Stain block on wallpaper?

[MidsTW]

Papered our ceiling on Sunday and it looked great... until today.

It isn't too bad but some water stains are showing/bleeding through - they weren't very prominent before though.

There are 3 small areas (atm) and I don't want to remove the paper.

Can I just use a stain block product before I emulsion the paper? Zinseer cover stain primer says it can be used on ANY paintable surface?

Cheers

 

[WabbitPoo]

Is the leak fixed?

 

[blightymam]

I would ask that too - if you've not fixed the leak, then you're pretty much wasting your time. Water always wins in the end!

 

[MidsTW]

As far as I am concerned there is no leak... And won't have been for a while. It is the upstairs bedroom. There are no pipes in the attic and over the last month I cleared out the attic and insulated. And there are no leaks in the roof covering.

The staining is very minor.

 

[blightymam]

Am not sure how the water stains are appearing then. If you say there has not been a leak, then how has it got damp? Is it a damp room? Anything around the windows as well to make you think it could be condensation? Have you got central heating/expansion tank in the loft? The general rule is there normally is a source of damp spots..

Anyway, you probably could use zinsser on the paper, but this isn't easy to use on such a big area, shellac isn't fun to use - it dries very quickly and it may end up being uneven. I do think tho you're masking the problem tho. Best of luck..

 

[kgk]

I would absolutely heed all the advice concerning first focusing on investigating and curing the source of the water stain. Often the stain appears a good distance away from the source of the water and the source of the leak may be quite intermittent (for example, it took us quite a while to figure out our chimney cap had cracked and we had a leak that might only manifest under the most extraordinary and heaviest of rains which would then send a slight drip down a redundant chimney breast onto a bedroom ceiling).

That said, I would offer some practical advice for the Zinsser cover stain ...

Water stains migrate well beyond what you immediately visually see so treat at least 6" past the edge of the faintest water mark visible (don't skimp). I am assuming that you are using a 1 litre tin (being more economical as opposed to a spray). I would roll on using a disposable 4" roller. Because the product is very thick and dries very fast I have found the roller is the best way to get the product onto a large area quickly. However, being as thick as it is, it is likely to leave significant roller stipple --- so be prepared to immediately smooth off with a brush so that you don't have an orange peel surface undermining your later decoration. If the surface is still too rough, sand lightly and then brush over again a very light second coat.

Anyway, others may do it differently, but this process has worked well for me such that the stain hasn't bled back through subsequent emulsion coats and the stain block hasn't been noticeable as a different texture beneath the decorated surface.

 

[MidsTW]

Thanks Blighty and kgk for the replies.

We only bought the house in December.. there were a few issues with the room - damp above bay (wasps nest and defective gutting) which has all been completely replaced. And there are not roof issues.

There is definitely no water pipes etc. up there. The stain is not in a specific or logical pattern.

Reckon I will just have to play it by ear and see if it worsens with paint or it is doesn't bleed through.

 

[blightymam]

Best of luck with it all, hope it works out