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How to repair internal wall after removing mirror tiles?

I've just removed mirror tiles from a wall (2.3m high x 2.4m long) and the plaster/lining has come away where adhesive was used. The plasterboard doesn't need repairing, just the surface in preparation for painting. I've never done any plastering, and was wondering if there is an alternative product that I could use to cover the entire area. Maybe something a bit thicker than lining paper that won't show all the mild indentations.

Thank-you for any suggestions.Internal wall after removal of mirror tiles

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Comments

EricL

Hello @cxkent

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your internal wall.

I propose having a quick look at this discussion - How to prepare a damaged wall for painting by @SusanCampbell. The suggested solutions mentioned were to re-plaster the wall or cover it with a cement sheet, plasterboard or EasyVJ panels. I'm sorry but I am not aware of a thin material that you can place over the surface to hide the indentations. It is possible to use MDF and plywood sheets, but these would stand out and not look similar to your finished walls.

Among the suggestions made, I recommend using the EasyVJ panels as these would be the most straightforward to install.

I suggest having a look at these discussions to give you an idea of how it could look like:

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

cxkent

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/62261#Comment_62261

Thank-you Eric for your help.

I note that you can 'special order' 6.5mm Gyprock plasterboard from Bunnings. Would this be suitable for glueing/cladding over the top of the existing damaged wall?

Alternatively, I note that James Hardie do a 4.5mm HardieFlex cement cladding. Would this provide an acceptable smooth surface for internal painting?

Thank-you for your help.

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/93642#Comment_93642

You’re on the right track asking these questions @cxkent, because while cladding over it sounds appealing, the products you’ve mentioned all have some limitations in this situation.

The 6.5mm plasterboard you can special order is what’s known as a flexible board. It’s designed for curved work like wrapping columns, arches or feature ceilings, not for flat wall linings. Because it isn’t rigid, it tends to follow whatever contours are behind it, which means it won’t reliably flatten out those adhesive marks and indentations. You could technically fix it to a wall, but it’s not what the product is intended for and you’re unlikely to get a dead-flat finish without a lot of extra work.

Standard plasterboard, usually 10mm, is what you would normally use if you were re-sheeting a wall. The issue in your case is that adding 10mm over the top can create problems around door architraves, cornices and adjoining walls. From your photo, the door trim on the left looks quite tight to the wall already, so resheeting could quickly turn into a bigger carpentry job than you were planning.

HardieFlex at around 4.5mm can be used internally and it will certainly cover the damage, but it’s a fibre cement sheet, not a plasterboard. Even when painted, it has a slightly textured surface and doesn’t match the smooth, paper-faced finish of plasterboard. You’d almost certainly notice the difference compared to the rest of the room, especially in good light, so while it’s acceptable, it’s not ideal if you’re chasing a seamless result.

Realistically, the best outcome here is achieved by skimming the wall with plaster and sanding it smooth. I know you mentioned you haven’t done plastering before, and over an area this size it can be tricky to get perfectly flat if you’re new to it. Because of that, it’s worth considering getting a plasterer in just to do this wall. For a professional, it’s a straightforward skim coat job and often ends up being more affordable than people expect, especially compared to the time and frustration of trying to sheet or disguise it.

As Eric mentioned earlier, turning it into a feature wall with something like VJ panelling is another valid option and avoids plastering altogether, but that really comes down to whether it suits the look you’re going for. If you want the wall to disappear and look like it was never touched, a skim coat and sand is still the cleanest and most consistent solution.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

cxkent

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/113105#Comment_113105

Thank-you for your help Mitchell and your detailed analysis of different solutions.

We actually purchased two sheets of 6.5mm plasterboard yesterday and glued over the existing damaged wall. So far all is looking good. I'll remove the blocks of wood holding the board in place today now that the stud adhesive has set, and then use some 'easy tape' and multi-purpose joint compound for the join.

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