House renovation is impossible without removing old finishing materials. To remove one of them, you need to work hard. But others should just be properly prepared for removal, and whitewashing belongs to them.
When to remove whitewash
Many, starting a renovation, often ask the question: is it really necessary to remove the old coating from the ceiling?
Professionals recommend not to skip this stage and carefully approach the process. The fact is that if mold has already formed on the surface, then it must be eliminated.
Otherwise, the fungus will infect the new ceiling as well. And breathing it with spores is unsafe for health.
In addition to the occurrence of mold, there are a number of cases when it is imperative to remove the whitewash: if it peels off, there are stains and streaks, and also if the ceiling is being prepared for painting, wallpapering or tiling.
Don't worry, though. Removing whitewash is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.
Apply a spatula
You can remove material from the surface using a regular foam rubber roller and water.
To do this, take warm water, dip a roller in it and wet the ceiling with it. You can even use a spray bottle and just spray the liquid.
Whitewashing will quickly absorb moisture, so the procedure should be repeated several times. However, liquid must not drip from the ceiling.
Then wait a little for the mass to settle and swell. And then use a spatula to remove it. The material should be removed in layers. If it runs off, you need to wait a little longer for the surface to dry. Thus, dust from the scraped off mass will not fly into your eyes and in all directions.
Tricky Soaking Solution
For a more effective result, you can use a special tool. Of course, you can buy a ready-made mixture at a hardware store, but it won't come cheap. Therefore, it is much more profitable to prepare the solution yourself.
You will need soap, water, and baking soda.
Soaking solution recipe:
- grate a bar of soap (two tablespoons of shavings will be enough);
- put 10 liters of warm water in a bucket and dissolve the grated soap in it;
- add five tablespoons of baking soda to the resulting mixture and stir everything thoroughly.
Apply the prepared solution with a spray gun or roller. Wait for the whitewash to absorb the product, then remove it with a spatula.
Run a damp cloth over the area to check if the whitewash removal is effective. If white streaks remain on it, then the cleaning procedure should be repeated.
