Painting over water stains on ceiling

Participant · 21 Oct 2014 at 20:04

Our house has a bathroom over the dining room.

It must have leaked in the past, as when I stripped the paint from the ceiling, there were yellow / orange water marks. Nasty.

3 coats of Dulux white emulsion and the marks are still (barely) visible.

Is my next step one more coat of white, or some other product?

Thanks!

The_Baron · 21 Oct 2014 at 20:05

You can get specialist stain block paint that you paint on before the emulsion.

setter · 21 Oct 2014 at 20:12

Get some zinnser bin primer, excellent stuff for blocking stains. Or you could try some oil based undercoat on the stains prior to using emulsion.

Participant · 21 Oct 2014 at 20:17

Thanks both.

My cheapest route is another coat of emulsion. How likely is this to be effective in the long term? The stain was very bad but is now almost unnoticeable.

blueboy2001 · 21 Oct 2014 at 21:10

Don't bother with any of the specialist stuff, just overpaint the stained area with oil based white gloss (even undercoat will do) and then lay a coat or two of emulsion over the gloss.

setter · 21 Oct 2014 at 21:41

Participant said:
Thanks both.

My cheapest route is another coat of emulsion. How likely is this to be effective in the long term? The stain was very bad but is now almost unnoticeable.

With another coat of emulsion it will still eventually bleed through. Just some basic oil based undercoat will do the job. Used it many a time at work on such stains, (painter and decorator by trade).

Pabl0 · 21 Oct 2014 at 22:23

I Wouldn't advise just painting white gloss over the stains, your forever notice where you have painted it and will niggle at you (fell free if you fancy a quick bodge)

The zinster bin spray will cover that stain easily and also be covered by white emulsion after.

pitchfork · 22 Oct 2014 at 08:45

blueboy2001 said:
Don't bother with any of the specialist stuff, just overpaint the stained area with oil based white gloss (even undercoat will do) and then lay a coat or two of emulsion over the gloss.

Don't do this. You can't paint emulsion over gloss, you'll have adhesion issues. Especially in a steamy room like a bathroom.

Use oil based undercoat (only if the staining isn't too bad), zinsser BIN/123+ or a dedicated stainblocker.

Another coat of emulsion won't work. The stain will come through eventually.

fireisdangerous · 22 Oct 2014 at 13:21

We used zinsser stain blocker to get rid of nicotein stains on our ceilings, awsome stuff.

Gammawolf · 22 Oct 2014 at 16:10

pitchfork said:
Don't do this. You can't paint emulsion over gloss, you'll have adhesion issues. Especially in a steamy room like a bathroom.

It's for the dining room not the bathroom, but i'd agree, I wouldn't do this either.