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[lavieestbelle]

Hello,

I had my apartment renovated and redecorated about 3 years ago. I'm not how the walls were prepared and painted but essentially I have a off-white wipeable paint. In two or three places the paint has deep fissures (about 3-4cms long) and the paint has seemingly come away from the wall (and feels a bit like cardboard or wallpaper rather than paint). In the bedroom, just behind my bed, the paint has cracked over a surface of about 80cm2. The paint is falling off in plaques larger than my hand. The plastered surface underneath seems very slightly powdery (leaves a fine white dust on my finger when I touch it) although there seems to be no sign of damp. Can anyone suggest what might of caused this and how I can remedy the problem?

Thanks.

[rosebery]

It sounds as though the wrong sort of paint was used or it was just plain carp.

Site unseen it seems you have little choice but to strip it off.

Cheers

[lavieestbelle]

Thanks for the reply. I will strip and repaint. How do you suggest I prepare the wall before painting (I have heard of a preparation called a Primer but don't know what it's really for)?

Thanks in advance

[rosebery]

The white powder could be effloresence which is not necessarily a sign of damp but in simple terms caused by salts coming out of the plaster during the curing and drying process. It was probably painted too soon and with a rubbish paint. The "fissures" you mention indicate that it was perhaps put on too thickly as well.

I would clean it all off (brushing will probably do the trick after all this time) where it is still in evidence and apply a mist coat to the plaster using a 20% water diluted MATT emulsion (if you are into Dulux paints use trade vinyl matt or trade supermatt but NOT Rich Matt). Then a second mist coat but at 10% dilution. Then you can apply your topcoat.

Cheers

[goldilocks]

[quote="lavieestbelle"]Hello,

I had my apartment renovated and redecorated about 3 years ago. I'm not how the walls were prepared and painted but essentially I have a off-white wipeable paint. In two or three places the paint has deep fissures (about 3-4cms long) and the paint has seemingly come away from the wall (and feels a bit like cardboard or wallpaper rather than paint). In the bedroom, just behind my bed, the paint has cracked over a surface of about 80cm2. The paint is falling off in plaques larger than my hand. The plastered surface underneath seems very slightly powdery (leaves a fine white dust on my finger when I touch it) although there seems to be no sign of damp. Can anyone suggest what might of caused this and how I can remedy the problem?

Thanks.[/quote] remove all loose material then apply diluted pva.leave to dry then repair with filler,then recoat with diluted pva,leave to dry then repaint.

[rosebery]

"goldilocks said" Remove all loose material then apply diluted pva.leave to dry then repair with filler,then recoat with diluted pva,leave to dry then repaint."

Sorry to contradict you but absolutely the worst thing you can do is use PVA. Mistcoat preparation as per my previous post is by far the best way.

See this topic https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/forums/view ... 8391#28391 to find out what happens when you use the dreaded PVA!

Cheers