Getting ready for a major overhaul - how to remove paint from a wall

Advise how to remove paint from walls that have been painted more than once? I inherited an apartment from my grandmother, repairs there, you know, since Soviet times. The bathroom and hallway were painted up to the ceiling, good, even though the rooms were plain whitewashed. We want to put tiles in the bathroom, and wallpaper the corridor. How to get rid of paint on walls?

Redecoration only allows you to refresh the look of your home, but the time comes when you need to thoroughly do this business. And the most common problem that every second owner has is how to remove paint from the walls. It is good if the previous painting still retains its appearance and adheres firmly to the walls. Then it is enough just to apply a fresh coat of paint without removing the old one. But if you decide to completely change the design and paste over the painted walls with wallpaper or tiles, you cannot leave the painting. It will prevent deep penetration of the bonding solution. In addition, new wallpaper or tiles, which, by the way, cost a lot of money, may simply fall off - under their weight, the paint will move away from the walls by itself. So it is better to prevent a disaster and thoroughly clean the walls in advance. However, in some cases paint is not a hindrance for new repairs. It all depends on the specific work that you plan to do. Let's figure it out.

When can paint be left on the walls

It is not only about the condition of the old paint, but also about the type of new finish. You can cover an even layer of old paint that has lost its brightness and shine with a new layer of the same material and return its previous saturation and freshness. However, only if a similar composition is applied, for example, enamel on enamel. If you decide to paint the oil wall with acrylic, you will first have to remove the old layer.

There is no need to overload yourself with unnecessary work in case you need to align curved walls. Often this is done by mounting drywall sheets, which are fixed to profiles. Old paint is not a hindrance to this type of alignment; it will be enough only to clean up the problem areas where it has lagged behind.

When lining the room with clapboard or plastic panels, the paint from the walls can also not be removed.

How to remove paint from walls - choose a method depending on the type of paint

If you want to repaint the room with a different composition of paint, paste over with wallpaper or put tiles, be sure to remove the old coating. How to remove it depends on the type of paint on the walls:

• oil;
• water emulsion;
• acrylic.

How to remove oil paint

This is one of the most "eternal" paints, the strength of which, on the one hand, is a plus, but in the sense of removing it, it can cause difficulties. The maximum effect in terms of speed and quality can be achieved in this way:

• mechanically process the walls with a spatula, chisel, ax, paint remover or special nozzles;
• heat the old paint with a building hair dryer and immediately remove it with a spatula, and so on layer by layer;
• treat the coating with a special remover for oil and varnish paints.

Water based and acrylic paint

It is much easier to remove it than oil. Just moisten the wall and scrape with a spatula. You can first treat the surface with soapy water to help the paint come off more easily.If there are many old layers of water-based emulsion on the walls, a special formic acid-based wash will help you. The same methods work against acrylic coating as well. Only for mechanical removal, instead of a spatula, it is enough to rub it with a metal brush or even sandpaper.

Three ways to remove oil paint