new house covered in chalky paint...how to remove?

kai666

Hi

Just bought a house, but the paint on the exterior walls is very chalky,so you run you finger over the wall, and have a layer of red chalk like substance all over it. This is result in lots of ruined clothes, and the chalky red colour ending up on walls and things inside the house

Has anyone had experience of this, and how did you sort out the problem? We can't just paint over it, the the chalk would create a whole new colour as it mixed together

thanks for any help

MDE

Possibly a silly suggestion but try washing it down first. Hosepipe and a softish long reach brush would probably be useful. This could just be a build up of atmospheric dirt due to the hot weather?

kai666

had thought of that, but slightly concerned about the 2 white houses either side, and our chalky red spreading over onto their lovely white walls in the process of washing

It's definitely not atmospheric dust, as loads and i mean loads of red chalk comes away

macman

Is the 'red chalk' brick dust, or are the walls rendered and then painted? If painted, is the paint itself red?
I can't quite envisage what the construction is.

nickj_2

how old is your house
if it is olsd it may be that the paint is limewash - which is chalky it also allows your walls to breathe
if it isn't then i would give your walls a wash if it's really bad and then treat with a stabilizing solution to seal it - (do not use pva )
if you could take a couple of close pics would help

emmell

Don't know the solution but my cousin has the same problem, it's something my uncle painted on the bricks years ago to supposedly protect them. He's had a white PVC porch fitted over his front door and it is now pink!!
I remember my uncle raving about this new brick protector that would keep the weather out and protect his house for years (it must have been about 20yrs ago) well it certainly protects the bricks because no one will touch them, and the rain hasn't shifted it so I doubt water will.
Sorry I haven't been much help, but at least you know you're not alone with this problem.
ML.

kai666

the house dates back to around 1900, apparently someone lived there for 50 years, then it was bought it last year with the aim of making a quick buck. Obviously that never happened, and they sold it to cut their loses.

I will post some pictures later If I have some, as I am not at the property at the moment

kai666

nickj wrote: »

if you could take a couple of close pics would help

how do i upload pictures? says i can't post attachments at the bottom of my page

[Deleted User]

Hi,

if you upload to photobucket, or the likes, first, then add a link.

knowloads

messy but a rag full of brick acid may work, or try a garden sprayer on jet, Red pigment has a habit of leaching from many coatings and surface preps (look at any old vauxhall car), Then paint over it 'spose.

kai666

hopefully the links will work. One photo shows the wall, the other photo shows the amount of red that came away after a small section was washed with a damp