Painting thinly painted ceiling, not the best finish?

[compact]

We stripped off the wallpaper on the ceiling and it looks like it was plastered a few years ago, then painted before it was papered.

The problem is that as I roller it some of the old paint in coming off in patches, some is already off and the overall finish is not that great.

1) should i simply water down the paint and paint on a few coats (i read something about thick paint and suction)?
2) use a scraper and spent the rest of the weekend taking it back to the original plaster and start from scratch?

 

[spice]

Did you wash the paste residue off the ceiling with SugarSoap, and did you give it a good sand down?

As the existing paint has come off under the new paint, you will see the difference in the layers of paint.

Your best bet is to give the ceiling a light rub down, as you have already painted it, and if there is any bits that need filling from the old paint then fill them.
When dry, sand the filler so the bits are flush with the ceiling, then brush on some of your diluted emulsion on these filled bits, a couple of times.

And dilute your paint, it is on too thick, that could be one of the reasons why the old paint lifted, or, there was still some of the paste on there, or the existing paint was silk, and you didnt rub the ceiling down.

 

[compact]

I'm not sure if there was any residue, but the answer is no.

The main problem has come from
1)existing paint peeling off, even if it looked good
2)the new paint looking rubbish, patchy (as some is on plaster other is on thicker paint)
3) the new paint getting the orange peel affect

So I have scraped 2/3rds off (seemed to come off easy due to slightly moist paint dampening the old paint.
The rest I am sanding down the best I can, not totally, just smooth.
Its hard work, but there you go.

Then I will dust it and paint with diluted paint.

You live and learn...

 

[JohnD]

is the house over 60 years old?

 

[joe-90]

Is it sunny in Majorca?

 

[JohnD]

no, dummy.

 

[compact]

the house is about 100 yrs old

the ceiling must have been done in the last 20 at least...

 

[JohnD]

a 100-year old house will have had the ceiling painted with distemper in the past. this is a very bad surface and if you can't decorate it successfully it needs to be taken off. you can scrape it if loose. it can also be washed off with hot water (cold will not dissolve the horse glue it contains).

It is a terrible job to get it off ceilings. I don't know an easier way to deal with it. I once had a ceiling papered which hid it successfully.