Help please!

[chafingstraightjacket]

I have very recently moved into a 1950s HA house.
Where someone has removed pictures from the wall the paint has lifted as well. It looked a bit bubbly so I took a scraper to it and it's literally peeling off like wallpaper.

The plaster beneath looks good but how do I stop it happening again when I paint?

This was a very sudden move (due to a dc being a victim of crime) so I have very little money, certainly not enough to pay a trade person to remedy the issue.

Thanks 😊

I would sand back all the bubbly bits and where the paint has lifted or further along scrape off any loose paint. I would leave it for a little while and check no damp. If the rest of the paintwork doesn't lift and there is no damp then I think sanding to get rid of any edges ( hard work ) & then making sure you leave one coat of paint to dry properly before you put another one on might work - also sand the rest of the paint on the walls to make sure new paint sticks.

But - but if someone more knowledgeable than me comes along - please take note - I had a little downstairs loo and this is basically what we did in there & it looks fine.

Thanks, I can't see any sign of damp on the wall. It looks like fairly new plaster.

I've scraped the rest of the paint off quite easily so will sand it tomorrow.

The wall probably wasn't sized . Water down some emulsion and paint the wall , you'll need plenty of dust sheets as it's pretty messy. The wall will soak up the water and then you can paint with normal thickness paint .

Some people might say add some pva glue to the watery paint but I don't think this is recommended any more

If it helps - I had a quote from someone who said - you will have to have all the paint taken off and treatment on the plaster - which was to cost ££££££££££££s I did not have

Got a local decorator around and he said - I reckon they have not let the plaster dry out properly and put too many coats of paint on too quickly - so I went with him for a fraction of the price - he did what I described above - just removed and sanded back all loose paint , checked no damp & then made sure all paint was completely dry before the next coat and so far it is working. On the bare plaster I think he did what is called a mist coat first which is paint diluted with water and then left to dry thoroughly

I wish you well @chafingstraightjacket

@Vapeyvapevape - oops I think cross posted re the mist coat - watered down bit

I will sand tomorrow and then try the watered down emulsion.

I have some Matt white, will that be okay do you think?

I'm absolutely clueless with all this, but determined to learn so I can do it myself.

I think I shall have to test the other walls in case they peel as well.

Thanks everyone, this is going to be only the start. I shall probably have a lot more questions to get this house into decent shape. 🙂

Since you mentioned that the plaster looks new, I’d guess that it’s been painted too soon after the plaster has been applied, and that’s what has caused the paint to bubble, note it’s happened behind pictures.

Let the wall dry out thoroughly after you’ve applied your mist coat, for at least 24 hours, before you paint on your top coat.
Also try to avoid fancy vinyl type emulsion paint, chose a basic emulsion this time, you can always use a more exotic type of paint next time.

Thanks, I have tested the other walls and they're the same so I will have to strip them too.

I had hoped to have it decorated by Thursday as my youngest is in respite until then but it looks like I will have a bigger job than I thought.

At least the paint is coming off fairly easily though. I might get as much stripped tomorrow as I can and then hopefully mist it all tomorrow night if I have the energy 😂

@chafingstraightjacket - good luck - for thursday but if youngest can cope without perfect decoration - I would leave the paint to dry for longer & not try to paint it all too quickly or you may end up with the same situation. I would say if the house is warm and dry and comfy - I suspect youngest will be OK - but only you will know that.

Low lighting and nice dinner and comfy seating can work a great deal IME to take ones mind off the half finished decorating.