How to replace skirting board and peeling paint?

matticus

After decades of renting, 2 months into home ownership glory our kitchen flooded, and the skirting was removed…in some some of the paint was removed too (see pics)

I’m replacing the skirting board, would like to sanity check my plan/get any advice on best way to approach the wall paint:

1) sand peeling bits (have a multitool with a sanding pad)
2) Clean off any dust, let wall dry
3) Prime (thinking this? or any suggestions appreciated)
4) Give a few coats of new paint

Thanks from a DIY newbie.

JacobZ

Hi @matticus,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community and congratulations on the new home purchase. It's a bit of an unfortunate start to home ownership but repairing it will certainly teach you a few skills that are fantastic to have in the future.

Your approach is pretty close to perfect, but there are a couple additional steps I would add at the start. Instead of jumping straight into sanding, use a 100mm Sharp Edge Paint Scraper to scrape back the flaking paint till you get to well adhered paint. It will likely make the bare spot considerably larger, but it is a necessary step to ensure the new paint adheres to the surface well. Also, remember to grab a paint flake around the size of a 50c coin and take it in store so the team at the Paint Desk can colour match it for you.

Once you've scraped the paint back, sand the edge of the paint to soften the edge. Sharp edges will show through, so reducing them is an important step. Something around 180-240 grit is ideal. A sanding sponge is generally the best option on plaster walls, but your multitool could still work as long as you use the right grit.

The next thing to do is apply a thin skim coat of topping compound over the paint free area, with a slight overlap to the painted area. You can use the paint scraper above to apply and smooth the topping compound. This is to even out the very slight difference in height that is present between the painted section and the unpainted section. It will show through if you do not even out the surface before painting.

Once the topping compound has dried, give it a good sand with a sanding sponge to smooth it out, then brush away any of the plaster dust.

You can then use the British Paints 100ml White Water Based 4 In 1 Prep Primer Sealer Undercoat to prime the plaster, allow it to dry, then apply two coats of your colour matched interior paint using a paint roller. These UNi-PRO 11mm Nap Little Ripper Mini Rollers are my suggestion and personal preference for painting plaster.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob