In many apartments and private houses, wall decorationIn the past, it was done using lime, which was used to whitewash all surfaces that needed it. Modern construction stores offer a wide variety of finishing materials, which, compared to whitewashing, have multiple advantages. When planning repair work, owners are faced with the need to clean lime from walls and ceilings.
All methods of that, as well as the ceiling, are usually dividedinto three main categories: adhesive, wet and dry. Before finishing, you need to clean the walls from the remains of the old coating. There are several ways to remove whitewash from walls. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages.
Dry method of removing whitewash
Scheme for removing limescale from walls:a - removal with a roller; b - removal with a brush. The fastest way to remove whitewash from walls is to use a grinding machine. This tool allows you to do the job quite quickly and efficiently, but you should keep in mind that before starting work, the room should be cleared of furniture and household items that can be damaged by lime dust. It is better to cover windows and doors with construction film. People working in the room should wear respirators and glasses to protect their eyes. Since dry whitewash crumbles in large quantities during cleaning, it is imperative to protect your eyes. The steps should be as follows: attach coarse-grained abrasive paper to the grinding machine circle. Try to carefully go over the ceiling and walls with rotational movements. When the largest pieces are removed, clean the surface of the walls and ceiling with lighter, grinding movements.
The fastest way is to usegrinder or sander. When the work is finished, all the trash must be swept out of the room, and the floor will have to be washed several times. The washing will need to be thorough, since the lime will leave white marks. But you can do it easier and cover the floor with construction film before starting work, the same as the curtains for windows and doors. The film is secured around the perimeter of the room with construction tape. The same film can be used to cover furniture that will be difficult to remove from the room due to its dimensions. It is also advisable to wrap furniture wrapped in film with tape. A variation of the dry method: you can remove whitewash from the walls and ceiling manually using a spatula. You can also use it in cases where the old lime hangs down in pieces, and continue working using a sander. Return to contents</a>
How to remove lime from the walls in a "wet" way
If you do not own a grinder and do notIf you managed to find such a tool for temporary use, you can do what housewives used to do before renovations. You will need the following things for this:
To make it easier to remove the whitewash from the ceiling, it should be wetted with a sponge.
- a large foam sponge;
- suitable water tank;
- rags;
- putty knife;
- roller on a long handle with a foam sleeve.
Pour water into a container and dip a sponge into it.Squeeze lightly so that the water does not spill onto the floor. Use a sponge to thoroughly wet the walls so that the lime is saturated with liquid. Water is quickly absorbed into the whitewash, and the operation will need to be repeated several times. To make the work more convenient, take a roller with a long handle. The movements should be performed in the direction from the corners of the room. When the layer of lime is thoroughly saturated with water, try to remove it with a construction spatula. This type of cleaning is considered more labor-intensive, since the work will require a lot of time and effort. Return to the table of contents</a>
Removing the whitewash with a special solution
One of the most effective ways to do this is toto remove lime from walls, it is considered to perform work using a special solution. It can be made independently or purchased in a building materials store a special mixture. To prepare you will need:
Scheme of cleaning a wall from whitewash: a - cleaning; b - smoothing; c - moving the tool.
- several liters of water;
- ammonia (can be found in the pharmacy);
- soda (diluted with water 1: 3);
- foaming agent (bath foam will do - 3 caps);
- 9% vinegar - one tablespoon is enough for every 5 liters of water.
Mix all ingredients in one container.- An ordinary bucket will do. Take a spray bottle (you can use any empty spray bottle left over from household chemicals). Spray the surfaces generously with the spray bottle. You can also use a roller instead of a spray bottle. Before starting work, heat the prepared solution to 50 ° C, but do not put it on the fire - just heat the water separately and add it to the mixture. Keep this in mind when diluting the composition. For example, instead of 5 liters, pour in 3 liters of water, and add the rest later while hot. When moistening the walls with hot liquid, the whitewash swells and can be easily removed from the surface using a spatula, rag, or metal brush. Cleaning should be carried out until you can remove as much as possible from the wall. To check the quality of cleaning, you can run a damp rag over the wall from time to time. If traces of lime remain on it, then you should not stop working yet.
If the layer of whitewash is too thick, you need touse a scraper or a metal brush. For this, you can make a solution of hydrochloric acid and aqueous copper sulfate. Add a weak, 2% acid solution to one part copper sulfate in the same amount, do not heat. Moisten the surfaces, leave for a quarter of an hour. Use a sponge or roller for this, a sprayer is not suitable - the vapors of the substance are very toxic. Remove the swollen lime with a spatula, rinse with water and scrape with a metal brush. Wash the cleaned surface with plenty of water. Use gloves and glasses when working, make sure that the substance does not come into contact with your skin. Another simple recipe for a solution for removing whitewash: mix 2 tablespoons of soap, grated on a grater, 5 tablespoons of baking soda, 10 liters of water. Apply the mixture to the walls and clean when the lime gets wet. Return to the table of contents</a>
Helpful Tips
If necessary, remove whitewash from a large areawet the surface in small sections no more than 4 sq.m. One section is well wetted, then you can take on another, during which time the lime on the first section will swell properly. Then you can start removing the whitewash from it, and the second section will be soaked for now. It is equally convenient to use a spatula and a special scraper equipped with a container. After the surfaces have been processed with a scraper, take a sanding sheet and sand the surface. A hammer may be useful - it is used to tap the layers of whitewash, which helps it to peel off the walls more easily. Unevenness, dents, any defects remaining after sanding, fill with gypsum plaster.
