DIY Help

Today I'm starting to decorate my bathroom (was gonna start on the kitchen but got distracted). The previous tenants had painted the while bathroom tiles with navy blue emulsion for some strange reason and just before I moved in the landlord went over the navy with white emulsion. I want to get back to the original tiles but what is the best way to go about it? How do I get two layers of emulsion off?

It may be easier than you think, try a warm wet sponge at first... it may start to come away fairly easily, if it's still a bit like hard work try a soft scouring sponge and some Cif or light abrasive cream. It will take a little more work to get it off the grout mind, but you could use a more harsh scourer for that.

Do not use a hammer and chisel!

how does drying a warm sponge work ?

Sorry, hangover heart attack typo. Rectified.

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According to bricksandbrass.co.uk....

'Paint on Tiles
Chemical strippers are usually the best approach. Unless the glaze is crazed, these should not penetrate the tile. Try a solution of Sodium Hydroxide (oven cleaner) or, as a more gentle alternative, a boiling solution of washing soda.

If the paint layer is thin, try 00 or 0 grade wire wool. Be as gentle as possible and test it on a very small area first.'

Althought that doesn't say what sort of paint - gloss or emulsion so maybe best to test a patch somewhere hidden first? I can't imagine oven cleaning your bathroom to be the most environmentally or health friendly approach myself. Washing soda is brilliant at cleaning everything though and you can get it in Tesco or Sainsbury's.

hi, im a decorator, and the best way would be to scub it off with a 'green pad' and warm water.
may take a while, but you'll get there in the end.

dan

oh, and DO NOT use chemicals or abrasives etc. as emultion is water based, just simple water will do.

dan

I am the girl who used a hot gun to strip lead paint in her house and fell off the ladder and fainted from the fumes. I poison myself with lead when I make a window up so what can I say, I'm toxic.

*shuffles away, makes mental note to avoid DIY threads*

So it turned out under the emulsion was either blue gloss or proper tile paint. We got it off one small area and then decided just to repaint it with tile paint 'cos it's gonna take weeks to strip the whole bathroom as most of it is tiled. Ever start a job and regret it? But it's all been Polyfilled, sanded and sugar soaped down ready for the painting to begin.

Ever start a job and regret it? Yeah, my bathroom. I thought tiling was a piece of piss. Cue me sitting on the stairs hours later weeping with self pity, no bathroom and tiles that wouldn't stick to the wall.

Sounds like you made the best decision.