Paint it again

Madeleine Woodward of Woodstock,

Cape Town writes My husband was a bit hasty and painted our bathroom tiles before priming them; the paint is now peeling. Should we remove the old paint and redo the job, or is it possible to prime and paint over this layer?

Nonkululeko Mcunu, marketing manager at Dulux, replies You’ll have to remove the old paint before recoating, since the adhesion and scratch-resistance of the new coating is dependent on the condition of the tile underneath it. If the finishing coat you applied was solvent-based, then a paint stripper will work very well. If it was water-based, use Dulux Sugar Soap Powder mixed with hot tap water and scrub the tiles with an abrasive pad. If this doesn’t work, sanding is the only alternative.

Once all the paint has been removed, wash the prepared wall tiles with Dulux Brush Cleaner Degreaser or a water-soluble household degreaser. Thereafter, rinse thoroughly with water. All loose grout must also be repaired prior to painting. Allow eight hours drying time.

Now apply two coats of Dulux Supergrip; allow 12 hours drying time between coats. Finish with two coats of Dulux Water-Based Pearlglo and allow four hours drying time between coats. Avoid excessive steam, detergents or washing for seven days. • Please note that this process is not suitable for floor tiles.

CONTACT dulux.co.za

Shelly Bergh, a Home contributor, replies I recommend that you remove the old paint with paint stripper and clean the tiles with sugar soap. Then apply a primer – Plascon’s Tile & Melamine Primer works very well. After that, you can apply two layers of water-based enamel in the colour of your choice.

CONTACT shellybergh@gmail.com