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Anna Kettle
 
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Default Removing paint from old plaster coving - how easy is it?

On 1 Aug 2003 08:51:58 -0700, (Tess) wrote:

I have a plaster coving and ceiling rose in my living room. The house
is about 100 years old (built 1890 or so).
I want to restore the decorative coving and ceiling rose.
Has anyone done this, do the commercially available paint peel
systems, ;like Peel away work? They say they take off 20 odd layers of
paint, is this so? OR will I rue the day I started and never get all
the paint off and get a bad back to boot?
If I pay someone it would be way too expensive I have been quoted
about 2000 pounds.
Thanks


Most of that cost is in labour because it is a tedious and longwinded
job.

Collect together useful tools like an old toothbrush, a scalpel and
some clean rags. Do an inconspicuous test area first and try several
things till you find one which works for your paint.

If underneath the layers of plastic emulsion you find an interesting
old paint finish, then stop and speak to a professional paint
conservator before you damage it.

First try warm water, which will remove distemper. With any luck the
deepest layers of paint are this.

Nitromors type paint stripper often works well, so long as when the
paint has been removed, you rinse the plaster with a fine spray to
remove the residue and then use a sponge or cloth to dry the surface
before the water spoaks into the plaster.

Peelaway works well if you get the right one for your paint and which
won't destroy a plaster substrate (important).

Sods law says that you will then be left with the remains of a lovely
cornice with several broken bits which will have to be fixed. But
thats the next job.

Anna



--
~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Pargeting, decorative and traditional
/ ^^ \// lime plasterwork
|______|
www.kettlenet.co.uk 07976 649862