Crazed paint

[AuntPeggy]

As you might know, I'm remodeling an 80-year old house. I'm now working in one of the bedrooms where I intend to paint. The current paint is crazed and in some cases peeling. The peeling paint is scraped off and we can see that the current (dirty) Dodger blue was put on over dark pea-soup green, which was put on over a slightly shiny white surface. The white might be a very light coat of paint or it might be the original surface of the plaster wall. In any case, it doesn't seem to be as thick as a coat of paint. Where the blue and green have not flaked off, there are crazed patches where, if you work at it, you can get a flake started, then scrape off another foot or so of kind-of loose paint. We have tried using a steel brush to get these patches started, but that just makes it look dirty. We have a couple of other bedrooms and hallway that exhibit the same peeling. PITB.

I don't want to paint over the existing stuff and then in a year or two have it start peeling, so what do I do?

 

[Tom-D]

Depending upon what you are removing I'd try a palm sander with a dust collection vac on it, or a heat gun and scraper.

 

[AuntPeggy]

Depending upon what you are removing I'd try a palm sander with a dust collection vac on it, or a heat gun and scraper.

We have been able to use the heat gun and scraper with success on the window and door trim. Very time-consuming. They are painted with a semi-gloss. The walls are flat paint. I don't know for sure, but assume that they are oil paint because they are so old.

 

[ElPaso Pilot]

We have been able to use the heat gun and scraper with success on the window and door trim. Very time-consuming. They are painted with a semi-gloss. The walls are flat paint. I don't know for sure, but assume that they are oil paint because they are so old.

I'm sure you're already aware, but you may also want to assume they are lead based when you start sanding and scraping.

But with all that 100LL exposure, the aviation community already has immunity, eh?

 

[Chip Sylverne]

If it's old enogh, could be lead. Don't eat the chips

Seriously, I've had good success by scraping the crazed areas real well, putting a light skim coat of drywall mud over the low spots, sanding it off and then hitting the wall with a coat or two of "Kilz" primer.

There is a paste type paint stripper I've heard good things about, but never used.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Someone put latex over old oil paint without proper surface prep.

Sand and prime.

 

[JOhnH]

As others have said, lead is a strong probability. You can get it tested but I would just assume it is lead and cease scraping and sanding. I would wash it thoroughly and prime it with Kilz, and paint over it with a heavy quality paint. Or have a professional remove the lead based paint.

 

[Tom-D]

Wet sand, pick up the contaminates with a wet vac. no dust.