painting over old kitchen paint

Discussion in 'Painters' Talk' started by Robert Fall, Jul 15, 2010.

  1. Robert Fall

    Robert Fall Member

    Hello all,

    I'd be very grateful for some advice.

    Short version:

    I'm currently painting my kitchen. Two walls are dark blue, but I want to paint them cream. It's been previously painted with that slightly glossy stye kitchen paint. What's the best way to paint over it? I've just tried one wall with some matt emulsion as I thought that might make a good undercoat, but now I'm not so sure.

    Thanks in advance,
    Port

    Long version:

    I've recently stripped all the wallpaper off my kitchen walls. On two of the walls (plaster on plasterboard) the paper also pulled off most of the paint, so I just gently scraped all the paint off these two walls, sanded them, and gave them a 'mist coat' with some watered down matt emulsion, which seems to have worked well.

    On the other two walls (plaster on brick), the paper came off but left the paint behind. I couldn't get the paint off these walls (I considered paint stripper but thought this might damage the plaster underneath). I washed these walls with sugar soap and hot water and then gave them a light sanding down.

    I tried Ronseal basecoat, but it didn't seem to be going on very well, so I washed it off again. I've just tried some matt emusion mixed with water, but that doesn't seem to be going on very well either. So here are my questions;

    1. If I put kitchen paint over matt emulsion which has been painted over old kitchen paint, will the whole lot just peel off?

    2. Is there a type of undercoat I should be using?

    3. I seem to remember using plaster sealer in my old house as an undercoat before painting over bathroom paint in an similar state. I know this isn't it's intended use, but would plaster sealer make a better undercoat than matt emulsion?

    Thanks in advance!
     
  2. Robert Fall

    Robert Fall Member

    I've been advised to use a layer of thinned oil based undercoat, but have a few more questions.

    1. Can I paint over the matt emulsion with the thinned oil-based undercoat?

    2. I have a tin of undercoat which says it's for interior and exterior wood and metal - will that do the trick?

    3. What should I use to thin it and how much?

    4. Could I put the new kitchen paint on top of the layer of thinned undercoat, or should I put a layer of matt emulsion first? If so, the paint layers from bottom up would be - old kitchen paint, thinned gloss undercoat, matt emulsion, new kitchen paint.

    Thanks again!
     
  3. jcts

    jcts Active Member

    Ok here we go. The prep work you have done so far is good. Forget the undercoat, that is not what you want. Undercoat is for wood and metal that you intend to gloss. Now you have mist coated, filled, sanded and prepped you can start to paint. On the walls where you have the "shiny kitchen paint", rub all over with 80 grade sand paper to take the shine off. Now I know this wall doesn't need to be mist coated but give it one anyway as this will block out the shine. If you don't you could do 10 coats of matt emulsion and it would still shine through. Once that's done you can paint with you new cream
     
  4. Robert Fall

    Robert Fall Member

    Thanks, that's very helpful. Just put on the first coat of Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell (bloke in paint centre recommended it). Went on really well on the two walls where I'd managed to get all the paint off.

    On the walls with the old kitchen paint still on, it has gone a bit weird where I went over it twice. I'm leaving it to dry and hoping that a second coat will sort it out. I'm guessing that the problem was caused by a) not sanding enough, b) not getting all the wallpaper paste off properly, or c) the eggshell not liking the matt emulsion mist coat.

    Any thoughts gratefully received!
     
  5. jcts

    jcts Active Member

    Diamond Eggshell is perfect for what you want
     
  6. potty painter

    potty painter New Member

    Robert.

    Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell is indeed a good recomendation, but you have obviously encountered a problem here.

    Please here tell us what you mean by a bit weird, be patient here and wait for the replies. There are a number of reasons why your problem has occured yet you will have to be a little more descriptive.

    Potty.
     
  7. Robert Fall

    Robert Fall Member

    The paint was slipping and then there were little opaque clumps like something was congealing under the paint. My bet is it was wallpaper paste I didn't manage to get off. I let the first coat dry and went over it with a second coat and it looks ok.

    However now I have a new problem.

    It's a good job I don't do this for a living or I'd never make any money!

    There is a square yellowish patch on one wall where there was once a cupboard. I think I must have missed it when I was washing the walls, like an idiot. I'm not sure what it is, but something is clearly seeping through the (now two layers) of eggshell.

    I'm wondering what's the best way to deal with this? I'm tempted just to keep putting new coats on until it stops coming through, but I'm wondering if there's a better way. I don't really fancy stripping everything I've done and starting from scratch. I'm tempted to put some sort of plaster primer over it and then try another coat - anyone got any ideas?

    Thanks again!
     
  8. jcts

    jcts Active Member

    Give it a coat of oil-based undercoat
     
  9. Robert Fall

    Robert Fall Member

    cheers, that's great.
     
  10. jcts

    jcts Active Member

    you're welcome
     

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