Paint stripping

[nospam]

Hello,

I had read about stripping gloss paint by heating, sanding, or chemical strippers but how do you strip emulsions or don't you?

Our bathroom ceiling has some peeling paint. I have scraped this back to the plaster. I thought I would have to strip all the paint - good and bad - off so that the whole ceiling is back to the plaster, so that the new coat will be flat but I have had limited success sanding and heating so far.

No web sites seem to mention stripping emulsions. Is it not necessary? Will a few coats hide any patches where I scraped the peeling paint off?

Thanks.

[Scruffyhippo]

I don't know if there is a market stripper for emulsion, but if it is really thick, it is possible to use a steam stripper (I have done this and it works) it won't remove it all but anything likely to peel will loosen off.

The only way to soften the edges of the bits you have scraped off is either filler or a scim coat of something fine like plasterboard jointing compound.

In many cases I have unibonded and re-plastered the ceilings at the customers request.

[Mr Fuxit]

Cover the emulsion with a coat of thick wallpaper paste, let it stand for 1/2 an hour, then try scraping.

[Stuart Noble]

Nitromors type strippers will do emulsion. Not something I'd fancy doing on a ceiling though

[meow2222]

Usually a scraper will knock off anything loose, and the edges on emulsion are usually not noticeable. If they're bulkier it might be older lime based paint, or not paint.

The new paint helps bond the old.

One chemical that strips emulsion well is ecover washing up liquid. Dont ask. Just apply it dilute and come back in the morning, the paint wiped off with a cloth.

NT

[nospam]

Hello,

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

I don't know if I made it worse by scraping because small rough edges became bigger edges, the more paint I removed!

The suggestions about the ecover and wallpaper paste, I presume work by moistening the paint. I tried the ecover but after half an hour it had dried up, so I can't imagine how it would work overnight as suggested.

The wallpaper paste remained moist but didn't seem to loosen the paint much.

I haven't tried nitromores; I'm sure it would work but I remember a couple of years ago using it for a similar purpose and it seemed to soak into the plaster because when I applied fresh paint on top, that peeled to. I can't remember how I stopped that now, perhaps I used a stain block?

Heating is no use as it just causes the plaster to blister if you are not careful and sanding seems to be all or nothing: either the paint does not come off or you (I) gouge out plaster!

Thanks for all your help.