Stripping solvent-based paint from internal plaster walls General decorating topics, questions and answers. find help, tips and advice on completing your decorating projects

[ajm83758]

I need some advice please. Previous owner has painted kitchen walls and ceiling with what I think is an oil-based eggshell paint. I've had some minor flaking over the last couple of years. Following christmas pudding steaming session large patches bubbled up all over the walls, was a soft rubbery texture and pulled off the wall in large chunks. The underneath plaster has appearance of newly skimmed walls, dust and all, making me think the walls were never prepared properly with mist coat/primer whatever. To cut a long story short I reckon I have no choice but to remove all the paint and do it properly. What is the best way to strip the paint short of boiling a lot of christmas puddings? Can i use a paper steamer or heatgun or paint stripper without knackering the plaster? Any advice appreciated.

[theshedman]

Hi, not got a lot of time at present but that rubbery coat you are talking about sounds like it could be a waterproof membrane which is often painted on. Usually this is put on to stop some form of damp. There is not usually a lot of dust with bare plaster but damp may have done something to it which is making it powdery. I would get someone to check it out first then if they don't find anything then strip the wall. You could try a steam stripper or paint stripper making sure you have plenty of ventilation for both. For the ceiling I would give it a good rub down for the new paint to key to it, then give it a good wash with some sugar soap before giving it 2 or 3 coats of Dulux bathroom and kitchen emulsion.

[JRS]

Doesnt sound like a solvent based paint at all. Most oil based will be solid and crack, The flakes that come off are often very hard and spiky best description i have now :lol: Sounds like silk when using a steam stripper on papered walls with silk they tend to turn in to a jelly like state.

[ajm83758]

Thanks for the quick replies. Sorry for the poor description of the paint. under normal conditions in the kitchen the flakey patches are hard and brittle and break off in small sections when pushed with a finger. After the extensive steaming sessions the bubbled up patches look and feel like when you apply a heatgun to gloss paint on a wooden surface. Thats what makes me think its a solvent-type paint. Either way, i'll try the paper steamer on a small section and see what happens.