Interior Walls & Ceilings

You can’t really do much about the flaking paint other than try and remove as much as you can before painting over it. The reason for this is because the paint loses its contact with the surface over time and any extra load of more paint will make the matter worse.

A coat of universal primer sealer such as Zinsser Bulls Eye 123 [amazon link] should do the trick.

Sounds like your plaster is still drying out, best leave it for now. The drying process will have been limited by the paint and could take several weeks/months. You may find some paint blisters off, or maybe not? Wait and see.

According to Tikkurila, the product can be thinned up to 20%

https://www.tikkurila.co.uk/amfile/file/download/file/7954/product/2371/

Should be OK, I would wash down the walls first with a sugar soap solution and then rinse with clean warm water to remove any contamination – which is normal in bathrooms.

You may need to thin the first coat of your chosen finish with water because the previous coating will be slightly absorbent and this will help seal the surface.

What I think you mean is that you used a ‘trade matt’, the type of paint you’d use on new plaster?

In which case, this is quite normal because there is no vinyl component that is usually added to regular wall paints in order to make them washable.

It depends how deep the plaster is really but, assuming it’s just a skim finish and you have allowed a few weeks for it to dry, then simply use a thinned coat of matt emulsion as a primer and then paint as normal. All paints vary so it will take a bit of trial and error to get the right amount of water to add. Ideally, it needs to be able to soak beneath the surface but not be so thin that it just becomes coloured water.

You can use standard matt for the bathroom but bear in mind that it will be difficult to keep clean. An advanced matt finish, sometimes marketed specifically for bathrooms and kitchens will be better option.

Regarding the woodwork, you’ll need to use an acrylic wood primer first. This is usually labelled as quick-drying or water-based.

I wouldn’t recommend using emulsion as a woodwork finish though. You can get water-based paints for woodwork with a matt finish that are more durable

You are on the right lines with Peal Stop although a penetrating sealer such as Zinsser Gardz would be better. A cheaper alternative is EverBuild Water-Based Stabilising Solution. (Both available from amazon).

The product is literally like water so 5 litres would be enough for 2 smallish rooms. I appreciate you may have to treat the whole house and it isn’t going to be cheap but it’s only going to be a one time problem if you do it right.

The only thing you need to be careful of is that it can be messy and will splash all over the place – so it’s essential you cover up any flooring and wipe away any splashes on skirting boards and architraves before it has chance to dry.

One coat should be enough but if the problem is particulalrly acute it may need two. Best do a small trial area first.

What you describe sounds like surface contamination, most commonly in kitchens and bathrooms. Ideally, you should wash down the surface with sugar soap solution first but, since you have already painted the ceiling this isn’t going to work.

It really depends how bad the problem is now, you may get away with scraping off the affected areas and repainting until you get a decent coverage. If it’s really bad then you may have to try and remove the whole lot, which is going to be messy.

Covering the ceiling with lining paper is another option although you may need to pay someone to do this for you. It isn’t a perfect solution but will get you to an acceptable finish.

Did you wash down the wall before painting? It sounds like the surface has been contaminated with something that has prevented the paint from drying. Any traces of oil or grease will do this.

There isn’t a fixed rule for thinning paint down since every brand will be different and some need thinning more than others. For new dry plaster it’s best to do a trial area first. Ideally, you want the paint to be so thin that it soaks into the surface but not so thin it just becomes coloured water.

Assuming you have already first-coated all the plaster, there is nothing you can do now that’s going to correct your mistake since any coating is only as good as the surface you’re applying it to.

Rather than try and 2nd coat it right away I would give it a couple of days to cure and you may find it doesn’t peel away so easily, if at all.

The best paint really depends on what properties you need, all paints are a combination of a few basic products and the ratio of each will result in better/worse qualities in one way or another.

For the flattest finish, a paint with a high percentage of pigment will achieve this but it is a compromise over scrub/washability so be careful of using in high traffic areas.

Farrow & Ball is one particular brand with a high pigment content but please note I am not saying this is the best paint, just that it’s probably most likely to produce the finish you are after.

Not sure why a previously painted wall would be soaking in paint the way you describe, there must be something else going on?

You could try priming a test area with an oil-base penetrating sealer such as Dulux Alkali Resisting Primer or Leyland Alkali Resisting Wall Primer

I would only do a trial area first though. See how you get on?

You are likely to get splashes from the wall (assuming you’re using a roller) so it’s advisable to do the walls first and picture rail/skirting last.

There isn’t much you can do since the heat is going to transfer to the paint covering regardless. A non-vinyl based emulsion will be less likely to be adversely affected though.

For instance: Dulux Trade Supermatt, Armstead Trade Contract Matt, Crown Covermatt, Leyland Trade Contract Matt, or Johnstone’s Jonmatt Premium Contract Matt are all suitable choices.

Paint as normal although you may need an extra coat. Obviously, use the best quality paint you can afford to minimise the need for multiple coats.

Lightly rubbing the walls with fine sandpaper between coats will produce a better finish but don’t get carried away trying to remove the existing finish. You only need to remove any bits and nibs to make the surface smooth.

Ideally do the walls first and then the woodwork, otherwise you’ll get splashes of emulsion on the finished woodwork.

But, really, whatever suits you best.

You need to scrape back to surface of the brick or stone behind the plaster. The only easier way, if there are lot of cracks, is to line the walls with a decent grade lining paper. You can also buy lining paper with a scrim backing for severe cases.

Assuming this brick wall is a single skin you’ll need a sealer which is microporous and, because you don’t want it to react with any paint you might use later on, it should also be solvent-free.

Kingfisher Brick and Dust Sealer fits the bill on both counts. https://www.kingfisheruk.com/item_26bds5_interior_brick_and_dust_sealer_matt_finish

You could use a standard water-based stone sealer (available from B&Q or Wickes) as a budget alternative but only if it specifically says ‘solvent-free’ or ‘acrylic based’ on the label.

In either case you should only apply a single coat so it’s enough the seal the surface without resulting in a sheen finish. Do a small trial area first so you can gauge exactly how much to apply.

You could use a regular matt emulsion, not a vinyl based one. Dulux Trade Supermatt or Crown Trade Covermatt are OK.

However, the performance in terms of ‘breathability’ isn’t going to be as good and you may get odd patches that don’t adhere well or begin to stain. This, of course, depends on how much moisture is in the walls and you may not have any problems at all?

The only caveat I would add is that it’s always wise to try a small trial area first just in case there are any compatibility issues. There shouldn’t be, as the emulsion paints mentioned above contain pretty basic ingredients, but it’s best to play safe.