Today the construction market offersconsumers a huge number of modern finishing materials, including for repairing ceilings. But to use them, it is necessary to remove the old finishing materials. In the old days, the main way to finish the ceiling was whitewashing with lime or chalk. In this regard, many owners have a question about how. And this is not surprising: despite the apparent simplicity of the process, it is quite difficult to perform.
To completely wash off the whitewash from the ceiling, you can use a sponge.
Why flush the chalk or lime from the ceiling
The need to remove old finishing from ceilings may arise in three cases:
- if during the repair, the ceiling will be painted or wallpapered;
- if there are spots on the ceiling that indicate the ingress of dust and grease on it or a leak from neighbors;
- if mold spread over the floors.
Some experts recommend completelyremove old whitewash with lime and chalk even if it needs to be renewed. This is explained by the need to cover the surface with solutions of identical composition, otherwise the first layer will not hold the subsequent ones well. If we talk about stains, then the process of removing the old layer of chalk becomes necessary, since even when applying a fresh layer, the stains soon appear again, reducing all repair efforts to zero and giving the room an untidy appearance. The same should be noted in the case of mold and mildew. Only a complete renewal of the finish will help eliminate spores of harmful microorganisms. Return to the table of contents</a>
Methods and methods of removing the old finish from the ceiling
Methods for removing whitewash from the ceiling.Before washing off whitewash, you need to think about the method by which the process will be carried out. It is necessary to take into account that none of them guarantees the absence of dust and dirt, therefore, before work, the room must be cleared of furniture and interior items or carefully covered with waterproof film. Today, several traditional methods are used to wash off lime. The simplest of them is to remove the finish from the ceiling with an ordinary sponge. The algorithm of actions is simple: the sponge must be moistened in warm water and wash the ceiling with it until the surface stops staining it with chalk. The water must be changed as often as possible, preferably immediately after it is painted a dirty white. This method is ideal for quickly washing off whitewash from chalk, which is not very durable. 1 kg of ordinary table salt dissolved in a bucket of hot water, which will then be used for work, will help significantly speed up the process. The second method is to use a spatula and is designed to remove the lime coating. It can be done dry or wet. The wet method is preferable because it does not create as much dust as the dry method. Therefore, immediately before starting work, you need to generously wet a small section of the ceiling with water using a sprayer or roller and leave it for a while. The layer of lime will be saturated with liquid, soften, and then it can be scraped off with a spatula. When the entire surface of the area is cleaned, you should treat the adjacent area, and so on until all the old whitewash is removed. The cleaned ceiling can be washed with a damp sponge. In addition, you can use a method in which the whitewash is washed off with a solution of soap and soda ash. To prepare the solution, you need:
- 2 tbsp. spoons of grinded laundry soap;
- 10 liters of water;
- 5 tbsp. spoons of soda.
First, soap is added to the water and carefullystir, then pour soda in there. A small amount of liquid is poured into a container, a sponge or rag is moistened in it, with which the ceiling is washed. As the solution gets dirty, pour it out and add fresh one. Return to contents</a>
The purest methods of removing chalk
In addition to traditional methods, you can also use more modern options that create less dirt and dust. For example, a method using paste.
Tools for removing whitewash:bucket, roller, ladder, scraper, spatulas, gloves, film, brushes. Before removing whitewash, you need to cook a liquid paste from water and flour, which is usually prepared for gluing wallpaper. When the mixture cools, it is applied to the ceiling using a roller. Then the paste should dry for 10-15 minutes. After this, you can scrape off the layer of whitewash using a scraper or spatula. Thanks to the adhesive substance, chalk or lime will fall off in pieces, almost without spreading dust and dirt. By constructing a small device, you can avoid falling pieces getting on your head and face. So, you need to hang a small tray or other flat container on the spatula, fixing it to the handle and the iron part of the tool. All the whitewash that will be separated by the spatula will fall into this container. Another option for removing the old finish is to use newspapers. First of all, the same paste is cooked. It needs to be allowed to cool, and then applied to the ceiling. Then the entire surface is pasted over with newspapers so that their edges hang slightly along the walls. When the glue is completely dry, you just need to pull the edges of the newspapers and they will fall off by themselves, and with them the chalk finish. Of course, this method does not guarantee the ideal cleanliness of the ceiling, and most likely it will have to be additionally washed with a wet sponge. There is another way to quickly wash off whitewash. It can be used by people who have never cooked paste, but are ready to spend some of their money on purchasing a special solution for washing off chalk or lime. This solution is sold in many hardware stores and is a liquid on an adhesive base. The liquid is applied to the ceiling with a sprayer or brush and left until dry. After that, it is scraped off along with the whitewash using a spatula and other improvised means. As can be seen from the information provided, it is quite a troublesome undertaking, which requires preliminary preparation. But, undoubtedly, all the work will pay off with the ideal appearance of the ceiling, when it shines with the beauty of the new finish.</ ul>
