This article is from the series “How to prepare and paint a ceiling with your own hands,” a description of one of the stages of work. Whitewash made from chalk or lime coating was widely used in the USSR for finishing ceilings and walls. When carrying out major renovations, lime must be removed from all surfaces, as it reduces the adhesion of painting or finishing solutions. There are several ways how to remove whitewash from the ceiling without dirt and dust in a short time.
Preparation stage
Content
Before you start removing the old coating, you need to take care of your own safety. The set of protective equipment depends on the chosen method of whitewash removal. If using the dry method, you should wear protective plastic gloves and a respirator. Thick rubber or fabric gloves are advisable. If lime is removed using warm water, a plastic cap or hood, a hydrophobic suit that covers all skin, is required. When combined with moisture, lime forms an alkaline solution that causes skin irritation.
In order not to spoil furniture and equipment, from which it will be very difficult to remove chalk stains, you need to:
- If possible, remove all furniture from the room.
- cover anything that cannot be moved with plastic wrap, pressing it tightly with tape.
- dismantle any lamps.
- cover window openings, door panels and floors with film.
To prevent craftsmen from spreading lime around the house, a wet rag is placed at the threshold. It is important to turn off the power to the apartment to prevent electric shocks when treating the ceiling around the lighting fixtures. Since this will result in complete darkness in the evening, the process should be started in the morning or afternoon.
Dry method
Empty the room: take out the furniture, remove paintings, clocks, turn off the power to the room, disconnect the contacts of the lighting sources and put them away for the duration of the repair. Cover everything that cannot be removed, for example, a built-in wardrobe, with thick fabric and secure its ends with tape. Protect your flooring by laying down plastic sheeting. Put on your protective gear and get to work:
- Place coarse-grit sandpaper on the grinding machine wheel;
- Using slow rotational movements, starting from any place, process the ceiling, pressing the tool tightly against it;
- Before applying a new coating, moisten the surface with a deep penetration primer using a roller, wide brush or spray bottle.
- If pieces of whitewash come off easily, use a spatula and a hammer, lightly tapping them on the ceiling in places where the coating is more difficult to peel off. Remove any remaining material with sandpaper.
Please note: the use of a machine method is advisable for removing lime whitewash. Chalk can be easily removed with a sponge and water. To determine the type of coating, run your finger across the ceiling. The chalk will remain on it, but the lime will not, or in a minimal amount.
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The simplest ways to remove whitewash
Even a non-professional can remove lime with the help of improvised means and simple tools. The most popular cleaning methods are mechanical removal or the use of homemade solutions.
Dry
The mechanical cleaning method is associated with high dust formation, but is accessible to beginners. You can resort to it if you need to treat a small surface. What you need to prepare: a wide and hard metal spatula, sandpaper, a small hammer. If you have the appropriate tool at home, all of the above can be replaced with a grinding machine.
Tap the ceiling with a hammer so that poorly adherent pieces of mortar fall off on their own. Then begin removal using a scraper. It is easy for them to separate large layers and pieces, and small irregularities can be eliminated with sandpaper. Instead, you can simply go over the entire surface with a power sanding tool.
With added liquid
Craftsmen recommend using the wet method of removing whitewash if the area of the rooms exceeds 10 square meters. This will significantly save the technician’s time. Since the lime will separate along with the liquid, you don’t have to worry about dust, but instead there will be stains on the floor and clothes. How to remove whitewash from the ceiling without creating dirt: put a wide lid on the roller, which will protect against liquid flowing into the sleeves, or use a small tray so that all the soaked whitewash flows into it.
For the wet cleaning method you will need:
- roller or large brush or spray bottle (it is recommended to screw the spray bottle to a 2 liter bottle);
- bucket (if a brush is used instead of a spray gun);
- metal spatula;
- ladder.
We must not forget about protection. The treatment algorithm is simple: using a sprayer or a wet roller, the ceiling covering is wetted (an area with a radius of 2 m). Then water is applied to a second, similar-sized area. During this period, the lime in the previous area softens and swells. It is easy to remove with a spatula. Then the steps are repeated.
It is recommended to first practice on a small area to understand how to properly remove whitewash from the ceiling.
Using homemade solutions
Using solutions, you can remove whitewash much faster and with virtually no dirt. For a chalk coating you need to prepare a soapy liquid, for a lime coating you need to prepare an acid.
Recipes for different solvents:
- A teaspoon of vinegar and shower gel (pick up in two palms). Add to 5 liters of heated water and mix thoroughly.
- 3% solution of any acid sold in a pharmacy plus 10 liters of water (in any proportion). The whitewash removal process is standard.
- Cut off a fifth of the laundry soap (50 g) and rub. Dissolve in water along with 30 g of soda.
It is recommended to first test the effectiveness of the product by applying it to a small area of the ceiling.
Removal using homemade paste
The paste can be prepared at home. To create you will need:
- iron containers with a capacity of 15 liters or more;
- 600 grams of starch (40 g per 1 liter of water);
- instead of starch, you can use premium wheat flour;
- flour consumption - 73 g per 1 liter of water (1100 g per 15 liters).
The container is placed on the fire along with water. After it boils, starch or flour is poured into the liquid. You need to pour the substance gradually, constantly stirring the resulting mixture (a large silicone spatula is ideal for this). Leave the mixture on the stove until thickened, periodically removing lumps. Let cool completely.
When the paste is ready, you need to apply it to the ceiling or walls using a large soft-bristled brush or roller. The mixture should harden and form a light crust. It is removed using a metal spatula, leaving virtually no traces or dust. Paste removal of whitewash is considered one of the most convenient methods.
If you don’t have time to prepare the substance, you can purchase it at a hardware store. The disadvantage of this method is the large packaging of the material. It is usually sold in 25 kg containers. The remaining part can be used to remove old wallpaper from walls, ceilings or window slopes.
PVC glue, paper or newspapers
An elementary way to remove whitewash from the ceiling, which will appeal to those who have a lot of newspapers accumulated in the house. They must be attached to the entire ceiling area using PVC glue, wait until completely dry, and then remove. In order for the newspaper to be easily separated, it is better not to glue one side completely. You can speed up the process with a hairdryer.
This method allows you to remove finishing material without dirt and dust. The only drawback is that small areas of whitewash may remain on the ceiling. They are removed with a damp cloth or coarse sandpaper.
Industrial products
Professionals know how to remove whitewash from the ceiling quickly and without dirt. There are mortars for removing traces of lime or chalk, about which many articles have been written. The first type of solvent includes the product ALFA-20, the second - PROBEL. You need to select a product according to the type of coating.
The uniqueness of such solutions is that they are specially designed for cleaning after renovation and easily remove whitewash. The algorithm for performing the work is the same as with the wet method of removing the coating, but in this case the lime is completely removed. If it is applied in a thin layer, it is enough to use a wet rag, but for multi-layer materials you will need a hard spatula or sanding machine.
The cost of one canister of a special substance is about 500 rubles. (volume 5 l). It is consumed in a ratio of 1:10. For one room of 10-15 square meters, 1 liter of solvent is enough. For convenience, you can also purchase detergent in a 0.25 liter package, which will be cheaper.
Tools
Before removing whitewash, you need to prepare:
- plastic film to protect the floor and furniture;
- personal protective equipment: respirator, gloves, headgear, etc.;
- sprayer for moistening a whitewashed ceiling;
- metal spatula;
- sponge, rags or washcloth;
- stepladder, since work is carried out at height.
Necessary tools and materials for whitewash removal
Additional Tips
Before removing whitewash from the ceiling, it is recommended to check the type of composition. This can be done with plain water: spray the liquid from a spray bottle and check whether it is absorbed or not. If yes, a chalk composition was used; if not, you will have to select a composition for removing lime.
It is most convenient to use a small spray bottle with a volume of 0.5 to 1 liter to soften whitewash, because almost all of the above methods involve the use of water or solvents. Larger spray nozzles will not fit well in your hand. You can solve the problem of rapid water consumption by preparing and leaving several additional 0.5 liter bottles next to the stepladder.
If the renovation does not involve wallpapering or applying water-based paint or tiles, then it is not necessary to wash off the coating. Better to update it and clean it. If there is mold on the ceiling, it needs to be treated with homemade fungicides. In places of contamination, it is recommended to wipe off the chalk along with the dirt. Before installing new tension-type structures, there should be no grease left on the whitewash, otherwise the repair will be ruined.
Video on how to remove whitewash from the ceiling without mechanically washing it off:
Cleaning with paste
The use of paste or cheap wallpaper glue helps to wash off the whitewash with minimal damage to the room being repaired.
Cook the adhesive according to the recipe: per liter of water you will need 1 tablespoon of flour, which is first diluted in a small volume of water and poured into a pan with boiling water. Once cooled, it is ready to use.
The paste is applied to the ceiling surface with a roller. It will take about 10 minutes for it to dry - it is removed with a spatula along with the whitewash. Old materials will begin to separate in pieces without forming dirt or dust. To remove whitewash, you can attach a small plastic tray to a spatula and the used coating will fall there and not on the floor.
How to check the readiness of work
The work can be completed if there is not a trace left on the ceiling from the previous coating. If no white marks remain on the damp cloth after passing over the surface, the removal was successful. If the appearance of fine dust is still noticeable, you need to wipe the entire area with a sponge or damp cloth.
Once the material has been successfully removed, your choice of finish can be applied: water-based paints, wallpaper or tiles. For better adhesion, a primer is applied to the cleaned surface after complete drying. It is recommended to prepare cleaning solutions and cleaning tools in advance, since lime will in any case remain on any piece of furniture, hands or used work clothing.
Using paste
Removing whitewash using paste has been used for a long time. To prepare it, dilute 2 tablespoons of starch in a small volume of water until you get a paste. Then the mixture is poured with boiling water. The resulting composition is laid out on the whitewash and waited until it dries. The lime takes on the appearance of a crust. It begins to peel off from the ceiling and is easily removed with a scraper or spatula.
Removing whitewash with paste can be simplified if you wet paper or newspapers with it and stick it on the ceiling. After drying, they are removed from the surface along with the old finishing material.
Solving the problem of cleaning whitewash can be simple and at the same time effective. You need to decide on a suitable method and apply it.
