Check out this site--glad I don't have any...so far as I know!

Here is a link that might be useful: Covering Calcimine Paint

The calcimine needs to be removed. You MIGHT be able to find an old product from Ben Moore that was used for this .I don't remember what it was called though. Gardz MIGHT work on it. Otherwise, as I said, Zinnsers Cover Stain will cover all else

That article is OK as far as it goes but this,"calcimine-covering paint.", is the whole problem. As far as I know there is no such thing

I had problems with getting paint to adhere to a calcimine coated bathroom ceiling, but the paint would fail almost immediately, not years later as you state yours has, so I wonder whether your issue is the same. There was a simple test to see if it's calcimine, because it rubs off on your wet finger (chalky appearance). That's definitely what ours was, I followed (exactly followed) the instructions for a paint/cover agent that was specifically intended for covering calcimine -- I believe it was called Kal-kote. It's worked like a charm, paint has been up there for 5+ years and still looks great.

This post was edited by kris_ma on Fri, Mar 8, 13 at 8:47

Water and a scrubbie dissolves it - so thats why I think the second layer (green) was calcimine and the first layer (brown) may have been an oil base paint - that doesnt seem to wash off. But just wiping a wet finger over doesnt do much - its not real chalky.

Actually some of the worst peeling seems to be happening with the very first brown original layer which I think is oil AND with that dang soft Easysand that I used extensively for some of my earlier plaster repairs - talk about chalky, it comes off just wiping a dry finger over it.

Anyway, thanks all for the suggestions!

I have a canister steam cleaner. I used it on my calcimine walls to loosen it up and was able to scrape/scrub it off. Wall looks great now and no peeling paint. Not fun and sooner or later I need to address my kitchen. It's wallpapered now and the paper stuck but I know it's a calcimine mess underneath!

"Easysand that I used extensively for some of my earlier plaster repairs - talk about chalky, it comes off just wiping a dry finger over it. "

Sounds more like premix.

It remains soluble in water basically forever.

Brick, what is premix? I used easy sand 90 for the top coat of my earlier repairs - it's possible I grabbed a bag of something else by mistake.

I have no experience with calcimine but I've just discovered liner paper (commented more extensively on the ceilings thread) which you can apparently both paint and paper over.

Karin L

You still need to deal with the calcimine before installing the lining paper