bubbly walls

[Sal]

our kitchen has really terrible walls - bubbles in the paint the size of the palm of your hand and in places a salty deposit seen easily on the revolting blanchmange pink walls.

so we set to scraping and found that it came off pretty easily - and was several layers of paint, under that gypsum skim, under that more paint, and under that what looks like lime plaster to me (white/grey with hair). We have only done a patch so far.
So I'm thinking now it needs to dry out a bit (feels and smells damp at the mo) Have we done right? is this the right thing to do? and the lime underneath - in places is very soft and crumbly - will this 'recover' or has it had it?

 

[NT]

Sounds pretty shot. I've not heard of anyone gluing such back together, or even trying. I'm no plasterer though.


NT

 

[Nemesis]

Actually yes - at times it can harden up once dry. But don't hold your breath.

But keep on scraping - get all the nasty stuff off and the building will sigh with relief.

 

[Sal]

Actually yes - at times it can harden up once dry. But don't hold your breath.

But keep on scraping - get all the nasty stuff off and the building will sigh with relief.

thats what I was hoping - fingers crossed then. we shall carry on scraping - give it some time to dry, then reassess. the crud has to come off anyway.

 

[NT]

I wonder if painting with well diluted putty might help firm it up some.


NT

 

[Gervase]

Using limewash as a shield coat works quite well, consolidating old plaster to the point where you can trust it to stay on the wall. You need to get the old stuff very wet before you start, and use two or three coats of 1:1 putty and water. And don't add any casein, linseed oil or tallow - put in a teaspoonful of household detergent for each 20 litre bucket instead. The idea is for the limewash to mix freely with the aggregate and sink in as far as possible, and the detergent acts as a wetting agent.