the paint creates a steamproof seal, which requires thorough scoring and scraping to penetrate it and remove the lining paper's ragged edge.
This is not so much a problem as a chore.
However, I am also finding that there are some holes in the plaster, where the wall meets the skirting, where the plaster was previously held together by the paper but is now coming away thanks to my efforts. It basically just needs a bit of filling and tidying up, I think.
I took some pictures today, but my camera software is playing silly b*ggers again, so the best I can do is to describe the gaps. These vary from a relatively shallow, but wide, hole - say about an inch, tops, to a narrower but deeper gap to the cavity behind the skirting.
What would you suggest for filling these holes?

 

[Penners]

I'd use polyfilla. For the deep holes you'll find One Fill really useful, because its lightness means you can fill the whole thing in one go without it's sagging.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Yep - Polyfilla or modern ready-mix lightweight plaster.

This is one of those occasions where minor repairs don't warrant a purist approach, in my opinion.

 

[TomW]

I would agree with other comments regarding polyfilla, wonderful stuff. I also use polyfilla fine surface on small holes and digs in wood prior to painting, dries quickly and sands smooth.
Not so keen on Penners inappropriate use of "it's" in this context. Tut tut.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Tom - I quite agree. Penners is well known in these parts for his lackadaisical approach to grammar or punctuation. :roll:

 

[Flyfisher]

Not so keen on Penners' inappropriate use of "it's" in this context. Tut tut.

Fixed. Apostrophes eh? :wink:

 

[Gareth Hughes]

He is in a lot of pain though, what with his back and everything (not that he likes to talk about it )

 

[Schoolmarm]

Not so keen on Penners' inappropriate use of "it's" in this context. Tut tut.

Fixed. Apostrophes eh? :wink:

:lol: :lol:

 

[robgil]

polyfiller is great until you want to paint over it , make sure you use an undercoat.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

polyfiller is great until you want to paint over it , make sure you use an undercoat.

Absolutely - one should always be sartorially prepared before undertaking any kind of DIY.

I would suggest a comfortable shooting jacket, or perhaps a favourite morning coat to protect one's short. Preferably one with a convenient pocket into which to pop your monocle for safe-keeping!

 

[robgil]

polyfiller is great until you want to paint over it , make sure you use an undercoat.

Absolutely - one should always be sartorially prepared before undertaking any kind of DIY.

I would suggest a comfortable shooting jacket, or perhaps a favourite morning coat to protect one's short. Preferably one with a convenient pocket into which to pop your monocle for safe-keeping!

indeed , the protection of ones short is of the utmost importance , be that whisky , rum or vodka.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

:lol:

Or shirt, even!

 

[Lime]

I'd use polyfilla. For the deep holes you'll find One Fill really useful, because it's lightness means you can fill the whole thing in one go without it's sagging.

It's has two meanings.
It is and of it.

 

[Penners]

Sorry, Lime, but your gallant effort to protect my dignity isn't going to work. "It's" is incorrect, when used to mean "of it".

I plead diminished ability due to experimental use of an iPad.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Sorry, Lime, but your gallant effort to protect my dignity isn't going to work. "It's" is incorrect, when used to mean "of it".

I plead diminished ability due to experimental use of an iPad.

Is that one of those thermal things, so useful for relieving lumbago?

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I plead diminished ability due to experimental use of an iPad.

Oooh <jealous rage on>

How are you finding it? :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Nigel Watts]

Sorry to strike a discordant note, but Polyfilla is not my favourite substance at the moment. Its outdoor cousin has been liberally used on my 1840 Roman cement stucco and is having to be chipped off inch by inch with a hammer and chisel.

Interior Polyfilla has the advantage of being sticky and capable of being sanded. Its stickiness has its uses in areas where a lime-based or gypsum-based plaster/filler won't adhere - it will stick to planed wood for example - but the same stickiness makes it difficult to smooth when wet. For very small holes this may not matter but for anything larger I prefer to use something like a lime putty/plaster of Paris mix which can be given a perfectly smooth and flat finish using a steel straight edge or plasterer's mitre rule without the need for any subsequent sanding, although it takes a bit of getting used to. Sanding a largeish Pollyfilla patch will not give anything like as flat or clean a finish.

 

[CatherineB]

Thanks all - and Penners, shame on you!

I now have pics, so here they are. I had hoped you would say Polyfilla. It will be papered over, so doesn't need to be glass smooth, although I note the requirement for appropriate underwear if going down the more risque "painting" route

Nigel, I appreciate your point, which is why I posted before buying the stuff, but this case is definitely not the same as yours. I don't have any fondness for my period holes, and I can't see that any successors to the house will, either.

View attachment 1

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Yep - definitely a case for Polyfilla there. You might want to do a little raking out first so you get a nice clean finish for the paper.

 

[Feltwell]

I swear by Gyproc Easifill. It's a powder filler similar to Polyfilla, but hardly shrinks and is much, much cheaper. You buy it in a small sack, like you would gypsum (sorry for swearing!) plaster - it's actually meant for dry-lining using taper-edged plasterboard, for filling the joints.

A sack is cheap and lasts forever - it's got a best before date on it, but keep it in a bin bag somewhere dry and it's fine, my sack is about 5 years out of date and it still works fine. I keep an old plastic measuring jug and just chuck some powder in there, a splash of water, give it a mix with a stick and within about 30 seconds you've got a good filler that goes off quite quickly and is easy to sand.

Builders merchants sell it, or B&Q Warehouse stores.