Previous tenant painted over muck

DannyDyer · 5 Dec 2022

Hello,
So between the council (council owned property) and the previous tenant, someone has decided that you don’t need to remove pieces of food, blue tac or anything from the walls before painting them. There’s even streaks of paint, you can see where it was dripping down and eventually dried into that shape. No idea X what they painted with, must have been really thick.

They’re in really shabby condition. All of them, in every room…

What can I do?
I don’t even think wallpaper will hide how unflat the surface is.

If I intended to live here for a year or two I’d not care. But the location is ideal for my child to get to school. So I don’t want to move any time soon.

jacko555 · 5 Dec 2022

I'd scrape with one of these - screwfix scraper

Then sand then wash with sugar soap. Then fill and feather the holes with toupret fine surface filler. Only this, no cheap easifill.

Then sand and paint

DannyDyer · 5 Dec 2022

Gonna be a long long time doing this
It’s the same on every wall throughout the apartment.

Bug does look nice tho! Wonder if I can buy some to install

pcaouolte · 5 Dec 2022

DannyDyer said:
Bug does look nice tho! Wonder if I can buy some to install

Is the bug a flea? Perhaps the decorator wanted to get out as fast as possible.

DannyDyer · 5 Dec 2022

No idea but he’s definitely having a good dance

DiyNutJob · 5 Dec 2022

jacko555 said:
no cheap easifill

Why? I had my flat done with easy fill. It seems ok. Will it fail?

DiyNutJob · 5 Dec 2022

DannyDyer said:
Hello,
So between the council (council owned property) and the previous tenant, someone has decided that you don’t need to remove pieces of food, blue tac or anything from the walls before painting them. There’s even streaks of paint, you can see where it was dripping down and eventually dried into that shape. No idea X what they painted with, must have been really thick.

Sounds as if they know what they are doing. Probably council's decorators. Sand it flat and paint over is probably the easiest. The thick stuff they have used would give you the materials for flattening.

The problem may seem huge. If you divide and conquer, it maybe a lot easier. Concentrate on making one wall perfect at a time. Given time, the whole thing will be done to your satisfaction. I call the technique incrementalism and it's extremely powerful for getting difficult or impossible jobs done.

Get a pole sander.

jacko555 · 5 Dec 2022

DiyNutJob said:
Why? I had my flat done with easy fill. It seems ok. Will it fail?

The toupret fine filler, while only good for a mm or so of depth, is perfect for dealing with holes in paint and feathering edges. Most importantly, it doesn't peel off when you go over it with a roller, which easifill does when used in this manner.

In general, my thoughts and experience with easifill is - easy to sand however easy to dent. It won't fail however give it a year or so and wear and tear / knocks show.

It has its place, I used it extensively repairing damage from removing picture rails and above windows. It's cheap and easy.

For the stairs, hallway, dining room - nah.

diynot

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Previous tenant painted over muck

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