DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi All

My name is Kurt. I am from South Africa. I require some assistance with the new place that I moved into.

I want to remove the paint from the walls and want to apply a new coat of paint. However I don't know what to use to strip the paint from the walls as I am intending to use a heat gun but don't know whether I can use it on these walls because it is plastered and I don't know if ithe paint is water based or not.

In addition there are areas where the plaster has been uplifted due to dampness and I don't know if this is due to structeral problems. If not how do I deal with this. The cost is an issue as usual.

If there is dampness what should I do?

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Thank you :)

Go to the website and view the project on stripping paint. The product in there is just what you need. Heat guns on plaster are not a good idea at all. Its impossible to deal with damp effectively unless you know the cause so look at our projects on Damp and Mould, DPC injection and condensation, these may give you a better idea of why the wall is damp and what to do about it. If it cannot be resolved then call in a surveyor to diagnose the problem as it most certainly will not get better on its own!

When drilling walls in new (to me) flat the drill goes in like a hot knife through butter but then frequently hits an impenetable piece which just causes the drill to wander. The holes are usually to big, and the only solution seems to be to drill undersized holes and tap the plug in, but this does not allways work and then I have to resort to a hole fixing compound which is expensive from DIY stores. Any solutions please or cheaper filler.
Gerry

Use the smallest masonry bit you can find to drill what could be called a pilot hole first Gerry, you will then find that the bigger bit goes through fine.

you dont need to strip the paint , infact the heat gun is really used to strip paint from timber , just mist coat the wall with a cheap white matt paint , this will cover the colour already on the wall , as leaving the paint on will act a s a sealent , and also show up any holes or cracks that can then be filled , then you can paint over it do you mean the paint has come off ? this can be sealed either with a sealer or some undercoat primer , if its black then you jave a mould problem and this can be delt with by checking out vaious sites and finding a product to deal with this