Messages and Online Forum Q&A

Re: Removing peeling paint from stippled ceiling

From: info@builderswebsource.com
Category: Painting and Wallcoverings
Remote Name: 63.198.181.43
Date: 14 Jun 2001
Time: 10:10 PM

Comments

When you say you have a stippled ceiling, is it a "spray on" type of acoustical ceiling, sometimes called "cottage cheese" ceiling? Or is it textured drywall?

Depending on the extent of the peeling problem, the remedy may range in complexity. Depending on the age of the home, it's possible that the peeling paint contains lead and/or the ceiling contains asbestos. Only lab testing could confirm this. Should it be the case, I would not attempt to clean the surface yourself, since you could spread lead dust and/or asbestos fibers into the atmosphere. This is the job for a specialist company.

On the other hand, if the home is newer...and you have a small, localized peeling problem, the best you can do is try to remove the affected area by hand, carefully scraping or pulling up any loose areas.

Applying a good primer, like Zinsser, will help to cover up the effected area.

The key, however, is to determine why the paint is peeling inside the house in the first place. Is there a moisture problem? Was there a leak? Is it just very old paint (maybe oil based) that's now cracking and peeling? Or are there multiple layers of paint on the ceiling, perhaps with some incompatible results (such as latex over oil, etc.).

If it turns out that the entire ceiling is impacted, you may have little choice but to scrape the entire ceiling clean, re-mud, and re-paint. Again, if you suspect that your home contains lead or asbestos, don't even risk doing this yourself. It's a messy job that requires specialized procedures to minimize health risks.

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