We have cathedral ceilings in our living/dining/kitchen area. I want to repaint, but I need to clean them first to get rid of grime, dust, and cigarette smoke residue.
I don't have a tall ladder and I'm at a loss as to how to do it. I could just slap paint over top of the grime, but that doesn't seem like a good plan.
We also have a chimney for a see-thru fireplace in the middle of the area. It's about time to wash it down. I've thought about getting a powerwasher and hosing it down. It's brick and stone, so it has all kinds of nooks and crannies to harbor dust and grime. I figure if I have a wet vac on hand that will pick up the watery mess.
Any suggestions?
Thank you for all the responses. I got several valuable referrals of folks who'd love to do my ceiling for me and several recommendations for how to clean the brick.
Unanimously, using a pressure washer was nixed! I hadn't thought about the damage that overspray might cause to the drywall of the ceilings or walls. One person suggested that she uses a leaf blower to blow dust and cobwebs from hard to reach places.
Kilz and scaffolding were highly recommended for attacking the ceiling. Folks also suggested using TSP (which isn't TSP any more but is a non-residue cleaner even available at the 99 cent store used for painting prep) and concrete and brick cleaner available through a paint supply or home improvement store.
Thanks for all the suggestions and for saving me from one of those home improvement projects that starts out small and ends up a disastrous major home improvements. It certainly would not have set well with our budget if I'd blasted away with a power washer and ended up replacing all the drywall in the house!!!
I don't really know about the ceiling part, but I know that Home Depot sells brick cleaner. I have used it on my fireplace and it worked great, looked new.
Sounds crazy, but...I use a leaf blower for cleaning popcorn ceilings. If you paint one of those, you'll have better luck using a sprayer, too.
I vote no on the power washer inside! There's got to be a better way out there somewhere!
I echo the others on the Kilz or TSP. The TSP is used for washing the surface to be painted. I've used it and it was effective. I've also used Kilz and it's effective also.
I'm over 50 also, with arthritis of the neck and back trouble. I wouldn't even dream about painting a cathedral ceiling! I don't know whether to admire you for your spunk or worry about you falling off the ladder! Kudos to you! :)
A.
PS Look into renting a rolling scaffolding platform. It's cheaper than an expensive hospital stay and it will make the job a lot easier.
Something that will make painting the ceiling a lot easier is to use one of those new paints that go on a different color (eg. pale pink) and dry to a white color. That way you can tell if you got all the spots. It's always disappointing to finish the job, return the rented equipment, settle back into real life and realize that you missed a spot near the chandelier. That spot will drive you crazy for the next 10 years even if no one else can see it. (Or am I unique in this?)
Don't know about cleaning the ceilings but question the use of a powerwasher in the house. What kind of flooring do you have? If you have tile or painted concrete you would be safe. Are you planning on clearing the rooms completely of furnishings? Do you realize the force of one of those things? Think about the do-it-yourself car washes with the wand. A pressure washer has more force than those. If you have sheetrock or wood trim near the area you are washing with one you could easily ruin it with all the water. The overspray from it alone could go all over the room. Below are 2 websites I found on cleaning brick. I also saw that Dalworth cleans all kinds of hard surfaces. You should know the number if you have lived in DFW for very long!! <G> "Call ###-###-#### for the next best thing to new ....."
I googled "interior brick stone cleaning" and found these sites:
http://www.contractortalk.com/showthread.php?t=10528
http://inglenooktile.wordpress.com/2008/07/07/cleaning-th...
Personally I would lay down plastic, get a bucket and scrub brush and mix vinegar and water with just a small squirt of dish soap, not enough to foam or have to rinse, but enough to lift the grime. Scrub it starting at the top working your way down. Once it is clean get in the habit of taking a stiff broom to it maybe once a month to knock the dust off.
--D. M
Use Kilz to prime the ceiling before painting. There was a fire in our rent house and black smoke on the ceiling. We painted with Kilz, then ceiling paint and it was great. The Kilz will keep anything from "growing" or bleeding through the paint.
I agtee with some of the othes on the power washer! But if you do the painting yourself it is harder as we age I'm 59 an painted three rooms in my house an have arthritis an back problems two. But waht I'm trying tosay is if god forbid you should fall you won't be doing anything anytime soon.I know we all think we are super woman but we soon find out we can't do what we used to do But when you get your primer ( Kilz ) get it the same color
as your paint .Th ceilings probly are white but since you mentioned smoke get the wall paint tinted with the same ,color an you won't have to put but one coat on it .
There are products on the market for cleaning the brick and stone - I wouldn't recommend using the power washer. Kilz primer (it now comes in odorless!!) is the best thing for covering stains and odors on the walls before painting. If you have popcorn texture on the ceiling, us a roller with a longer nap on it. If you knock any texture loose in the process, they sell a patch for it in a spray can - it works GREAT!!
Good luck!
I cannot help with the fireplace, but can suggest a product for the ceiling. A paint primer called KILZ literally covers any grime and or cigarette residue. Then you just add your color over it, no scrubbing. I would also suggest a painter to take care of the job. I have a reasonable one who does a great job, fast , contact me directly if you would like his name.
K.,
I think you have 2 good suggestions already. However, if you decide that you want someone else to prep and paint it for you that is what my husband does. The name of his company is Springbok Painting and his name is Damien D.. You can reach him at ###-###-#### and he will come out and give you a free estimate.
Good Luck,
M. D.
Independent Wine Consultant
WineShop At Home
www.grapetasteathome.com
My husband does remodeling for a living. I told him to read your message. He then asked me to respond back to you and he would like to call you and discuss your situation. His name is Jeremy Templin. If you would rather call us, the number is ###-###-####. We live in Euless and he does most of his work over in the Southlake area for Remax. Thank you and good luck. B.
I thought a power washer was a good idea for my floors and the guy at home depot was smart enough not to sell me one! He said that if I missed and hit my sheet rock walls that would be the end of the wall! I just get an old mop and soap and water and scrub!
You might go to a Sherwin Williams or Kelly Moore paint store and ask them for advice. I would think with the cigarette smoke and dust, you might want to use something like KILZ as a primer to cut the smell and discoloring from the tobacco residue. Home Depot or Lowe's might also work too.
Call a cleaning service and see how much they would charge. If Merry Maids charges $25 to clean the whole house, I can't imagine someone charging you an arm and a leg. Even if they do, if you have the cash, hire someone. I am all for doing things yourself and saving money but to be perfectly honest after three kids and 14 years with a husband who did nothing but yardwork, you need to figure out whether the cost savings is going to be worth the trouble to you.
Personally, at 44, I have arthritis in my back, I have allergies that would probably go into overdrive, it would not remotely be worth the days of aching back, etc. and then you have the painting on top of it? I would outsource the cleaning and save the pain, frustration and other fun taping, etc., for the painting portion of the project.
Good luck and I hope the room turns out wonderfully when you get the logistics figured out. Also, in addition to the paint store you might want to check with Lowes or Home Depot and see if they allow you to rent equipment. I have a friend who does exterior and interior lighting and he sometimes has problems with vaulted ceilings and they literally geri-rig ladders, boards, etc. to get to where they need to go because the cost of buying equipment designed for the job is exorbitant.
#1 Get yourself a tall ladder or scaffolding
#2 DO NOT use a power washer inside your house
Use your vacumn on your fireplace and ceiling
Sunbelt Rentals - rents scaffolding to homeowners for these types of cleaing/paint jobs, and it's safe rather than using a tall ladder.
They also rent power washers.
Good Luck!
I would not use a power washer! It will take out the drywall not to mention it could lead to mold from all of the water. Call Len Vinsko, he is our handy man and he always knows what to do. He can also paint for you. We just recently cleaned our fireplace and we used TSP substitute (from home depot). Then scrubbed it with a brush and it looks like new! It was not hard at all.
Len Vinsko ###-###-####
Good luck!
A.
