ᐅ Painter’s fleece / renovation fleece vs. textured wallpaper in new construction

allstar83 schrieb:

Would a spray plaster also be an option?

When I told the drywall contractor that I planned to do this on the ceiling, his first question was whether I was trained and did it on a daily basis...

Applying spray plaster smoothly over a large surface is not easy.

Baulaie_Marcus schrieb:


Why exactly is woodchip wallpaper no longer considered "state of the art"? We have it in the living room of our current apartment. My parents have it throughout their entire house. What are the specific disadvantages?

Here in the forum, the general opinion is that only modern construction is acceptable. And woodchip wallpaper is currently not considered modern.
If you like it, go for it.
We also just did a Q2 finish and simply painted over it; in the hallway we used textured paint because I found the plaster there too vulnerable. It’s not perfect, but you hardly see much of the walls anyway.
So it really depends on your personal taste and standards.

My recommendation: have the wallpapering done by a professional and do the painting yourself. That way, the most difficult part is handled by an expert, and painting is something you can easily do yourself. It also helps to keep costs down.

Why do you want to impose the level of finish with the skim coat? Apply one more layer of filler over the Q2 finish provided by the builder, and you will achieve Q3. This is perfectly sufficient for painting afterwards. Small imperfections in the gypsum board can be easily repaired. Mold prevention is primarily managed through maintaining the correct indoor climate. Almost all interior paints now include a mold-inhibiting agent. It is best to opt for silicate paint, which is naturally highly mold-resistant due to its high alkalinity.

If an amateur applies and sands Q2 joint compound, the result will be Q2+, but definitely not Q3.
If it were that simple, there would be no need for professionals who train for three years and practice daily.

And it’s really hard, something you shouldn’t underestimate.
In that case, it’s better to just wallpaper with textured wallpaper and then paint.

Applying fiberglass mesh wallpaper isn’t easy either. Long strips are manageable, but when it comes to corners and similar areas, you need to know how to handle it properly; otherwise, the seams will end up looking like Q0.

Also, please don’t buy pure silicate paint, but rather silicate dispersion paint. It’s a small difference with a very big impact.

Baulaie_Marcus schrieb:

Why exactly is woodchip wallpaper no longer considered "state of the art"?

It’s simply no longer up to date. Smooth walls are the trend. Even if previous generations got used to their then-mainstream styles and don’t adapt to modern times, their standards are not seen as current taste. This also applies to rental apartments: either the wallpaper has been on the walls for decades, or the landlord has their own reasons (usually "that's how we've always done it"). A freshly and thoroughly renovated apartment rarely comes with woodchip wallpaper these days.

You develop your own taste, often influenced by what’s modern, and you notice things around you that you’d like to have for yourself, your lifestyle, home furnishing, and decor. Of course, it’s still perfectly fine nowadays to like woodchip and use it in your home.

Regarding your question:
We only painted over Q2 finish. Now, after 10 years, you can see many settlement cracks. We’ll fill and smooth them in winter or the next time we repaint—maybe this year or next—but they don’t bother us much.

However, you mentioned drywall in the upper floor, and that can look problematic. You might be pleasantly surprised, but unless you invest time in filling the joints multiple times, the seams will be visible later. Any imperfections in the drywall will also show, especially in attic rooms with gable windows where the slanting light through the windows highlights surface irregularities. For that reason, I’d at least put a fleece under the ceiling slope or use wallpaper if you have an attic.

Overall, you can do a lot yourself: plan 3–4 weeks. If you finish sooner, all the better. You can rent tools, and it’s a good idea to practice in a less important room first. Some home improvement stores might even offer affordable workshops beforehand.