Re-painting Bathroom ceiling (flaking paint)
- Thread starter Twofingertyper
- Start date
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I’m going to replace the fan shortly - but I wanted to do the ceiling as it started to bother me…
Always tend to pay more and hope that it’ll last and work better, the current fan was what was put in when the house was built - so not my choice!
Always tend to pay more and hope that it’ll last and work better, the current fan was what was put in when the house was built - so not my choice!
If you have steamy showers, IMO you need an extractor rated at around 240 cu.m/hr.
Builders like to put one in rated at about 80 which is insufficient but cheap.
This is a particularly good one. Because it is so quiet, and fitted in the loft, people are less tempted to turn it off and defeat the object. You need one with timer so it will carry on drying after your shower.
Builders like to put one in rated at about 80 which is insufficient but cheap.
This is a particularly good one. Because it is so quiet, and fitted in the loft, people are less tempted to turn it off and defeat the object. You need one with timer so it will carry on drying after your shower.
Haha - 'let us know how you get on'
So, I made the fatal blunder of not looking properly up close at the ceiling before I started, and it was more cracked than I first though (whereas I thought it was one section, it was actually more like one section of the en-suite didn't have peeling/cracking paint). However, as I had already got ready to deal with this as planned I did as mentioned, sugar soap, sanded off bits off flaking paint (which extended slightly as I sanded...).
Sugar soap dried, and I thought, okay, this still might work doesn't look too bad - start putting the paint on (colour difference between new white and old paint is SHOCKING), all going well until the previous paint starts to peel off more as it gets painted over... so I paint over the area where the paint used to be (again, it's not back to plaster, although the coving over the shower has definitely reached the end of it's life...). I have done a first coat and now waiting for it to dry before I go back and re-assess.
I think it's a slightly bigger job than just a lick of paint... but will confirm in a few hours...
Back again with some pictures of the 'drying' progress - as you can see, it has not gone well. That's NEW peeling paint.
Was I meant to sand the whole ceiling down as opposed to just the bits around the previous flaking paint? Do I re-sand these sections and re-apply the paint (ensuring it's not saturated) once it's all fully dry?
What does this mean for using the shower if I can’t fix it? Hold off until it’s done properly? Or fine but it won’t look pretty…
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I have decided to not touch this for the rest of the day, there's other patches emerging so... it would seem I would have been best sanding everything down and then starting from plaster and working my way back up? I've seen some suggestions about flaking paint about scraping the loose paint off (without fire - boo), sanding it down, and using a primer (if required) and then painting over. Which is sounds similar to what got me into this mess... if that works, it's an option, the ceiling with become more patchwork, but anything that works and doesn't look as bad as the above has got to be a positive...
In hindsight this is one of those jobs I should have delayed until the bathroom was refurbed and then I could get the pros to do it...
In hindsight this is one of those jobs I should have delayed until the bathroom was refurbed and then I could get the pros to do it...
You did clean off the soap residue, didn't you?
Peeling paint should scrape off easily. If it won't scrape off even when wetted with a clean water spray, it can stay.
A blowlamp or heat gun does not work on emulaion paint.
I did! but thanks for checking as you never do know what obvious steps I would miss out.
So, essentially would that work - scrape off the flaking paint, quick sand (fine paper? or coarse? I used fine initially...) and paint over again as long as the surface is still reasonable?
(the fire/blowtorch comment was a lighthearted one, I wouldn't seriously trust myself with one after the way today went...)
So just go over the top of the flaking paint with a surface filler? and then paint that? It's an idea although would it be as effective on the coving?
My preference would be sanding, as I have sandpaper (despite the mess it'll make) but I'll see if I can find somewhere local that might have something suitable (typically as I live in the sticks you either get mass produced product from a chain store that's not good enough, or the shops that sell the decent stuff shutting over the Easter weekend as they can afford to...)
Scrape off the flaky stuff, and fill over whatever is stable. You can squeeze this so thin you can see through it
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I think this is where I went wrong first time around then, I scraped off flaky stuff, but for the paint that looked okay I just assumed I could paint over it (which is what I thought I was told...). Anyway, will see if I can find anyone selling the tub as opposed to the tube locally... Actually looking at it there's not that much difference in volume, so a couple of tubes could easily cover it (tube is 400g, tub is 500g?)Scrape off the flaky stuff, and fill over whatever is stable. You can squeeze this so thin you can see through it
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And yeah, sanding the whole ceiling would be a bit of a chore (especially without a power sander...)
You don't need to fill the whole ceiling, the filler is where you have scraped patches off, to fill the steps and craters.
Using a broad metal knife, you press so hard that it fills the hollows and slides over the rest. The hollows will only be as deep as the thickness of a couple of coats of paint, hence thin layer of fine surface filler. The knife must be perfectly clean and shiny so it does not drag.
I think Wickes stocks it.
Using a broad metal knife, you press so hard that it fills the hollows and slides over the rest. The hollows will only be as deep as the thickness of a couple of coats of paint, hence thin layer of fine surface filler. The knife must be perfectly clean and shiny so it does not drag.
I think Wickes stocks it.
Sorry - on the coving is it the same principle? Scrape off and filler? Just looking at the various patches on the ceiling (there’s more than a few spots) and it’s clear that when I get the bathroom done I’ll get it re-done from scratch.
Also given that this was previously paint that was firmly attached and then flaked as it dried, is there anything I need to be careful with?
Also given that this was previously paint that was firmly attached and then flaked as it dried, is there anything I need to be careful with?
I don't know what the cause was. If the house is more than 50 years old, the ceiling might have been painted with distemper, so stop now.
It might also have a water-soluble glue on it, either wallpaper paste or sometimes PVA.
A dirty ceiling IME the roller tends to pull the paint off while you work, rather than flaking later.
Some women like to burn candles in the bathroom, which can leave a greasy soot. Kitchens often have greasy dirt.
?? Can anyone else see what I've missed??
It might also have a water-soluble glue on it, either wallpaper paste or sometimes PVA.
A dirty ceiling IME the roller tends to pull the paint off while you work, rather than flaking later.
Some women like to burn candles in the bathroom, which can leave a greasy soot. Kitchens often have greasy dirt.
?? Can anyone else see what I've missed??
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