Water stained ceiling - how to overpaint?

[Steve_W]

Helping out a friend with some redecorating. One of their rooms has a water-stained ceiling from a previous leak in the bathroom above.

I've washed off what I could with sugar soap and gave the ceiling a coat of white emulsion, but the stain is slowly reappearing (I had a nasty feeling it might but thought it worth a go).

Presumably I need to seal the surface with something to prevent the stain working through - is this as simple as diluted PVA or is there a proper product I should use?

Thanks,
Steve

[jas xjr]

There is a product I have used in the past. Think it was called stain sealer. Or something similar. It did work well.
Might be a cheaper way of doing it though

[JVaughan]

Ive used PVA in the past on water stained plaster to seal for painting

[GWC]

PVA won't stop it, you need to use a stain block paint, then paint over it as normal.

[Turbodiesel1690]

Had quite alot of experience with this due to burst pipe last winter - you will need to firstly paint the ceiling with proper stain sealing paint - my local independent paint shop stocked it, sorry I can't remember the brand. It wasn't cheap but it did the job perfectly

[Kudos]

There is specific paint for this. I used it on a ceiling last year and it worked a treat.

It's fairly common in the shops. Put a couple of coats on to be sure.

[supermd]

Paint over the stained area with an oil based paint, eg- gloss, leave to dry, paint over with regular emaulsion. Job done.

[furtive]

I've had a leak too. The ceiling in my lounge has a stain, but more seriously around the joins of the ceiling plasterboard it has all cracked and flaked. Do I just need to rub down, fill a bit and paint, or is it likely I'll need the ceiling reskimmed?

[GregE240]

Polyfilla do a stain sealing paint, which dries matt unlike gloos paint which dries well, gloss.

Works a treat.

[nogsk]

Best not to use gloss, emulsion takes an age to dry on top of oil based gloss - better off with undercoat, a quality, named brand rather than an own brand thin and nasty.

If it's still a little damp use Aquaseal.

[ChrisnChris]

I think that a car spray will work, I can't remember where I got that tip from though. I've got a feeling that I tried it myself once, although because all this is so vague...I might have dreamt it

It has the added advantage of drying quickly.

[Spudler]

This: http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detai...

End of.

[Steve_W]

Thanks for all the pointers - much appreciated.

[ChrisnChris]

Spudler said:

This: http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detai...

End of.

That's the stuff.............car spray ...........I was close

[Wings]

nogsk said:

Best not to use gloss, emulsion takes an age to dry on top of oil based gloss - better off with undercoat, a quality, named brand rather than an own brand thin and nasty.

If it's still a little damp use Aquaseal.

Absolutely agree, I even use undercoat when needing to hide very vibrant, vivid colour emulsion paints, that ex tenants have applied to walls, undercoat stops the paint bleeding through, so just needing one coat of the final magnolia emulsion top coat.

[cjs]

Wings said:

nogsk said:

Best not to use gloss, emulsion takes an age to dry on top of oil based gloss - better off with undercoat, a quality, named brand rather than an own brand thin and nasty.

If it's still a little damp use Aquaseal.

Absolutely agree, I even use undercoat when needing to hide very vibrant, vivid colour emulsion paints, that ex tenants have applied to walls, undercoat stops the paint bleeding through, so just needing one coat of the final magnolia emulsion top coat.

+1 Used white undercoat to cover a stain on my ceiling, then just emulsioned over the top.