Woodchip ceiling/sh#t to a blanket?!

[Francis]

Dining room ceiling, 20' X 10'. About 50 years old. Plasterboard covered with plaster (pink).

Woodchip paper was stuck (like sh#t to a blanket as my father would have said) to the ceiling at some stage.

Have removed the paper and was left with a pink and white Martian surface where about half the old ceiling paint came off leaving bare plaster. The plaster is in good condition. There are some water damaged spots at the corner where the upstairs bathroom is. I have scraped off the patchy paint from half the ceiling so far. Will do the rest.

What's the best way to go now. I take it I'll need to use some sort of sealer before I put on new paint.

Suggestions: Sealer?

Paint?

Francis

[Andrew Gabriel]

I use emulsion paint, diluted by addition of 10-20% water so it soaks into the surface. It won't seal the surface against staining coming through, which might happen where there's been water damage, but you could try it and see.

[Harry Bloomfield]

On 20/01/2004 Francis opined:-

Which was exactly why wood chip was used ;-)

Faced with a similar problem after a minor flood (but no wood chip), I managed to get hold of some special emulsion which was intended for the job of sealing the surface.... Sorry, I can't help with the name, but it worked fine. The surface was new-ish and sound plasterboard.

[Francis]

I don't know why the woodchip was put on in the first place. The plaster ceiling is in excellent condition, unlike my neck muscles. I have a much better appreciation of Michelangelo now.

Francis