WD40 or Zinsser?

[JK0]

I'm just about to start redecorating the flat where I've been working on the bathrooms. I notice my tenant's daughters have done a lot of drawing on the walls. What's the best thing to do about this? Scrub each bit with WD40, or paint over the drawing with Zinsser?

[mind the gap]

Pencil marks can be removed with a pencil rubber, or even better, will cover with good quality emulsion. Pointless using a solvent (it won't work, as carbon is insoluble in all solvents).

[JK0]

No, I must admit the paint is about a year old. I'll see how I get on with a new tub.

[Jon66]

No, you shouldn't need to. Not sure what's going on. Was it new paint? I know with the anti mould paint you have to give a very good shake and stir immediately before using. Otherwise sounds as though there may have been a contaminant on the walls, or moisture?

[JK0]

Thanks Jon,

Yeah, it was more like 5 days between coats. I only rubbed down before I started. Not between coats. Should I have?

[Jon66]

I believe you need to give at least 12 hours between coats. Have you? Did you rub down? I would wait for it to thoroughly dry then get the sander out and sand the entire lot to key the surface, then try again. We did find if not totally dry, the paint lifts off the surface onto the roller very easily, so if you miss a bit, you can't go back over it until the next day, without it lifting.

[JK0]

Ahhh!

My new emulsion is cracking here and there. I had this at the previous flat, but there was lots of old paint there.

I'm now painting a flat that has only been painted once before in 2001 when it was built. In places, when doing the 2nd coat of emulsion, the first coat starts to wrap itself round my roller!

I think the original builders must not have applied a mist coat to the plasterboard before they painted. Of course it's too late now.

Any thoughts?

[Jon66]

However, now having used it, be careful that it comes out the correct colour. Although it was 'colour matched' in reality it came up a couple of shades darker, not helped by a differently lit room, but was remedied by Brewers adding more white, which was better for the second coat! I suspect this is due to the different constituents of the different paints. It is also quite thin and easy to overload the roller but covered surprisingly well.

[Jon66]

Brewers, or Johnstones will mix perma white to your required colour providing its an off white like magnolia or ivory. Just had it colour matched to subtle ivory at Brewers.

[Accidental_LI_LL]

I wouldn't be keen on using wd40, Can see it easily soaking into plaster leaving you needing to use stain block before repainting

If you're redecorating hit it with sandpaper then paint?

[leaseholder64]

The solvent in WD40 will probably work on spirit marker pens, but graphite and clay don't dissolve. If the surface will take it, a vinyl eraser is probably best for ordinary pencil.

[JK0]

Ah, tried WD40 on a small area of pencil today. Strangely it did nothing. Will sugar soap all the walls, and then use Zinsser BIN.

BTW, last year I bought some Magnolia tinted Zinsser Perma-White to paint a kitchen walls. This no longer seems to be around. I can only find white Perma-White. Anyone know where to by the magnolia version, or the tint for the white stuff?

[leaseholder64]

What is working in WD50 will be the solvent vehicle, not the WD or even lubricant parts, which are likely to compromise subsequent treatment of the surface.

[sam_cat]

WD40 works miracles on a lot of pen types and crayon IME... (5 year old at home, WD40 was essential when younger). But have never tried it on marks that had been left, generally we used it almost immediately and reprimanded the reprobate (child).

[JK0]

Thanks LH64

Oh, it's all sorts: Pencil, crayon, felt tips.

At the Bambi flat, WD40 was the only thing to get off the marker pen.