Is original wall paint safe to scrape off wall? General decorating topics, questions and answers. find help, tips and advice on completing your decorating projects

[Ironmighty]

Hello
I am removing wallpaper and backing paper from a 1950s house, with the aim of painting over the walls.
Under the backing paper there is a thin single coat of yellow-brown paint on the plaster. Some of it has come off.

Does anyone know what this is? Is it safe to scrape off? And do I need to remove it all?
Many thanks.

[stoneyboy]

Hi ironmighty,
They’re a fair chance your wall is coated with a distemper paint. How you deal with this will be a matter of trial and error. You’ve tried scraping, but try using a wallpaper steamer to make this easier. You could try painting over it but the new paint may lift. You could also try a modern distemper paint.. work on small areas to evaluate success.
Regards S

[Ironmighty]

Many thanks for the reply, that is most helpful.
Kind regards.