Hi all.
I have just seen this thread and have an interest in it as I have a 300 year old house which has a once exterior but now interior interior cobbled alley about 5m long. Some time ago I got the energy to give its stone, plaster rendered walls a nice paint. I then moved on to other parts of my house and when I looked back a month or two later most of the lower parts of the walls were stained from a light green to a muddy brown colour. The house is very old and has needed so much work that when this happened I was completely flattened.
I am a big fan of white vinegar, so I experimented on another small patch of emulsioned wall and suddenly saw the stains begin to disappear. I then bought a couple of large white vinegar bottles from Macro at about £1-2 each and began spraying my alley wall using an old spray bottle. It works. My lovely light green walls have returned. It took a bit of spraying, leaving for a while and wiping off with a micro fibre cloth. I worked for an hour or two, revisited the next day and a further tickle up but wow. I have also used it in the past for mould prevention and elimination. Once the initial smell fades away, it just smells clean and fresh. My walls are back to looking freshly painted. it is remarkable how good they look. have tried all the blockers, Bedec etc etc and what ever but never liked to block the breathing of the walls. If I have to give it a spray once in a blue moon then so be it, but it means I get hope back for a bit of relief from the paint then stain cycle.
Maybe give it a go at your own risk? No liability accepted as it is an experiment that seems at this stage to be paying off. T's and C's apply. Ha ha. The industry may not appreciate such a cheap fix but it has worked for me.
I have just seen this thread and have an interest in it as I have a 300 year old house which has a once exterior but now interior interior cobbled alley about 5m long. Some time ago I got the energy to give its stone, plaster rendered walls a nice paint. I then moved on to other parts of my house and when I looked back a month or two later most of the lower parts of the walls were stained from a light green to a muddy brown colour. The house is very old and has needed so much work that when this happened I was completely flattened.
I am a big fan of white vinegar, so I experimented on another small patch of emulsioned wall and suddenly saw the stains begin to disappear. I then bought a couple of large white vinegar bottles from Macro at about £1-2 each and began spraying my alley wall using an old spray bottle. It works. My lovely light green walls have returned. It took a bit of spraying, leaving for a while and wiping off with a micro fibre cloth. I worked for an hour or two, revisited the next day and a further tickle up but wow. I have also used it in the past for mould prevention and elimination. Once the initial smell fades away, it just smells clean and fresh. My walls are back to looking freshly painted. it is remarkable how good they look. have tried all the blockers, Bedec etc etc and what ever but never liked to block the breathing of the walls. If I have to give it a spray once in a blue moon then so be it, but it means I get hope back for a bit of relief from the paint then stain cycle.
Maybe give it a go at your own risk? No liability accepted as it is an experiment that seems at this stage to be paying off. T's and C's apply. Ha ha. The industry may not appreciate such a cheap fix but it has worked for me.