5 minute read
What lies beneath
By Gary Burton from GRB Interiors
Since starting GRB Interiors, I've been on a mission to expand my knowledge and skills to achieve the most effective ways to achieve high standards of painting and decorating, and my passion for the trade continues to grow. It’s been great to witness how the trade of painting and decorating has evolved from the tools we use to the products on the market.
The project I'd like to introduce you to is a restoration project in a beautiful Victorian property in West London. Along with other work, I was asked to redecorate both front rooms, which had not been done in many years. It ticked all the boxes of my ideal project – high ceilings, original ornate ceiling roses and cornicing, tall skirtings and original sash windows. I could see the potential both rooms had from experience.
The detail on this ceiling rose and cornice was submerged in over 140-odd years’ worth of paint. This is something I often see in Victorian properties I’ve worked in and, luckily, my client was keen and willing for me to spend the time stripping it and taking things back to expose the original features.
Make no mistake, this is a time-consuming task to say the least, and not something that can be rushed, potentially damaging the moulds, so I used a different approach with the two rooms in this article.
The prep
In the first room I used Peelaway 1, a chemical paint stripper, generously applying the paste to the ceiling rose using an old paintbrush.
Starting, as instructed, with a small sample patch on the rose and cornice, six hours after application I checked to see how the paint was reacting to the paste.
In the end, I found that 24 hours was the sweet spot. If left on for any longer the paste began to dry, potentially making the stripping progress harder to undertake. So it was essential not to apply too much at a time, and gauging how much I could strip back the following day.
Even after application, underneath the stripped away paint the clay-like distemper needed to be removed by hand, as this is what was hiding the finer details.
I discovered that steam effectively softens the distemper without risking damage to the moulds, making it easier to remove as I worked along each section using a selection of clay and pottery tools.
The final step in preparation was to wash down the cornice and ceiling rose using warm, clean water and apply the neutralising agent supplied with the Peelaway 1, diluted and applied using a garden sprayer.
This type of work is far from a quick turnaround and requires hours of singular focus, as a lapse in concentration can lead to damaging the moulding. >
I find this entire process to be incredibly satisfying, but equally as tiring mentally and physically, constantly looking up for hours on end.
Finishing up and moving on
My client chose the colours, and Slaked Lime by Little Greene was applied to the ceiling rose and cornice, using Zinsser Grade 1 paint to offset this – ideal for such a job being a stain blocker, primer and topcoat in one. Slaked Lime Mid was used on the ceiling itself. A beautiful and timeless combination in my opinion.
The second room boasted equally stunning cornice, albeit much different in design, and the ceiling rose was larger and grander in design.
This time around, I opted to use Peelaway 7, as it is a milder, less aggressive version to Peelaway 1, with no requirement to neutralise the surface afterwards.
Again, I used steam continuously to complete the process, but I’d recommend always undertaking a lead test prior to removing paint as a precaution.
Once fully stripped back, the ceiling rose and cornice was left unpainted as the ‘finish’. The ceiling was painted using the Farrow & Ball Estate Emulsion in Stirabout No.300.
As with any work it’s important to fully read the instructions for use and as each project is different, and it’s essential to carry out test patches before use. I continued to redecorate the rest of the room and I, along with the client, were delighted with the outcome. A wonderful project I won’t forget.
