Seeking advice on re-decorating a damaged wall


  #1  
Old 09-20-12, 08:20 AM
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Seeking advice on re-decorating a damaged wall

Hi all,

I'm looking for suggestions to decorate a damaged concrete wall with latex peelings. The wall is about 12'(width) x 8'6"(height).

There is a mirror wall, floor to ceiling, on another side of the room. On other two sides are fixture and windows. Only this damaged wall is exposed to sight.

In my first thought I consider to hang wallpaper on the wall after its preparation. But it is quite time consuming and labour intensive.

Another thought is building a mirror wall to cover it. It'll save lot of work in applying sealant, sanding and hanging wallpaper. Just order the mirror plates acccording to calculated size with four holes at each corner for fixing. The work would be simple just drilling hole on the concrete wall, fixing the mirror, plate by plate, with screws and sealing the gaps with glass silicone.

After finish the room will look quite beautifully decorated. The glass wall can last a number of years. But it doesn't look good having too many mirorrs in the same room. Besides there is a shelf and decoration plates hanging on the wall. Please refer to following photos;

Photo-01_corner
http://ubuntuone.com/1NTPpfaSW1Y3bwIKtX9Z8I

Photo-02_shelf
http://ubuntuone.com/2CEZ1Cv5gyMafgnwrs3ov7

Photo-03_plates
http://ubuntuone.com/01OxFIeCfDkFPA6jm844N6

Although there will be no problem to fix them with holes pre-drilled on the mirror by the factory.


Also I have been considering using tempered semi-transparent glass instead of mirror. The glass plate will press on lining paper, colour/pattern/white. Cable connected the LED light will run under the glass plates or in the gap in between. Fixing glass plates would be easier than hanging wallpaper.

Any other suggestion? Advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

B.R.
satimis
 
  #2  
Old 09-20-12, 09:09 AM
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Welcome to the forums!

Any reason you're not considering scraping and repair the wall for repaint? IMO that would be the simplest way to go.
 
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Old 09-20-12, 10:51 AM
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Hi,

Thanks for your advice.

Yes, you are right. The peelings can be easily removed. Afterwards the old wall will come back, quite smooth and clean with only few scratching on it.

But I have no confidence on painting the wall after having learned a bitter lession. The latex paint crakes and peels after 14 months. I need the wall after redecoration can last for a number of years.

Besides when I painted the flat 14 months ago it was vacant. Now the flat is occupied. The smell of the paint will remain in the flat at least 2 weeks which is my most concern.
 
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Old 09-20-12, 02:57 PM
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What's on the other side of the wall? The most likely cause of the peeling is moisture under the paint/stucco. If you correct the issue that's causing the peeling the paint should last a long time. You can buy low or no VOC paints that won't have as strong an odor and with fresh air ventilation any odor should be gone with in a day or two.
 
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Old 09-20-12, 09:26 PM
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> What's on the other side of the wall?

The other side of the damaged wall is next flat, not open air. The wall is very dry without a trace of moisture. Most the time the room is air-conditioned.

My suspected cause is;
a) The wall was not well prepared.
Before painting, the wall was smooth and nicely plastered in white colour. I didn't sand it but painted latex on top.

OR
b) Quality of the latex paint used.
I also painted the kitchen and toilet in the same way and at the same time but using waterproof latex. Up to now there is no problem, neither cracking/flaking/peeling found. Unfortunately I already dumped the tub. Neither I have recollection of its brand and quality.

I'm prepared to make a test-painting to check the wall in a small area. Please advise;
a) What quality of Latex to be used?
b) In what way I have to prepare the wall?

I'll buy a small tin for this purpose. Thanks.

The other 3 sides of the room
1) Mirror wall, ceiling to floor, and door
2) Fixture. Peeling is also found on the exposed area of the wall
3) Window
 
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Old 09-21-12, 05:15 AM
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So we have ruled out moisture from the other side of the wall, what about above?

It's a little hard to tell from the pics, is the peeling paint only or did it take some of the plaster with it?
If it is paint only, then it's possible it was just a prep issue where dust or some other contaminate was paint over. To make the peeling areas disappear you'll need to either sand off the ridge around the peeled area or fill that area in with plaster or joint compound. Once those areas are fixed, prime the repairs and paint. Most any decent interior latex paint will be fine.
 
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Old 09-21-12, 07:18 AM
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> So we have ruled out moisture from the other side of the wall, what
> about above?
It is a multi-story building. There are 20 floors above.

> It's a little hard to tell from the pics, is the peeling paint
> only or did it take some of the plaster with it?

No, only paint carrying dust with it. The wall is quite dry.

I made following test on a small area of the wall :-
After removing the peelings I cleaned the old wall with a wet cloth. When the wall getting dry I touched it with finger. The finger was full of dust (white chalk)

But I can't resolve why there is no problem on kitchen and toilet walls?

I'm prepared making following test-painting:
1) sand the wall with fine grit sand paper.
2) paint the wall with viny matt-emulsion paint
3) after dried paint latex on top

There are light scratches on the wall. How to treat them? OR just leave them there? Let the latex to cover them?

Thanks
 
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Old 09-21-12, 12:25 PM
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Ok, it sounds like dust on the surface was the reason for the paint failure. If at all possible the dust should be removed, if that isn't feasible use an oil primer for those areas. There is rarely ever a need for sandpaper finer than 120 or 150 grit on interior walls.

How light are the scratches on the wall? Paint might cover it, if not they'd need to either be filled or sanded out.
 
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Old 09-21-12, 07:53 PM
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> Ok, it sounds like dust on the surface was the reason for the paint
> failure.
I share your view. Dust is the cause of paint failure making the paint unable sticking on the wall firmly.

> If at all possible the dust should be removed...
I suppose the dust coming from the plaster. I used a piece of cloth to rub the wall more dust coming out.

> if that isn't feasible use an oil primer for those areas.

Oil primer? Example: Kilz ?
Oil Based Primers | KILZ®
Can I add oil primer to Latex? I think it needs to paint the whole wall.


> How light are the scratches on the wall?
They are the marks of knife caused in cutting peelings. It may be covered with paint. If NOT which sealant shall I use?

Thanks


Edit:
A further thought.

Up to now there is no problem of peeling on the waterproof latex painted on kitchen and toilet walls. Whether oil primer is already added to the said latex? I suppose the plaster of the whole flat is of same quality.
 

Last edited by satimis; 09-21-12 at 08:15 PM.
  #10  
Old 09-22-12, 05:27 AM
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Ok, let me try again. My pc rebooted for some unknown reason as I was about to hit the reply button

Oil base and latex are 2 different types of paint/primer and can't be intermixed. The oil base Kilz would be a suitable oil base primer. It gets applied separately from the finish paint.

I'd oil prime the offending areas and when the primer dries, apply a thin coat of joint compound. When the j/c dries, sand it smooth, remove any dust and prime again. Once that is dry you are ready for paint.

It is hard to say why just those spots peeled but the mostly likely cause is that some/all of the wall was sanded and the dust wasn't removed from those areas. It's also possible that the plaster in those areas was soft/chalky for some reason. If the rest of the walls are fine it's likely that it is just an issue with this one wall.
 
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Old 09-22-12, 07:16 AM
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> My pc rebooted for some unknown reason as I was about to hit the
> reply button

Are you running MS Windows?

If YES, you can run utilities in Windows to scan Memory (RAM) and hard disk for errors. Faulty RAM can cause massive instability on your system.

1)
To scan RAM requires third-party software, such as MemTest.

Download it on;
MemTest for Windows Download Page

and follow;
How to use it
MemTest Manual

to check the RAM

Alternatviely you can download;
Memtest86
Memtest86 - Download Page

Burn the ISO image to a floppy or a CD and reboot to that drive to begin the scan.


2)
To check hard drive for error please follow;
Check your hard disk for errors
Check your hard disk for errors


If you're running Linux please let me know. The method and steps are completely different. I'm running Ubuntu 12.04 and Fedora 17 Linux, 64 bit, Linux here.


> It is hard to say why just those spots peeled but the mostly likely
> cause is that some/all of the wall was sanded and the dust wasn't
> removed from those areas. It's also possible that the plaster in those
> areas was soft/chalky for some reason. If the rest of the walls are
> fine it's likely that it is just an issue with this one wall.

Before proceeding further.

New discovery:
===========
Just removed a wall socket and found the outer surface of the wall seems to be a drywall fixed on the concrete wall. The latex paint used and painting steps would be different?

I think I have to remove all faulty latex paint completely. It is quite easy to remove the cracking/peeling just touching them with a putty knife. They fall down.

Other advice noted with thanks
 
  #12  
Old 09-22-12, 12:53 PM
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I'm running Windows 7 but don't have time right now to check the info you gave..... but hope to later.

The repairs to your wall should be the same with drywall. The main thing is to remove all the loose and fix/seal the wall as needed.
 
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Old 09-22-12, 11:10 PM
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> I'm running Windows 7 but don't have time right now to check the
> info you gave..... but hope to later.

My info works on Windows 7 as well. Should you need further info pls send me an email. I have been involved in IT for sometime.

> The repairs to your wall should be the same with drywall. The main
> thing is to remove all the loose and fix/seal the wall as needed.

Thanks

I'll shop for paint, sealant, primer etc. later. Those materials available on Internet may not be available here, Hong Kong. I'll come back afterwards.
 
  #14  
Old 09-23-12, 04:05 AM
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In your case the oil base primer would be the sealant. Pigmented shellac like Zinnser's BIN would also work but it's not as fun to work with - extra stinky

btw- my pc is working fine this morning although I do intend to run those tests later when I have more time.
 
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Old 09-23-12, 09:32 PM
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> In your case the oil base primer would be the sealant. Pigmented
> shellac like Zinnser's BIN would also work but it's not as fun to work
> with - extra stinky

The brands of paint available here are;
Dulux (formerly known ICI)
Nippon Paint
Kelly-Moore

After going through their cataloque and searching on Internet I'll post my selection here for opinion

How to cover the holes on the wall ?
There are several holes for plastic anchor (about 7) on the wall. The plastic anchors are still in the hole. There will be no sense to buy a litre of Ready Mixed Plaster working a few holes. Hairline scratches can be covered with paint.

> btw- my pc is working fine this morning although I do intend to run
> those tests later when I have more time.

I ceased running MS Windows more than 15 years. MS Windows is a resource hog. Windows 7 needs at least 1G RAM to run properly.

You can download Ubuntu 12.04 desktop ISO (it is the latest version)
Desktop | Ubuntu

and burn a CD testing it (Live CD). It is Open Source, free to use for unlimited time. UbuntuOne is running on it. It is private cloud. You can upload files on its server, also free, and retrieve them at anywhere and at any time. It becomes your own database anywhere, your own private cloud.

If you prefer the Linux desktop looking like Windows you can download
Linux Mint 13 ISO (it is also the latest version)
Download - Linux Mint

and burn a CD (Live CD) testing it. It is also Open Source, free to use for unlimited time.

After playing around with them you can install them on hard drive. Both of them are NOT resource hog able to run on 512M RAM or even less.
 
  #16  
Old 09-24-12, 05:14 AM
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I've used Dulux in the past and know the Kelly-Moore name but don't remember if I've ever used any of their coatings. Never heard of Nippon Paint.

The holes will need to be filled with joint compound or spackling. What I normally do with those anchors is push them into the wall slightly and then fill the hole and depression around it. That way the edges of the anchor don't show thru the paint. The edge where the peeling paint was cut needs to be filled. It's unlikely that paint/primer alone will make it disappear.


Ran all the tests and everything seems to be fine with my pc. My wife bought me this pc for Christmas last year and about once a month or so it will shut down for no apparent reason but other than that it works fine. I'll probably stick with windows just because I'm used to it and to old to learn new tricks
 
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Old 09-27-12, 04:23 AM
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> I've used Dulux in the past and know the Kelly-Moore name but don't remember
> if I've ever used any of their coatings. Never heard of Nippon Paint

I select following paint and premir seeking for your opinion.

Dulux
=====
Dulux Total Effect Odorless Primer (A931-65968)
Product Filtering | Products | Dulux Hong Kong
White Color

Dulux Plaster Sealer
Dulux Plaster Sealer - overview


Paint
Find right products
Find Right Products | Products | Dulux Hong Kong

Dulux Gold Emulsion Paint (A939 / A606)
Product Filtering | Products | Dulux Hong Kong


OR


Kelly-Moore (made in USA)
===========

Material Safety and Technical Data Sheets
Material Safety and Technical Data Sheets | Kelly-Moore Paints

1)
95-100 Pre-Cote Wallboard & Masonry Primer/Sealer
Kelly-Moore Paints

-> MSDS
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET
1. Product and Company Identification
Material name 95-100 PRE-COTE WALLBOARD & MASONRY PRIMER/SEALER
http://www.kellymoore.com/userfiles/...MER_SEALER.pdf

-> TDS
95-100 PRE-COTE
PVA Primer/Sealer
http://www.kellymoore.com/userfiles/.../95-100TDS.pdf


2)
Material Safety and Technical Data Sheets
Material Safety and Technical Data Sheets | Kelly-Moore Paints

1500-121 Enviro Coat Interior 100% Acrylic Zero-VOC Flat Paint Light Base
(1500-222 Medium Base 1500-333 Deep Base)

-> MSDS
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET
1. Product and Company Identification
Material name 1500 ENVIRO-COAT ZERO-VOC FLAT 121 LIGHT BASE
http://www.kellymoore.com/userfiles/...LIGHT-BASE.pdf

-> TDS
1500 ENVIRO-COAT Zero VOC 100% Acrylic
Interior Flat Wall Paint
http://www.kellymoore.com/userfiles/...DS-02-2012.pdf


About Recommended DFT (dry film thickness) - Film Build 1.4 mils
how to measure it ?


Kelly-Moore products are made in USA as printed on their catalogue. But no country of origin has been found on Dulux catalogue. I suppose they are made in China.


On their catalogue I haven't found Ready-mixed plaster. I have to do another shopping to find it.


> Ran all the tests and everything seems to be fine with my pc. My wife bought me
> this pc for Christmas last year and about once a month or so it will shut down for
> no apparent reason but other than that it works fine.

1)
If there is no problem on your Windows 7 keep on running it. However you have to update the OS periodically,

Install Windows updates in Windows 7
Install Windows updates in Windows 7

-> To check Windows updates

2)
Please find out the installed RAM
In Windows, how do I find out how much memory (RAM) I have?
In Windows, how do I find out how much memory (RAM) I have? - Knowledge Base

Windows 7 needs at least 1G RAM, the more the better.

3)
If you haven't installed antivirus software, AVG free will be your choice. It is free to download and free to use.

Free Antivirus | Download Free Virus Protection Software | AVG


There are other alternatives:-
10 free antivirus programs for Windows
10 free antivirus programs for Windows


Enjoy!
 
 

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