Burst pipe caused water damage to ceiling, been drying out for last 4 days and the ceiling appears to be intact apart from water mark staining. I have ordered some stain block which I will use before repainting. Should i just go with that or should I give the ceiling a clean first possibly with a mild bleach solution.
If the stain is organic, it may respond to bleach, but if it's an iron stain leached from the plaster, it won't. I have a similar problem where rainwater has leaked through a flat roof and stained the ceiling
- problem now solved - and when it's fully dried out I shall just paint over it with ordinary emulsion, using as many coats as it takes to hide it.
repainting.
Only need to clean to remove dust or flaking paint (edges will then need sanding or filling). Stain block will do the job or any oil based paint, though gloss might make the emulsion a little harder to apply evenly.
Which be a lot. Even if you get it covered it come through after time.
I'd clean it but be warned, the stain will eventually come back anyway, they seem to always do that. I'm sure some chemist might know why this is. Brian
At this time of year you need to leave plaster much longer to fully dry out before you try to seal it or you will be storing up trouble. Overpainting with a dense white emulsion will usually cover it.
It will be about 2 weeks after the flood before I attempt to sort the ceiling, have had a dehumidifier running for the last 5 days and will keep it going on a lower setting for a few days more. Its a shower room so not a big room.
FWIW I'd leave it longer. 8 days might do but I'd not be confident.
NT
I'm leaving mine for months. I check it occasionally with a moisture meter, and it is drying, slowly, but it's on the ceiling, not exactly 'in your face', and I'm in no hurry. I'll probably repaint it after a lengthy spell of dry weather.
I have generally found it better to repplace plasterboard and reskim.
Or if it is plaster over lath, just replaster anyway
A decent stain blocker should do it. At the last house we had a bad water leak below the bathroom which because the water was mixing with half a century of accumulated dust above the PB produced some very dark stains. I went to a decent decorators supplier and got a stain blocker which required a few coats, two if I remember correctly. After two coats of emulsion we never saw the stains again. Previously we applied many coats of emulsion just to find the stains reappear. Unfortunately I cannot remember the make having had a purge of old paint tins a while back but that would my first port of call.
Richard
Oil based undercoat is the answer
Jonathan
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