Anyone know of a painting service that does these very attractive 70's-80's ceilings. I have one to do but really dont want to buy into it……plenty to do elsewhere in the place for me. Location is Melbourne inner north. Thanks for any advice.
Any painte rthat doe sspray painting can do it for you, but be warned-you will use a LOT of paint.
Tools
Tools wrote:Any painte rthat doe sspray painting can do it for you, but be warned-you will use a LOT of paint.Tools
OK thanks , I will try general painters, I assumed it was a specialist job. Yes , I have heard that stuff really soaks up the paint and needs sealing as one of the steps.
You need to spray paint it because that is the only way those vermiculite things don't break off. Another option you may like to consider is to install a fake dropped ceiling, then you can do downlights at the same time. Sometimes it works out cheaper, and it certainly looks better. You have to wonder what those people in the 70s were thinking don't you. Another option is to paint the walls in a colour that tones down the vermiculite, a friend of mine recently did this painting her walls a soft moss green and it really camouflages the grey vermiculite, now you hardly notice it at all, whereas before when the walls were stark white it really stood out. Good luck.
I actually stoped using spray for vermiculate ceilings. You need to put 5-6 coats of paint and there still all this little gaps in the structure that look dark on fresh paint. It also takes a lo-o-o-ot of paint. The amount of additional weight from the new paint that goes on those old ceilings could be really disturbing. I found that the gentle texture paint carefully rolled on gives much better results.
As ZJ said, batten out the ceiling and install plasterboard and paint that. You will lose about 35-50 mm in height. Replace the existing light with a ceiling oyster unless you have enough height to install downlights. Remember that the ceiling height in most rooms (except halls, baths, laundry, storerooms or garages) must be 2400 mm minimum.
thanks all, I will look at both solutions once we get access. I imagine battening the ceiling will involve some scrapping back along the batten line to get a flat surface to secure to. Think I have the height to play with OK.
yarpos wrote:thanks all, I will look at both solutions once we get access. I imagine battening the ceiling will involve some scrapping back along the batten line to get a flat surface to secure to. Think I have the height to play with OK.Found a lot of nice solutions for false cielings but as we are already at minimal hieght we decided to work with what we had. The ceiling was filthy (as was the rest of the place, its disgusting what people will live with and in at times), so we hired a steam cleaner today and cleaned it up to stage were we think it will take paint (working above your head all day is hard work I have decided). Durobond in Sydney make a specialist paint to cover and seal vermiculite. Have that in hand and will spray in a couple of weeks when I get something else out of the way. If necesssary it can be topped with normal ceiling white. Will post again when its done (good or bad)
I only just read your post but we recently had some quotes done for painting our block, and the painter had just finished a job with these ceilings.
Bondcrete is apparently what you're after. Apply this first and then the paint will adhere to the surface.good luck
bam bam wrote:I only just read your post but we recently had some quotes done for painting our block, and the painter had just finished a job with these ceilings.
Bondcrete is apparently what you're after. Apply this first and then the paint will adhere to the surface.good luck
Paint will stick without bondcrete, but if you use some watered down bondcrete it will seal the surface so you won/t use as much paint.
Tools
Hope you guys are aware that this stuff often contains asbestos especially 1970s vintage! So scraping might not be a good idea unless protective gear used. It was used particularly on the lower levels of residential blocks to give fire resistance (hence the asbestos)
Was still imported from Canada marked non asbestos with 5% asbestos till 1990s.Asbestos Audits Queensland | Asbestos Audits Queensland
https://asbestosaudits.com.au/
Email Me | Phone MeAny asbestos questions ask me.
yarpos wrote:yarpos wrote:thanks all, I will look at both solutions once we get access. I imagine battening the ceiling will involve some scrapping back along the batten line to get a flat surface to secure to. Think I have the height to play with OK.Found a lot of nice solutions for false cielings but as we are already at minimal hieght we decided to work with what we had. The ceiling was filthy (as was the rest of the place, its disgusting what people will live with and in at times), so we hired a steam cleaner today and cleaned it up to stage were we think it will take paint (working above your head all day is hard work I have decided). Durobond in Sydney make a specialist paint to cover and seal vermiculite. Have that in hand and will spray in a couple of weeks when I get something else out of the way. If necesssary it can be topped with normal ceiling white. Will post again when its done (good or bad)
Well, the job is done and looks good. Starting looking like a badly run fish and chip shop roof in the kitchen area but now looks great. For any other brave (foolish?) souls who try this, this is what we found works:
– Clean roof in worst room with a steam cleaner (rented through a company called Steam Australia)
– Apply Durobond in the steam cleaned area, went straight to ceiling white in other rooms that were in OK condition (note comment in the thread re Bondcrete may be an option). Finish coat in ceiling white (went on well after the Durobond)
– Used roller with 25mm nap, this greatly improved application and coverage. Use of normal shorter nap rollers makes it very hard work. Looked at spraying, but too messy.
– Used small sponges to get into corners and edges
– People say this stuff takes lots of paint…this is true….a rough calculation indicates a paint budget of 1 litre per square metre is what you needTotal cost has been about $800 plus our own labour (maybe 30 hours….made longer by the need to steam clean)
With what we know now would we do it again? for one in good condition yes…..for one in poor condition I would investigate removal via an asbestos removal service….probably more expensive once off but then the beast is gone.
cheers, Steve
I'm about to attempt the same task luckily I have a few mates who are painter decorators and have tackled this before claiming how much paint it will absorb, not sure they used Durobond paint before but will ask. Luckily I have gutted the place so nothing more than an empty shell with a concrete floor so opting for a quick spray job for ease. Any other tips would be greatly appreciated and will post my experience once the job is done hopefully in the next week or so before the kitchen arrives.
Cheers
Rob.
It may well be cheaper (and give a better finish) if you can put some battens up and put in a flush plasterboard ceiling.
done a fair bit on it while doing my apprenticship (painter by trade) get a weed sprayer and lightly spray with water before painting this helps heaps with coverage heaps
A question for the painters – would sealing the vermiculite with PVA (watered down) then reduce its ability to absorb paint & how would it affect the paint from bonding?
i have heard of it but never done it myself lightly spray with water and a heavy coat of sealer followed by 2 to 3 coats of flat or what ever low sheen
Read a few horror stories about painting vermiculite e.g. needs 6 coats. Neighbour says painter used 90L to paint his 80sqm unit. This spec sheet from Dulux implies that 3 coats with about 10L of sealer and 20L of paint ought to be plenty. Not sure what to believe.
http://www.duspec.com.au/duspec/file/AUSD1605.pdfOn the other hand, this guy claims he used 8L of the Dulux sealer for a 18sq m. room so that'd be about 35L for 80 sq m. Hmm.
http://sgp1.paddington.ninemsn.com.au/ourhouse/factsheets/db/artanddesign/09/942.asptorrente wrote:I'm about to attempt the same task luckily I have a few mates who are painter decorators and have tackled this before claiming how much paint it will absorb, not sure they used Durobond paint before but will ask. Luckily I have gutted the place so nothing more than an empty shell with a concrete floor so opting for a quick spray job for ease. Any other tips would be greatly appreciated and will post my experience once the job is done hopefully in the next week or so before the kitchen arrives.
Hi Rob, I am at the same place you are – an empty shell and ready to spray the ceiling. How did you go spraying your ceiling? Did you spray some water on as suggested in a previous reply?
Cheers, Nic.
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