Bubbling/blistering paint on walls.

[mishymashy]

I'm not sure if anyone has had any experience with this and advice on how to resolve it but thought i'd try!

Everytime we paint one of the rooms in the house we get big bubbles of paint appearing within minutes. Its not speckled bubbles covering the whole surface just large bubbles similar to those in the old aero chocolate bar add with the wallpaper. They pop and crackle as the paint dries making the surface look pretty grim.

We also had probs in the same room with the artex peeling off in sheets when DH painted it. A quick job turned into a nightmare trying to sort it out.

Its a relatively new house (11yrs) with plasterboard walls and its only one room affected. Not at all damp.

I'm guessing the builders havent sealed the surfaces properly.

What can we paint on to try and sort it out?

We'd like to decorate again but i know as soon as emulsion touches the walls the bubbles will be back and the whole nightmare starts again.

TIA

[narmada]

I think this can happen sometimes when new plaster isn't treated correctly. It should have had mist coats on before the emulsion proper. Could be wrong tho and someone might be along shortly who's far more knowledgable than me.

[narmada]

PS beware of the peeling artex - if is several decades old it can contain asbestos. Sorry, don't want to rain on your parade but just something to be aware of.

[member]

Either a PVA solution to seal the plasterboard or possibly an alkali resistant primer if there are mineral deposits of some kind leeching through the plasterboard would be my plan.

[member]

Actually, I'd probably skip the former & just do the latter to seal & neutralise in one step.

[narmada]

I don't know much about decorating but I would say don't apply PVA solution - it will be impossible to paint over. Painters and Decorators are usually horrified by any suggestion of PVA in my experience.

[mishymashy]

Thanks for the replys.

I will get DH to google primers.

Its strange because this only affects one room in the whole house

Thanks again

[PigletJohn]

NEVER put PVA on a wall that you hope one day to paint

clean off all wallpaper paste with a broad metal scraper and warm water

clean off any dust or dirt

seal the surface with matt emulsion thinned with water (instructions on the tin) so it soaks in and kills the suction.