Removing Layer upon layer of gloss paint?

FunkyCrunky

Thank you for your suggestions. There’s a LOT to strip! But I’m only going to tackle one room at a time. I think I’ll try out the heat gun route first. Just watched a video on YouTube and it looks simple and easy. Hope the expectations match up, lol.

Here’s some photos of the mess. Unfortunately, it’s only a small portion you’re seeing, the entire house is like this...

**I couldn’t link to the photos. So to see them, copy and paste the links and edit out the * in the link**

When you first walk in, you’re greeted to this lovely stair bannister:
http:*//i65.tinypic.com/2lifymf.jpg

Stalactites in their natural habitat:
http:*//i67.tinypic.com/8wy2wx.jpg

Thank god the coats cover these. I think it’s held onto the wall by gloss...
http:*//i68.tinypic.com/9qcu3b.jpg

The windowsill in my lounge. I had someone in to decorate this for me. He conveniently ‘forgot’ to remove these drips. Looks like he added to the mounds:
http:*//i63.tinypic.com/2z3t3lh.jpg

The borrowed lights above the WC room door. All the upstairs looks like this:
http:*//i63.tinypic.com/fbxm43.jpg

More photos below. I think I’ve got a lot of work to do, eh?

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

I had some gloss like this at my house when I bought it from an elderly couple.

Yup, you’re right. My previous occupiers were an elderly couple too. It was the elderly lady that was the one repainting over everything. When I moved in, the paint was white and now it’s an awful nasty colour. I don’t think they were smokers (and we’re not), but it’s an awful nasty yellow colour now. I’m guessing this is because of all the layers?

Here’s how yellow it has gotten. For reference, the gross wall artex is white.

http:*//i64.tinypic.com/2reikwx.jpg

PhilE wrote: »

Before you go stripping loads of paint, if your in an older property you need to test all the paint layers for lead.

You can get a 3M test kit on amazon.

Thanks for that. I didn’t know this. If there’s lead, I guess I’ll have to call the professionals in.

-taff wrote: »

What do you mean by council doors? Do you mean hardboard doors, solid pine doors with sheets of ply, what exactly?

Sorry. By council doors, I mean the old type made of cheap materials. I don’t know what they’re made of but since you mentioned ply, I’d say it’s probably 2 sheets of plywood sandwiched between cardboard type filling. Not solid doors, if that makes sense?

http:*//i63.tinypic.com/2wmpan9.jpg

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I am inspired to have a go at my staircase now. I can see that it could be quite addictive!

No, no, no. Don’t do the staircase... come help me instead! :rotfl:

PhilE

Did you say artex? That may contain asbestos, so don't sand it. You can however, lightly paint over it. Don't wash with sugar soap or any liquid though.

With lead paint, it's usually the layers underneath that contain the lead.

If as you say it's gone yellow, that may be to age and then maybe the top surface is lead paint.

Potentially, that's more complicated and you have to be extra careful not to create dust. A very light key with wet sand paper would most probably do it, bit if you're unsure then yes, speak to a pro.

FunkyCrunky

Thanks Phil. Yep, we have artex too. �� Not planning on tackling this yet. I’ll eventually get a plasterer to skim over it when I can afford to.

I found out the house was built in 1966. So, I’m guessing it’s likely to have the lead paint in it due to age? Pfffft!

PDC

Gosh!... If it helps here are the OPs photos embeded...

**I couldn’t link to the photos. So to see them, copy and paste the links and edit out the * in the link**

FunkyCrunky

PDC wrote: »

Gosh!... If it helps here are the OPs photos embeded...

Thank you so much.

Yup, it’s bad. *Sigh*

Slinky

Good god, you weren't kidding were you. I've no suggestions but wish you all the best with sorting that lot. You'll probably find your rooms are several inches larger when that lot's gone!

Grenage

Unless the woodwork is antique or particularly attractice (none of that is), I would rip it out and put in fresh wood. Architrace, skirting, stair rails... everything.


As someone who once went down the road of doing as you propose - it's just not worth the effort.

FunkyCrunky

Slinky wrote: »

Good god, you weren't kidding were you. I've no suggestions but wish you all the best with sorting that lot. You'll probably find your rooms are several inches larger when that lot's gone!

LOL. No, definitely wasn’t joking. It’s so bad. I just want it to look nice, but I don’t think it ever will since I don’t have the money to get the professionals in.

It’s the whole house too. Every single room has this issue. God only knows what the quote would be to fix this ugly house. Feeling rather defeated now.

Grenage wrote: »

Unless the woodwork is antique or particularly attractice (none of that is), I would rip it out and put in fresh wood. Architrace, skirting, stair rails... everything.


As someone who once went down the road of doing as you propose - it's just not worth the effort.

I don’t have the budget to do that. I wish I did. I have a few health conditions so live on the breadline.

Council won’t help as its “cosmetic”. Not sure what else to do. Tried the heat gun approach and whilst it does work, it’s slow going and too hard on my arthritic joints. So back to square one. I’ll have to try paint stripper next.

-taff

have you tried different heat settings? On one lot of paint I found the lower setting worked better, with no attachment on the end and I only had to run the scraper up underneath it to peel all the layers off. Some of the attchements aren't great, but the hand held scraper has been good.

suki1964

FunkyCrunky wrote: »

LOL. No, definitely wasn’t joking. It’s so bad. I just want it to look nice, but I don’t think it ever will since I don’t have the money to get the professionals in.

It’s the whole house too. Every single room has this issue. God only knows what the quote would be to fix this ugly house. Feeling rather defeated now.

I don’t have the budget to do that. I wish I did. I have a few health conditions so live on the breadline.

Council won’t help as its “cosmetic”. Not sure what else to do. Tried the heat gun approach and whilst it does work, it’s slow going and too hard on my arthritic joints. So back to square one. I’ll have to try paint stripper next.

Seriously I would go for the above and do one room at a time. There is no way with your health conditions you are going to get through that , alone , with health issues

We had a doer upper like that and we done just one room at a time over two years ( our doors were dipped as they were beautiful under the gloss, pink and white in our case)

Remember B&Q isn't the cheapest - convenient perhaps, but not cheap