Removing paint from plaster

[Gemma84]

Hi, recently tried to re paint my bathroom, first two walls fine but as I started to paint the final two, the paint started peeling off under my roller and then sticking back on the wall in lumpy patches. I started sanding it down to try and remove the loose paint but i think Id be going for days trying to get it off like that.

I think the reason it's coming off is because I've sprayed a lot of bleach on the walls to remove mould patches which appear regularly as no window to ventilate and the extractor only does so much.

I need to remove all the paint back to the plaster and start again so what is the easiest and cheapest way to do this? I though maybe an electric sander but I've been advised this may damage the plaster. The house is only 3 years old so plaster is in great condition and does not need re doing. Any advise would be greatly appreciated! Or could I use a paint stripper?

 

[joe-90]

Did you thin your first coats?

 

[Gemma84]

What do you mean by thinning the first coat? The paint on the walls currently was done by the builder if that's what you mean, so I'm not sure. I just need to get it off somehow and preferably not with elbow grease!

 

[joe-90]

If you don't thin the first coat it will do exactly what you describe. It's hard to fix now.

 

[Karis]

It could be that the original paint wasn’t very well adhered but using bleach or any chemical on paint is not a good idea & is the most likely cause of your problem, nothing to do with thinning the first/mist coats (thinned 25-30%) which is what joe is on about & is only necessary on new/bare plaster. But thinning emulsion around 10% is always a good idea as it gives a better finish.

Leave it a while & hope the bleach softened paint dries out & hardens again, then sand the affected areas to blend in & mist coat the bare plaster before repainting but don’t sand the plaster.

 

[joe-90]

If the original coat wasn't mist coated it will peel, bleach or no bleach.