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How to remove flakey paint from wall?

Hello my helpful and awesome community ..need your help yet again …so looking to paint a wall in the living area but the the way the previous owners did the painting ,the paint flakes every time we stick something to the wall and remove it (I mostly use 3m products and the one in the picture happened using 3m masking tape)

I don’t think it’s right to paint the wall with the previous coat of paint being in this condition ..how can I resolve this ?

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JacobZ

Hi @Mark270481,

Thank you for your question regarding flaky paint.

I would suggest the reason for the flaking is that the wall wasn't adequately primed before application of the paint.

The only way to truly fix the issue as a whole, is to take the wall back to a bare surface. This could be achieved by using a suitable paint scraper and scraping it back to a bare plasterboard surface, or by cutting out and replacing the plasterboard.

Once back to a bare surface, you would need to apply an undercoat before applying your chosen paint.

You might like to check out How to paint like a professional for some guidance on how to get the best result possible.

I understand that this is a lot of effort to fix the issue, but it is the only real way to completely fix the problem. If you didn't want to go to this effort, you might want to use non adhesive fixings for anything you'd like to hang from the wall in future.

Let me know if you have further questions.

Jacob

Mark270481

Thanks Jacob,yes alot of effort ..cutting out the plasterboard if out of the question ..I’ll have to scrape it back ,my only worry is the dust flying around as I have kids at home so will have to see how to get this done

MitchellMc

Hi @Mark270481,

I just wanted to pop in a general safety warning about the presence of asbestos in older homes. There's a risk of asbestos exposure from homes built or renovated before 1990. Before starting any work, determine if asbestos is present by having your home assessed and taking necessary precautions to protect yourself and others. Access resources from the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency for guidance on safe practices. Prioritise safety by educating yourself and seeking professional assistance when needed.

Provided your home was not built or renovated before 1990, the presence of asbestos is unlikely. Regarding the dust from your project, I recommend you isolate the room by taping plastic drop sheets to entry points to contain the dust. Scraping the paint off won't cause much airborne dust, but when you get to the sanding stage, using a sander with an extraction port that suits a wet and dry vacuum would keep dust levels to a minimum.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Mark270481

Thanks @MitchellMc for the advice …this house was built in 1994 so should be good ..would you happen to know if the Ryobi 180w multiple sander is compatible with a wet and dry vac ?

MitchellMc

Hi @Mark270481,

The Ryobi 180W Multipad Sander has a dust-collecting container, which is quite effective. However, plaster and paint create quite a bit of dust, and this unit does not have a port for vacuum connection. The Ryobi 18V ONE+ Random Orbital Sander does have this port, which would allow it to contain the dust much more effectively. It's also much more proficient at sanding larger areas.

Mitchell

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