How do I resurface interior rendered wall?

Question

Hi there,

I recently bought a 70's apartment and I'm pretty sure the interior walls are render over brick. The render feels solid but it is very uneven in texture, including random smoother sections (patches and cracks) that have been previously repaired, and flaked paint that was scraped off and painted over. I don't mind the natural bumpiness but I would prefer it to be consistent, and I feel like a smooth texture will be easier to match to in future. Are there any products I can use to smooth out the walls? I am happy to skim coat the whole wall if needed but I'm aware things may not adhere to the painted surface. Thank you!

JacobZ · Answer

Hi @Emmy54,

I got in touch with the team at CSR Gyprock who have confirmed you can resurface the existing wall with Gyprock One Finish for this project. Unfortunately, it is not a product we currently stock, however if you speak with your local store's Special Orders team, I am sure they will be able to assist you with ordering some.

Gyprock One Finish is designed to create a smooth, uniform finish on interior walls. Importantly, it can be applied over previously painted surfaces after light sanding, so you won't need to strip all the existing paint from the wall.

Using PVA or a bonding primer before skim coating is quite common in the UK, where traditional plastering methods differ somewhat from those typically used in Australia. With Gyprock One Finish, a separate bonding primer isn't generally required over suitable painted surfaces, provided the surface has been prepared.

I'd recommend starting by checking that the existing render and paint are sound, removing any loose or flaking material, and thoroughly cleaning the wall to remove dust, grease and other contaminants. You can then lightly sand the painted surface to remove the sheen and provide a suitable surface for the compound to adhere to.

Gyprock One Finish can be applied using a roller or sprayer, making it relatively straightforward to coat the entire wall. The manufacturer recommends using a roller with a 10–12mm nap, so something like this Monarch 270mm Microfibre Roller Cover with a 10mm nap would be suitable. After rolling the compound onto the wall, you can use a skimming knife to smooth it out and achieve an even finish. Once applied, allow it to dry for 16–24 hours before painting. You can also lightly sand the surface if you'd prefer a particularly smooth finish.

One final consideration is the age of your apartment. If the existing paint dates back to the 1970s, I'd recommend having it tested for lead before sanding, and checking for potentially asbestos-containing wall finishes before disturbing them.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

Emmy54 · Answer

Hi Eric,

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately removing the paint is probably outside the scope of work I want to do on these walls, and if it were essential I'd probably skip doing the work altogether. I have seen mention of scoring the surface and applying a bonding primer/ PVA layer but unsure if this would be enough (perhaps with other products like joint compound or topping compound?).

The panelling suggestions are interesting- thank you for the suggestion- perhaps for a single wall but not the whole apartment.

Thanks!

Emmy

EricL · Answer

Hello @Emmy54

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

If you decide to add a skim coat to the surface of your wall, it will be necessary to remove all the paint on the surface of your wall as the render will need to anchor onto the cement surface. I suggest looking at this guide - How To White Set Internal Render. This will give you an idea of how its accomplished.

Due to the surfaces rough texture, I'm afraid adding another coat of paint over the existing one will not be enough to offset the uneven sections of the wall.  However, as a possible alternative, I suggest looking at this option - Top 10 most popular VJ panelling projects.

Here is a handy step-by-step guide: How to create a VJ feature wall

I also suggest thinking about using

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ekodeck-219-x-26mm-3-6m-lighthouse-batten-screen-castellated-panel_p0925128

as a feature wall cover.

Let me call on our experienced members @57giles, @OurPretty_LittleHome, @WinnieWebster, @AtHomeWithTheBrownes and @abbiepryor for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric