Painting Flaky Interior Brickwork

[A1Dan]

I'm redecorating a bedroom which has exposed brickwork on the inside of an (unused) chimney breast. It's previously been painted white, but some of the bricks have been affected by damp / seepage from the chimney and become stained and / or crumbly, as shown in the photos.

Going to paint it a stronger colour, but would obviously like the stains not to return and very much like it not to crumble. I've read various different ideas about whether you should or shouldn't use PVA, stabilising solution, primer etc before painting, but not sure which is best for this situation... hoping one of you can advise!

 

[Wayners]

Maybe wrong paint used trapping moisture? I'd use Peelaway to remove paint.
Then vapour permeable paint

 

[A1Dan]

Maybe wrong paint used trapping moisture? I'd use Peelaway to remove paint.
Then vapour permeable paint

Yeah, no idea what they'd have used or even how long ago it would have been done.

Had a little read up on vapour permeable paint... basically need to find something with a low SD value, right? (https://organicnaturalpaint.co.uk/b...r-guide-to-choosing-the-right-paint-sd-values)

Would I need any kind of undercoat / primer, or just straight on with the chosen paint?

 

[Wayners]

I was thinking of something like earthborn clay paint.

 

[foxhole]

Effervescence , not crumbling , won’t take paint till is stopped and then will need a stain block .
Is the chimney capped and vented ?

 

[A1Dan]

Effervescence , not crumbling , won’t take paint till is stopped and then will need a stain block .
Is the chimney capped and vented ?

Erm... I think so... (Sorry, really don't know much about chimneys!)