How to remove whitewash from the ceiling

For those who are planning a ceiling renovation, you must be ready to dismantle the old coating. In the event that the ceiling is whitewashed with chalk, then the process of its removal should be approached carefully. The point is not that getting rid of the old layer of lime is difficult, not at all, but it is a rather dirty and troublesome procedure.

Before you start removing the whitewash from the ceiling, you need to prepare all the necessary equipment for work, as well as to take a number of protective measures so as not to dirty the furniture, walls and floor, because you will be provided with a large amount of dust and dust. Ideally, of course, the furniture should be brought out, but if this is an unaffordable luxury for you, then you will have to wrap it up with plastic wrap and fix it with adhesive tape. The floor also needs to be laid with oilcloth or newspapers.

Before you start, you should remove the chandelier and insulate the wiring, and it is best to turn off the electricity.

If you decide to remove the old whitewash from the ceiling and walls of the apartment with your own hands, then in the process you will need the following tools:

• Spatula.
• Sponges, rags (one should be put at the entrance to the room in order to wipe your feet and not dislodge chalk dust).
• Respirator to prevent debris from entering the respiratory tract.
• The stepladder.
• Broom, bucket or other water tank.
• Glasses, cap on the head, gloves.
• Washing or ordinary vacuum cleaner.

It is worth noting that in the course of work not all of the listed tools will be needed, and additional funds may be needed. It all depends on the chosen method of removing whitewash.

In this article we will look at how to remove whitewash from the ceiling using three well-known methods: dry, wet, and using adhesive solutions.

Dry method

Removing lime with a spatula

Dry-cleaning of the ceiling is in mechanical scraping the old layer of chalk. It is good if the ceiling was whitewashed for a long time, and the lime itself is already peeling off. This procedure will be accompanied by a heavy drop of particles of chalk on the floor, and the air in the room will become too dusty.

It is possible to remove the whitewash mechanically with a simple trowel or scraper. To begin with, clean the areas where the whitewash easily falls off, and then come back and refine where it is still tightly fixed.

Rid yourself of the need to subsequently clean up a huge amount of dust and debris, as well as facilitate manual labor and speed up the process of cleaning the ceiling from chalk, a vacuum cleaner is designed. On it there is a special nozzle in the form of a spatula. The principle of operation is the same, the difference is that the vacuum cleaner immediately absorbs pieces of chalk, so the process is faster and easier.

Wet method

Washing the whitewash with water or other solutions is perfect for the ceiling that was whitewashed not so long ago, and the chalk is held firmly. Also, this method is used when the whitewash layer is very thin and it is impossible to remove it with a spatula. The method is good in that dry dust will not, however, will add diluted chalk, which will be constantly treacherously dripping from the ceiling to the floor, on your head and by the collar.

A brush and a bucket of water will help to remove the whitewash. The essence is simple: pour water into a container, dip a sponge or a wide brush into it, and then moisten the surface of the ceiling until you have completely wetted it. Change the water with this method should be regularly. Soaked whitewash is removed with a brush or trowel, and the process is faster than with the dry method, and the dust is several times less. By the way, it's a good idea to use a vegetable net instead of a brush. It will perfectly remove the chalk layer, which will reduce the complexity of the subsequent refinement with a brush.

Instead of water, special solutions can be applied from vinegar and soap. It is very simple to make them, for example, to mix ordinary vinegar with warm water and to cover with this substance old whitewash. Thanks to acetic acid, chalk easily lags behind the ceiling. With soapy water problems, too, will not arise. For its preparation you will need to rub the soap and dilute it in hot water, adding baking soda there.

The ceiling can simply be wetted from a spray bottle or a flower sprayer.

With the help of a washing vacuum cleaner

Washing vacuum cleaner WAX

More Easier to remove the old whitewash with a washing vacuum cleaner. In this case, you do not have to strain, the vacuum cleaner will do everything himself. Just it needs to be included in the washing mode and periodically change the water. This is a great way, only a vacuum cleaner is likely to suffer considerably.

The most advanced way to remove the old whitewash layer is to use paste. The technology is basically the same as the wet method. The ceiling should be moistened with a sticky compound, wait until it dries, and then manually scrape the old layer with a scraper. Also, when working, you can use a brush on metal, and clean the remnants with a stiff sponge.

Wallpaper glue or paste prepared at home from water and starch (or flour) is perfect for the composition.

As you can see, there are quite a few ways to clean the whitewash from the ceiling. If you have concerns about doing something wrong, you can watch the video to remove the old whitewash from the ceiling. So, you will definitely have a guarantee that you are on the right track.

Video

This video shows how to quickly remove whitewash with PLANEX LHS 225 Festool:

This video shows how to wash the whitewash from the ceiling: