A newly plastered wall disaster...

[LadyLars]

Hi,

If anyone can help me you will save me from a DIY induced tantrum...

About three months ago I had my lounge and dining room walls re-plastered.
The plasterer said to leave the walls to fully dry out before doing anything with them. I have lived with plastered walls for all this time until last weekend. Following his instruction I did a ghost coat '2 parts emulsion, 1 part water and a splosh of PVA'. I was told that there may be some bleed through (which there was) and to paint over the stains with ZINSSER B.I.N (which I did). I have today painted my walls with emulsion however, the paint wont stick to the ZINNSER painted areas or the ZINNSER is bleeding through (I really can't tell which one) so I have cream walls with white splodges all over them.... What can I do??

If anyone knows how to resolve this problem you would really help me out.

Thanks in advance

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I don't understand why your plasterer told you to add PVA to your mist coat?
Anyway on the tin Zinsseer does tell you what type of paint can be applied over it.
You may have to use gloss, semi-gloss or flat paint.
You should have also considered tinting the Zinsseer to closer match to your final finish.
Did you just seal over the patches that bleed or did you seal the whole surface?
Can't understand why the stains were not treated prior to plastering?
I guess you have had a leak?

 

[LadyLars]

Hi,

Thanks for getting back to me...was about to hit the gin!

So, I was told to add PVA as this would seal the plaster - I am novice and will be lead by those that seem to know what they are talking about...

I could only find Zinnser in white...not sure how to tint - do I do that myself or do they do that in the shop?

I just sealed over the patches - except on one wall that had stains all over it and so I figured it would be best to slap Zinnser all over it. That wall now looks 'distressed' - en vogue for tables, chairs and cabinets not my walls!

No leak it is only patchy where the Zinnser has been.

If I go to my local paint shop will I be able to buy 'flat paint'? What is flat paint?

Thanks again

Should add that the majority of stains were as a result of browning... I had a re-wire prior to the plastering and the browning is staining through the new plaster... Not sure what is worse - the electric shocks prior to the re-wire or the state of my walls at the moment!

 

[flameport]

Should add that the majority of stains were as a result of browning... I had a re-wire prior to the plastering and the browning is staining through the new plaster

Browning is just another type of plaster. It won't cause stains.
Something else is causing the problem - unless by 'browning' you mean something else entirely?

 

[dcdec]

Biggest problem is the pva in the paint, has the thinned 'mist' (never heard it called ghost before) coat stuck to the wall ok?, and the subsequent patching with zinsser stuck ok? and which zinsser did you use the shellac bin?

I can't understand why your paint won't stick to the zinsser, i've used loads of their products and never had a problem, i'd say the zinnser is flashing through, what brand emulsion are you using and what finish? and don't understand what you mean by bleed through, bleed through of what? moisture?
Did the walls have a bonding coat or just a skim?

I don't think its a good idea to go over the walls with gloss paint or flat paint, answer the above problems and we will try and sort it out for you

 

[LadyLars]

I am regurgitating terms used by the plasterer...! The electricians used browning to fill the holes they had made and then the plasterer 'skimmed' over the whole wall. It is a smooth finish I hasten to add. The main staining (or 'bleeding through using the plasterers terms) is primarily where the browning is. Other stains were on the wall prior to the plasterer starting. The plasterer recommended I used zinsser after the emuslion, pva, water mix.

I did two coats of the emulsion, water, PVA mix and it went on to the walls well. I left it to dry for 7 days (being cautious!) before i applied the zinsser. I then left that for 5 days before painting on the emulsion today. I have applied two coats of emulsion and where I have not applied zinsser it looks great. The patches of zinsser that are showing through the emulsion are quite shiny.

I used a Homebase brilliant white emulsion for the ghost coat and have used a Homebase Cream emulsion. Both are matt.

 

[dcdec]

Ok.

I'd say the zinnser is 'grinning' through the emulsion its not an adhesion problem. the reason for this is that homebase emulsion is crap and has poor coverage.
Regarding the browning if it is staining through the paint and leaving what looks like a damp patch it wasn't dry enough to paint. If it looks more like a shadow underneath the paint then its the same problem the poor coverage of emulsion.
Providing the walls feel dry and there is no staining as opposed to shadowing go and buy some decent emulsion and it should cover in two coats.
Or you could apply a coat of something like zinsser allcoat to seal the wall and any patchiness and then go with the trade emulsion, its up to you.

By the way your plasterer should stick to plastering and stop giving such dodgy advice on painting, would suggest you find a polite way of telling him otherwise you wont be his last victim.

 

[LadyLars]

Aha! So all is not lost then? Many thanks for your help... I will let you know how I get on.

As for the plasterer, I will have a word!