How to prepare a damaged wall for painting?

SusanCampbell

Hi workshop people,

I’m taking off old cork from a kitchen benchtop wall (about 2.5m x 0.5m) and now need to work out how to clean it up and repaint it. The surface is currently a mix of plasterboard, glue and some fillers. Not sure what do to next.

I’ve not done this before so any advice welcome! 

Thanks,

Susan

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @SusanCampbell. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about preparing a damaged wall.

To paint that wall and get a reasonable finish, it really needs to be brought back to a consistently smooth surface. That means removing all remaining cork, glue and loose filler right back to the underlying sheet material. From there, the wall would need to be skim-coated with a topping compound to level everything out, then fully sanded so it is perfectly smooth before priming and painting. Even for experienced DIYers, skim coating plasterboard is not an easy job, especially in a kitchen where light hits the wall hard, and it can be very difficult to achieve a finish you are genuinely happy with.

Because of that, it is well worth considering whether cladding over the area would be a simpler and more reliable option. In many cases it is faster, less frustrating, and gives a better end result. You could clad over the existing wall with something like 4.5mm Hardiflex cement sheet and paint that, or you could cut out the damaged section entirely and replace it with new plasterboard. Another option, provided it is not an immediate wet area behind a sink, is to remove the remaining cork, tidy the surface as best you can, and then clad over it with something decorative like VJ panelling. That can be glued directly over the existing wall, sealed neatly to the benchtop, and it can look like a design feature rather than a repair.

One very important thing to keep in mind before doing any sanding, scraping or cutting back to the actual board material is the age of the building. If the home was built before 1995, there is a chance asbestos containing materials may have been used in wall linings or backing sheets, particularly in kitchen areas. Unless you are absolutely certain the wall is standard plasterboard, or it has been tested, it is safest to assume it could contain asbestos. In that case, you should avoid sanding or aggressively scraping back to the sheet material until you are sure, as disturbing it can be hazardous.

If this were my wall, I would be strongly leaning towards cladding over what is there rather than trying to chase a perfect painted finish on a damaged surface. It avoids a lot of time and cost, reduces risk in older homes, and you are far more likely to end up with a clean, professional-looking result.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell