Is it ok to skim over emulsion

[Draughtsman]

I've been tucked up by a plasterer, scrim showing through the skim etc, on a sloping area of ceiling. I dug out a few spots, very thin. I remember the guy standing back from the job whilst he was doing the wall and saying that it didn't look too bad, and I had to agree that it didn't but I think he was just fishing to see if I knew that it was supposed to have 2 coats, which I didn't. We can guess the rest.
So he says "get some emulsion on it and I'll go over it". But he'd been paid by then so he's long gone.

Is it possible to do a good job over emulsion? I suppose I could put a wire wheel or wire cup brush on the drill and take most of the paint off, or just heavily score it in preparation.

 

[London Mike 49]

You have a couple of options
1. Lightly score the area to create a key for the plaster
2. Give the area a coat of blue grit https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p84905?table=no which is pva mixed with grit to form a mechanical key.
You can always score it and put blue grit on it as well ( belt and braces ).

Mike

 

[Draughtsman]

The white painted area.

 

[Draughtsman]

I have some blue grit and various wire wheels. I'll do both.

 

[London Mike 49]

A wire wheel may scuff the surface too much, personally I would scratch the surface with one of these http://www.screwfix.com/p/purdy-6-in-1-painters-surface-preparation-tool/67975 say 15cm apart at a diagonal.

Mike

 

[Doggit]

The problem with skimming onto the emulsion, is not only requiring a good key, but also the danger that the emulsion may delaminate from the plaster underneath, so I'm surprised that he told you to get some emulsion on it before he gave it another go.

 

[Draughtsman]

Looking back, and given that I had a tub of blue grit downstairs, I'm not surprised at all. He kept saying that a going over with some wet and dry would take the top off the scrim and it would be fine once painted. He just probably just saw that my getting some paint on it was pretty much accepting the job whilst he ducked out. Cowboy rationale - he'd been paid and needed a stock excuse to get out.

 

[Draughtsman]

Mike, do you mean 15mm apart?

 

[stevethespreader]

You should be able to snag that with easifill

 

[London Mike 49]

You don't have to be precise in how far the score marks are apart, just make sure that there are no huge areas that aren't scored.

Mike

 

[Draughtsman]

Steve - that's not the only one, and the joints have already cracked too. I think it needs more scrim and a proper 2 coat skim.

Mike - 15cm (6 inches) apart?

 

[London Mike 49]

Steve - that's not the only one, and the joints have already cracked too. I think it needs more scrim and a proper 2 coat skim.

Mike - 15cm (6 inches) apart?

Oop sorry, yes I meant to type 15mm (brain fart )

 

[chappers]

You should be able to snag that with easifill

definitely a bit of sanding for the proud scrim or even pull it out ,then easifil, you might have to fade it to the surrounding areas a bit

 

[Draughtsman]

Spread wanted to just go over the emulsion with pva but a good scoring with the el diablo showed that it actually had 2 coats, with a scrim in each coat. The top coat just wasn't done properly.

It's done, but it wasn't free, no one wanted half a day. £90 by the only guy to reply on rated.