do i need to strip paint from ceiling to skim

[danlightbulb]

Hi all,

I have removed woodchip wallpaper from a ceiling and am left with a coating of paint, some of it came away with the wallpaper, some of it didn't but seems flakey and some of it seems well attached.

The paint layer doesn't seem to have 'soaked in' to the plaster underneith as its coming off like wallpaper - its like its a skin on the surface.

Do i need to remove all of this prior to having the ceiling skimmed? And if so, would it be easier to use a heat gun. Ive been using a steam stripper to remove the woodchip but its a nightmare using these things on a ceiling because of the drips.

Cheers
Dan

 

[roughcaster]

To skim/replaster onto a painted ceiling/wall, you wouldn't normally need to remove any paint if the old paint/emulsion was sound. In your case, i'd remove as much of the loose flaky paint as you can. I't worth spending time doing it, because if you don't, it will cause problems later. Don't use a heat gun though. I'd use the steamer to loosen it, and scrape the paint off. Take your time with the steamer, and don't stand directly underneath it. Once you have removed all the paint that wants to come away,, give the ceiling a coat of "oil based undercoat" to seal it all in. Check the ceiling for any cracks, and put fibre tape over any that you find. It's then ready for pva and the plaster. If you're getting a plasterer in to skim it,, he'd prep it anyway, apart from stripping it.