Without dust, noise and nerves, or how to remove paint from the ceiling yourself

The quality of the decorative finishing of the ceiling directly depends on how carefully the rough surface was prepared.

However, during the preparation process the question often arises: how to quickly remove paint from the ceiling with your own hands?

Having studied in detail the information about what methods of removing paint exist, preparation for subsequent decorative finishing will go faster, and the result will please you with quality.

What do you need to know before you start cleaning?

The process of cleaning the ceiling surface will go quickly and efficiently if you familiarize yourself with the basic rules of preparation in advance:

1. The room in which the renovation will be carried out must be cleared of all things and furniture. If for some reason the interior items cannot be taken to another room, they must be carefully covered with polyethylene.
2. If the repair work does not involve replacing the floor, it must be carefully covered with polyethylene, cardboard or old newspapers.
3. The paint removal process is very messy. A respirator (or gauze bandage), construction glasses, gloves, a robe and a scarf will help protect yourself from dust and fumes.

Using an apron with pockets will help keep the tools you need at hand.

How to quickly clean old paint with your own hands?

Depending on the tools used, there are several methods for removing old paint.

Chemical method

Construction stores offer a wide range of chemical solutions (washes), destroying the structure of the paint. Solvents are of a universal type and separately for each type of paint.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Using a brush or roller, apply a solvent remover to the ceiling.
2. After a certain time (indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging), the softened layers are removed with a spatula.

If there are several layers of paint, the cleaning procedure is repeated several times. Work with toxic chemicals is carried out only in a respirator and gloves, in a well-ventilated area.

Thermal method

Using a hair dryer will help you quickly remove paint from the ceiling.

Algorithm of actions:

• a jet of hot air heats a small area of ​​the painted surface;
• Using a spatula, remove layers of paint softened by high temperature.

It is not recommended to use a thermal method of cleaning surfaces under which wiring is laid (heating melts the wire winding).

It is also necessary to remember that during the heating process the paint emits a very pungent, chemical odor. Work on cleaning the ceiling using a thermal method is carried out only in a well-ventilated area using a respirator.

Mechanical option

Quickly, using the simplest tools, you can clear the paint from the ceiling.

Several options for mechanical cleaning are being considered:

1. An axe, spatula or wire brush can help quickly remove paint from a small area of ​​the ceiling.

   On the painted surface, at a slight angle, shallow notches are made with an ax.

   Next, using a spatula or a rough metal brush, the paint is removed from the ceiling.

2. A power tool will help you quickly clean a large ceiling surface: a drill or grinder with a sanding attachment.

   Implementing the electromechanical cleaning method in practice is simple: just firmly secure yourself on a stepladder and sand the ceiling surface with a sanding attachment, quickly removing the old paint.

It is necessary to work with power tools only in protective gloves, goggles and a respirator.

Oil coating removal steps

The process of removing oil paint is quite labor-intensive (often using caustic chemicals).

Then, depending on the strength and how long ago the oil paint layer was applied, a method of cleaning the ceiling is selected.

A solvent remover will be needed when it is necessary to clean off a fresh layer. oil paint:

1. The chemical composition is applied to the surface using a roller or brush.
2. After some time (indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging), the swollen layers of paint are cleaned off with a spatula.
3. If necessary, the process is repeated until the old decorative layer is completely removed.

To wash off the old layer, you can use a special paste from:

• chalk,
• slaked lime,
• caustic soda.

The ingredients are mixed in equal proportions. The homemade paste is applied to the ceiling. After two hours, peeling layers of paint can be easily removed with a spatula.

Those who do not want to use chemicals in their work can use a thermal cleaning method. To do this, individual sections of the ceiling are heated with hot air from a hair dryer. Heated oil paint can be easily removed with a spatula.

Using a hair dryer is very difficult to quickly clean large areas of the ceiling.

Features of getting rid of whitewash

Having prepared the necessary equipment (stepladder, sponges, rags, bucket), covering the floor and pieces of furniture (if they could not be removed from the room), not forgetting to use personal protective equipment (robe, protective glasses, respirator), you can begin the process of cleaning the ceiling. There are several ways to quickly remove old whitewash.

We use water

To work, you need to prepare a spatula, a spray bottle of water and a rag.. Using a sprayer, the ceiling surface is moistened.

With a break of ten minutes, the ceiling is moistened twice. After the whitewash layer has softened, it can be easily removed with a spatula. The clean surface is wiped again with a damp, clean cloth.

Do not wet the ceiling too much. Otherwise, during the removal process, the whitewash will flow down your hands and not come off in layers.

Newspapers with paste

To implement this cleaning method, you need to prepare a paste. To do this, dilute flour in a small amount of water (you should get a white liquid). Then pour the flour liquid into a separate pan of boiling water in a thin stream until a solution with a consistency resembling batter is formed.

Along with the newspaper, the old whitewash will also be removed from the ceiling. Residues can be easily removed with a damp cloth.

Applying wash

In construction supermarkets you can purchase a special remover for removing whitewash.

It must be used strictly following the manufacturer's instructions:

• spray the product on the ceiling;
• wait until a crust forms on the surface;
• scrape off the crust along with the whitewash with a spatula.

A vinegar-soap solution can replace store-bought detergent (dissolve a spoonful of vinegar and two tablespoons of liquid detergent in 5 liters of water).

What not to do and why?

There are some rules, ignoring which can ruin the result. process of removing paint from the ceiling:

1. Do not use a torch with an open flame to remove oil-based paint from the ceiling (there is a high risk of igniting the painted surface).
2. It is not recommended to remove a layer of water-based paint using the brute mechanical force of a drill or grinder with a sanding attachment. The result of such actions will be a damaged ceiling surface, which can only be corrected by puttying.
3. Do not pick at the painted surface with a knife. Along with the paint, a sharp blade will remove the layer of plaster.
4. You cannot work with chemicals without a respirator, in a room with closed windows and doors. Ignoring this rule can lead to severe poisoning.
5. The ceiling must be completely cleared of paint.Even small areas of old decorative coating can cause cracks, bubbles, and stains to appear on a new clean surface.

Secrets of the professionals

1. The first thing you need to do before cleaning is to determine the type of whitewash. To do this, spray clean water on the ceiling.

   If the drops are quickly absorbed, the surface is whitewashed with chalk; if the water only wets the surface of the ceiling without penetrating inside, it is whitewashed with lime.

   Whitewash from chalk can be easily removed with clean water. For moisture-resistant surfaces, it is necessary to select a cleaning method.

2. It is necessary to wet the surface with water in a zoned manner. This will help avoid a situation where, after removing paint in one corner, the ceiling in another is already dry, and the wetting process has to be repeated.
3. Regardless of which method was used to clean the paint from the ceiling, at the end of the process you need to take sandpaper and thoroughly go over the entire surface, removing even minor elements of paint.

Video on the topic

How to remove paint from a ceiling using the soaking method, video instructions:

Conclusion

By strictly following the recommendations of professionals on how to remove paint from the ceiling, you can quickly achieve the ideal result of a clean surface.