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Preparing raw plaster for painting

mikeymo | Posted in General Discussion on November 24, 2010 12:16pm

  My house was built in 1947 and was built pretty well- a good inch or so of plaster on lath and mesh on the inside walls. My bathroom ceiling was peeling a bit, so I started scraping. About half the paint won’t come off, but where it did, it exposed that last coat of glass-smooth plaster.

  To repaint is so it will last a bit longer, is there a special way to prepare that surface? Or should I just sand the rough edges smooth and prime it and paint? 

  How did they make that final surface anyway? I’m always amazed at how smooth that surface is. Thanks, in advance…

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  1. hartlandboy | Nov 24, 2010 12:20pm | #1

    Original plaster requires a special bonding primer designed specifically for the old plasters.  New type primers do not work as a replacement.  The pimer acts like a bonding agent that has two purposes.  First it helps keep the plaster in tact and second it helps the top coat bond which is basically what all primers do.  I restored a 150 year old house about 15 years ago and the customer was adamant that plaster ( not drywall mud ) be used because this was a restoration.  I had a hard time to find people qualified people.  It is quite an old trade as you might expect.  They used special dollar sized fasteners to secure all loose material then they applied the plaster like regular drywall mud with one exception.  They never sanded anything.  When they got to a finished level they just thru water on the wall with big brushes and kept troweling it over and over until it was like glass.  Very impressive to watch.  I can't remember the primer they used but they insisted nothing else would do the job.   I had no reason to doubt them. 

    Gary

  2. Piffin | Nov 25, 2010 05:49pm | #2

    Hi Micky
    Sounds like your surface is sound, and fully cured, so any alkyd primer will work and is what is normally recommnnded. I beleive KilzII would do the job also.

    When I patch old plaster where the veneer has separated off the base, or there are cracks and holes, I first paint on a bonding primer high in PVA. Acril60 is one The products sold as concrete bonding agents and modifiers do the same. There are also some made more specifically for plaster that generally look pink instead of white, but not as easy to find those unless you do a lot of plaster work . Areas without much plaster going on will not have that in stock since it has a shelf life.

    But from your description, it sounds like any alkyd primer will do you. I like the SW interior line of paints. They have about five types of primer and at least two of them would qualify.

    1. DonCanDo | Nov 26, 2010 07:35am | #3

      Primer Chart

      Here's Sherwin Williams primer selection chart:

      http://www.sherwin-williams.com/pdf/problem/primers-selection-guide.pdf

      1. Piffin | Nov 26, 2010 05:40pm | #4

        Well, I see they have far more primers than five.

        Since this is a bathroom cieling, i would probably use their oil fast dry or the shellac based int/ext primers.

        That Luxon masonry primer would probably be the very best one, but I think in terms of what i CAN USE THE REST OF THE CAN FOR LATER ALSO

        darn caps key!

        1. User avater
          Jeff_Clarke | Nov 26, 2010 08:11pm | #5

          Loxon is outstanding for alkali rich surfaces like masonry and plaster.

          1. Piffin | Nov 26, 2010 08:14pm | #6

            Hi Jeff
            I presume you've used it?

            Have you used it around calcimine paints? That is the real test of a product. I don't doubt what you said about it being good tho.

  3. DonCanDo | Nov 27, 2010 06:45pm | #7

    Yeah, hot water is a good way to remove calcimine paint... or you could try the first method I tried which is to use a coat of latex primer, realize that it's calcimine, scrape everything that the water loosened, then use an oil primer and then scrape everything that the oil loosened.

  4. Piffin | Nov 28, 2010 06:07pm | #8

    Water mixed with vinegar and elbow grease scubbing har tpo release the bond, then rinse a couple times.

    But there is always some residue no matter what, so  good primer is a must.

    Like Dan said, when it is already painted over, you have a nightmare. Current job, kithen was painted over it ten years ago, now crackling and peeling. Told the lady only way to be sure youget it good is to install new board over it and new finish. Can do that about same price.

    She would not hear of it - just sand it and paint it, she says. I don't care. Hourly work. She gets what she wants....

    1. calvin | Nov 28, 2010 06:55pm | #9

      Paul, age of the house?

      Have to apply your lead safe practices to this ceiling?

      1. Piffin | Nov 28, 2010 07:11pm | #10

        Yes

        You oughta see all the plastic and tape! I coulda had the SR hung in the time it took to prep the room to start working

        1. User avater
          Jeff_Clarke | Nov 30, 2010 12:38am | #11

          Yes but have you actually done this before?   ;o)

          1. Piffin | Nov 30, 2010 07:11am | #12

            Do THIS!

            ;)

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