Peeling paint disaster

[Meeeeshell]

HELP!! (please!)

I've been painting my ceiling this afternoon - it would seem that the new coat of paint has dampened the older coat (don't know how old it is) in one area. It started bubbling - but I didn't notice before running the roller over it. The roller lifted a 4inch strip of paint, leaving 'frayed' edges. When peeling back the rough edges, I discovered that the majority of the paint in that area wants to peel off. I couldn't leave it alone and now there's about a foot and a half square patch where the paint has completely peeled off. My question is: should I leave it the hell alone, wait until it's dry, sand the edges and repaint after sealing? Or should I peel off whatever paint wants to come off - risking peeling off the whole ceiling's area of fresh paint? The rest of the ceiling looks fine and was in good repair (ie no flaking paint) before I started.

D'oh.

Would be very grateful for any help!

 

[gcol]

My question is: should I leave it the hell alone, wait until it's dry, sand the edges and repaint after sealing?

Got it in one. If the rest is sound and looks ok, leave it. Unless you like making work for yourself.

Cheers,
Gcol

 

[Meeeeshell]

Thanks!

 

[Zampa]

There only one word here that comes to mind Distemper!!!.. the bane of the Decorators life..

Rub your hand over the newly exposed bit....is it powdery?..

If so, then im affrad its bad news for you...That will indicate that its either Distemper or lime wash.

Theres only one way to properly deal with it, thats strip the whole ceiling off or you wil have the problem everytime you decorate.

Its not an easy task and its a very messy one, but ask any painter and they will tell you the same..it really should come off...theres a couple of ways you can do it, dry scrape is probably the most effective..the other way, paper it..then when its dry rip the paper off 9 times out of 10 the newer paint will come off with it.

Then you will need to wash the remaining distemper off the ceiling and then seal with either thinned alkali resisting primer or Dulux super grip primer/sealer.

 

[gcol]

Well Zampa, me 'owd china, if that's the case (and you'd know better than most on here), could he not just patch it up this time and worry about totally redoing it next time he decorates? Seems a waste to rip off what he's already done this time.

Cheers,
Gcol (not the Welsh minor)

 

[Zampa]

Well Boyo

Maybe worth a try..but the stuff thats there would have to be washed of and sealed then the patch filled rubbed down and then repainted.

Which could possibly leave scarring on the ceiling because of the different surfaces.

And the problem will still be there..the thing is with distemper is its like a time bomb attached to a dodgy clock you never know when its going to go off!

But your right, it could be worth a try, if the room wasnt to important to me then id probably try it...because beleive me ANYTHING is better than stripping one.

If it was a situation where the carpets were up and it was a complete decorating job then id go for stripping it off...if its just a freshing up then patching it up would be a good idea, if it works.

Where confededentlycompedent?...he might have an angle on this too..

 

[confidentincompetent]

when the old paint peels off does it expose plaster If so could be someone has used pva and gon for a one coat job resulting in the original paint film just laying on top of pva hence when it gets wet it will bubble, but if left alone it will usually go back, (like wallpaper). Hope you Dont find wot Zampa suspects

 

[Zampa]

when the old paint peels off does it expose plaster If so could be someone has used pva and gone for a one coat job resulting in the original paint film just laying on top of pva hence when it gets wet it will bubble, but if left alone it will usually go back, (like wallpaper). Hope you Dont find wot Zampa suspects

Did you hear my bugle call or what?...

Proof of what ive been saying for ages...PVA isnt a primer on new lpaster befoe you paint it...its an old wives tale..(apologies to any old wifes who may be reading)

 

[confidentincompetent]

[/quote]Zampa"
Did you hear my bugle call or what?... [/quote]

OOps erm no Zampa I was a bit stellard and didnt check perfect timing ahh

 

[Meeeeshell]

Ah. Well, I've a confession to make: I looked at gcol's reply and went ahead and patched it. Trouble is, I think it actually WAS distemper or lime wash judging by all the definitions I've seen. I should imagine it was first painted in 1955... I sealed first, but I know it's going to bug me now. It was a make over of the main bedroom, so in constant use and I was making over in time taken off from work especially. So, thanks for all the advice - now I know what it is, I can reschedule accordingly. It'll go on that ever-growing list of things to do!

 

[Zampa]

Well that was the easiest option really..and work a try, I hope it works...you never know with distemper.

What did you seal it with btw?...please dont say PVA or gloss paint.

 

[papergirl]

Nightmare ceiling ? I sympathize, I have been repainting an office block, which involves emulsion ceilings and walls, gloss up, bla bla. I have sucsessfully done the main office and reception area no problem, but as soon as I started emulsioning the kitchen ceiling the artex ( I think its artex) started bubbling and peeling off. I have had to scrape it all off. The first layer came of like skin leaving a powdery layer underneath. The only problem is, all of it didnt all come of leaving an uneven surface which looks terrible. The ceiling will now have to be re-artexed. I thought maybe it was distemper but it appears the whole office block was new build in 2005 so this is hardly the case. Why is the problem only with this ceiling and not the others. Could the problem be the artex mix itself or how it was applied.

 

[confidentincompetent]

Nightmare ceiling ? I sympathize, I have been repainting an office block, which involves emulsion ceilings and walls, gloss up, bla bla. I have sucsessfully done the main office and reception area no problem, but as soon as I started emulsioning the kitchen ceiling the artex ( I think its artex) started bubbling and peeling off. I have had to scrape it all off. The first layer came of like skin leaving a powdery layer underneath. The only problem is, all of it didnt all come of leaving an uneven surface which looks terrible. The ceiling will now have to be re-artexed. I thought maybe it was distemper but it appears the whole office block was new build in 2005 so this is hardly the case. Why is the problem only with this ceiling and not the others. Could the problem be the artex mix itself or how it was applied.

Was there any paint on the ceiling to start with? sometimes Artex is left bare! If it was bare artex it should have been treated as for bare plaster IE; mistcoat followed by one round coat. you describe the bubbling and flaking this sounds like a classic case of unthinned emulsion on Bare artex.

 

[Zampa]

I agree..or they havnt sealed the joints in the ceiling...just caulked with Artex and they artexed over.

People used to use Artex as a general filler, persoanlly I dont think it works, its too soft and powdery..when you wipe your hand over it it does indeed look like distemper.

 

[confidentincompetent]

I agree..or they havnt sealed the joints in the ceiling...just caulked with Artex and they artexed over.

People used to use Artex as a general filler, persoanlly I dont think it works, its too soft and powdery..when you wipe your hand over it it does indeed look like distemper.

Yeah worst is, round these parts someone has been puttting coving up using bloody artex as the addhesive Ok short term but am finding quite afew jobs (20yrs old) where coving is coming looose. using a box of caulking a week