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You should let the wall dry out first although this may take a while. If you apply any paint coating now then you’ll just be trapping the damp that can lead to further problems down the line. It’s also likely the paint will lose adhesion prematurely and you’ll be back to square one.

You are right, scrape back what you can and use a regular masonry paint, there shouldn’t be a problem with adhesion.

If you are able to remove the chalked surface you should do so and start again with a sound, firm surface. You may not be able to do this with all the affected areas but the more you can remove the better.

I’d suggest using a stabilising solution on any remaining powdery areas but only where it can’t be avoided since you can cause further problems later on with retained moisture.

Eleswhere, if paint surface are sound you should be able to paint over with regular masonry paint but it should be thinned slightly where there is bare brickwork/stonework or cement render,

Also, do a small trial area first to ensure the stabilising solution is doing its job and that there is no adverse reaction.

These kinds of coverage problems are quite common and the simple answer is that you have to apply multiple coats over the affected area in order to get a build-up of paint film. Only then will you get a uniform finish.

Emulsion paint is deceptively thick when it’s being applied and you would naturally expect it to cover a multitude of sins. Alas, when it dries, the paint film is incredibly thin and hides very little.

There is a difference between trade paints and retail paints in so far as the coatings formulated for trade use tend to have a slightly higher solids content. You wouldn’t notice a huge difference though and it’s certainly not a magic solution in this case.

I also wouldn’t go out and buy another brand of paint just for this purpose since you only need to cover the areas you’ve filled, not the whole wall.

Do this multiple times and then only attempt to paint the whole wall to a finish when you’re confident the filled areas will no longer be visible.

Also, make sure you apply these coats with a roller in order to match the surrounding areas as any obvious brush marks will just exacerbate the problem.

In extreme circumstances, where there are multiple repairs, it can be easier to use a lining paper to get all-round uniformity but it doesn’t sound like you need to consider this option.

Sounds good to me. The thing you need to be sure of is that your first coat soaks into the surface to provide a key. With roughcast you may need to thin the paint slightly for ease of application and doubly so for the initial coat on bare render.

Not that uncommon and there are no easy solutions.

Sometimes you have to use sugar soap neat in order to shift some stubborn contaminants such as grease and nicotine. I’ve experienced some situations where scrubbing with neat bleach was necessary. It can be a very unpleasant job but very satisfying when you’ve finished.

Just make sure you wear rubber gloves and cover your arms.

From the images you have supplied it looks like the first coat simply hasn’t bonded to the surface.

It could be the walls were slightly damp or powdery at the time of original painting. It isn’t unusual for these problems to show up over time as the paint becomes dry and brittle, loosing all adhesion and falling away. You may find that painting the areas that look solid for now also brings off more paint.

A stabilising solution isn’t going to help because the wall material itself looks fairly sound. I would also advise against using PVA because it forms a film which will trap any inbound moisture, causing more problems long-term.

I would scrape off as much flaking paint as you can and prime the bare wall areas with a thinned coat of masonry paint (thin enough that it soaks in but not so thin that it is like water) then allow to dry.

Assuming this works out OK you should be fine to go ahead and repaint as normal. It’s inevitable that more loose paint is going to come away eventually though so don’t expect this to be a one-off job.

For a perfect result you’d need to completely remove all the paint on the front elevation, which is going to be difficult and expensive.

The pragmatic approach (which you seem to have already accepted) would be to simply get a good colour match and undertake a regular program of scraping paint off as it becomes loose and touching up until you are certain all the loose material has come away and that your remedial work is staying firmly stuck.

This is where things have gone wrong, to try and fix and get rid of the wall paper paste i tried to lightly sand and then painted over this area of the wall. This extra coat of paint on this area of the wall looked bad and stood out too much, so I applied another coat on the walls.

This would be the third coat of emulsion Matt paint, this got rid of the mark on the wall but due to rushing I didn’t do the edges of the wall first like i had done originally.

I wasn’t happy with the finish when comparing to first two coats. It was annoying me that much I have done a final coat which would be the fourth not including the mist coat. the finish still doesn’t look good I think after spending so much time originally I have been rushing just due to lack of time due to personal circumstances.

I know what I have done wrong and I need to apply the Matt emulsion and do the edges first in the same way I did when I completed the first and second coat, which I was really happy with until I got paste on my walls.

However, the concern I have is will I cause damage to the wall if I do one final coat with having already done 1 mist coat, and 4 coats of Matt emulsion having already been done?

I have read too much paint could causing flaking etc. sorry for the long message but I wanted to try and explain the context. I am confident I can finish the job to the standard I will be happy with if I apply one more coat.

Or am I causing more potentially issues and should I just admit failure and leave the walls as they are?

If you are satisfied that you’ve covered all traces of the paste and it isn’t showing through, and you’re confident you can achieve the finish you want then go ahead and add more coats as required.

Sounds like the timbers were painted without any preparation and there is simply no adhesion?

To guarantee a perfect result would necessitate the complete removal of the loose paint layers although this isn’t always practical. The problem remains that any coating you use is only is good as the one beneath it.

Where you have just flaking edges you can use a product called Zinsser Peel Stop which will penetrate beneath the edges and act as a kind of adhesive. This isn’t going to help where you have large patches of poorly adhering paint though.

The recommendations from your painters sound like they are grasping at straws. Bedec is a brand of paint so I’m not sure how that helps? Weathershield is formulated for outdoor use and does perform well but here we return to the original problem that you are applying it to an already potentially loose/defective surface.

My suggestion is to have a good attempt at removing as much as the existing coating as you can and re-paint in the normal manner – accepting you may still get paint flaking off afterwards. This may mean you have to repaint more often than you would prefer. Or, yo may be lucky and any paint that was loose will have come away from the surface by now.

The alternative is strip back to bare wood. For high level work where you may be paying for scaffolding and/or don’t want to be doing it too often, this is the only sensible solution.

It’s always going to be difficult to get an acceptable finish when you are trying to cover different types of paints on a wall surface. It isn’t impossible but does take a lot more work than many people imagine because it involves applying multiple coats.

Emulsion paint is deceptively thick when it is wet but actually dries as a thin film which, as you have found, doesn’t do much to hide previous brush marks or shiny surfaces. Multiple coats will do this or, in extreme circumstances, using lining paper to get a uniform finish can sometimes be easier.

You shouldn’t be using a shellac-based sealer over a large area because of the high VOC content. In such cases, (for covering water stains) an oil-based primer is a better alternative.

Again though you are going to face a similar problem when it comes to coverage and it will take several coats of emulsion to match the existing finish. Thinning with white-spirit isn’t advisable (to any great degree) because you’ll just need extra coats to get the same stain-blocking effect.

If the affected areas are minor then an aerosol-based sealer will be easier to cover.

The main tip i can offer is to use a mini-roller to apply the primer and, when it is dry, to paint over these areas only with your choice of finish, again with a roller, until you get a result you are happy with. Then, and only then, repaint the entire walls to a final finish. Ideally, 2 full coats.

Doubt it. The staining comes about when minerals on the surface become soluble and migrate through subsequent coats. Rubbing down the surface is more likely to accelerate this process rather than prevent it.

I am assuming you’re using the word ‘plinths’ to describe the lower course of stonework at ground-level?

You say this is already painted so it’s unlikely that the paint is the problem. Any attempt to ‘wateproof’ masonry walls is going to have the opposite of the desired affect because all you’re doing is trapping internal moisture that would otherwise naturally evaporate.

Is there a DPC, is the stonework and mortar in otherwise good condition and is it sealed where it abuts doorways, etc?

There is seldom a simple answer to these kinds of problems as it’s often a combination of factors.

It’s OK to paint air bricks so long as you take care not to get a build-up of paint in the holes which will restrict the air flow.

It sounds like you’ve used a water-based stain blocker and should have used an oil-based one insted.

More info here… Which Zinsser Stain Blocker?

You may need to apply a few coats to affected area in order to achieve the best finish but there is nothing to alarmed about. The less than perfect results you’ve heard about are likely where people have applied a coat of stain block and then one coat of finish, expecting this to be sufficient.

If the damps stains are minor you can use a spirit-based (aerosol) blocker which tend to be easier to cover.

I wouldn’t advise the use of an eggshell/satin finish in such cases because the problem you are experiencing is likely due to high levels of UV radiation which is exasperated when using such coatings that have low levels of light deflection.

If you are determined to use such a finish then the general advise with all paints is that you get what you pay for and using a recognised brand, formulated especially for exterior use is the safest bet. Water-based finishes also tend to perform better externally than oil-based alternatives because they maintain flexibility for longer.

So long as you apply both coats in the same day you should be OK to use the same tape. The problems arise when tape is left in place for long periods and the paint coating has had time to fully cure.

If it looks like the tape is not going to come off cleanly then it’s best to use a sharp blade to score the edges first but this is an extreme situation, you shouldn’t really have a problem if you are careful.

Yes

If you are painting the architraves and skirting then I’m not sure why you went to the trouble of using a coloured filler?

That said, it’s not that unusual to find the products you’re using are incompatible and sometimes you just have to admit defeat and use something else. It might be worth spot-priming the areas you’ve filled with a spirit- based primer before using the undercoat again.

I am not familiar with the products you mention though, search results suggest they are generally sold in Australia?

I am not aware of any training material about this since it should be common sense that there are always going to be random splashes and risk of spillage – accidents do happen.

However, if your partner is happy to continue not to use dust sheets then the best thing to do is not interfere, she is bound to have a mishap at some stage and will learn the hard way.

This video sprang to mind, btw

https://twitter.com/i/status/1643111538486829056

Yes, you can paint over K-Rend with Sandtex and any other brand of regular masonry paint.

And, no, it’s never a good idea to add PVA since the paint will have sufficient adhesive qualities already. PVA can also create a film which is detrimental to the breathability of the paint finish.

If this is a recent application you should contact K-Rend directly for advice in case this invalidates any current warranties.

It seems like you may have over-painted the sealant before it had fully cured, this can take a few days in some instances. Obviously, without seeing for myself, I’m guessing.

I would be tempted to leave it for a few days before trying to paint again since you’ll get a thick build-up of paint that may show some cracking as it dries out.

In the meantime, you may want to get in touch with C-Tec as they are more likely to be able to guide you further.

[email protected]

You’ll need to wipe down with white spirit to remove as much residual surface oil as you can and leave a couple of weeks to give it chance to dry out to the extent that a paint coating has a chance of adhering.

I’d suggest an aluminium wood primer as a first coat which will aid adhesion and also block the staining. Then you have a choice of a conventional oil-based matt finish such as Coo-Var Matt Black

Or, Zinsser AllCoat Matt Black which is a water-based self-priming finish. You take a risk with this product in terms of adhesion and long-term performance though. There is also a chance that you still get some staining coming through.

Also, bear in mind, matt black paint is not, by its nature, reflective and will absorb high amounts of heat and ultra-violet radiation which will break down any paint coating over time and denature the wood material beneath. You should, therefore, ensure that the paint coating is maintained at regular intervals to counter this.