"pebe" wrote in message
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You say you removed the ceiling covering. If it was vynil then it would
have had a backing paper. Did you remove that as well?

It wasn't a vinyl covering. It was a textured paint covering, but it came
off very easily in large pieces. It left behind a mainly smooth off white
painted finish.When I applied paint it came off bringing withit a layer of
what is suggested to be distemper. This sounds about right, as it is powdery
but sludgy when wet. It is a green-grey colour. Where this comes off it
looks to leave a smooth (dirty) yellow surface below.

I'm thinking that I could go with the sealing option. Would Emulsa-Bond be
the correct thing to use (mixed with a normal emulsion)? And then, when dry,
paint over in the ceiling paint?