Painting old cornices

[my_name_is_slim_daisy]

Hi there

I’m about to paint some old cornices but I have a horrible feeling I might make a mess of it!

I have some old cornices (from around 1920 if I’m not mistaken). I think they’re either gypsum plaster or lime plaster mouldings. They have been painted before although I don’t know when this was last done. And it is flaking slightly in a few places. The existing paint isn’t gloss I don’t think, and doesn’t seem to have thick layers of paint.

So far I’ve keyed it using finishing paper, and wiped down with a damp cloth.

Because it’s flaking I was going to first apply multi-surface primer (e.g. Goodhome brand primer), and then finish with a coat of Dulux matt emulsion paint (since I used that to paint the ceiling recently).

Does this seem reasonable? Any recommendations?

Thank you

 

[Cubist]

You should remove any loose/flaky paint with a fine sandpaper first while ensuring that you do not cut deep scratches into the plaster. A wipe down with a sugar soap solution to then remove any surface dust and grease after that before applying your choice of paint. Personally I've never bothered using a primer except for newly plastered walls but I don't imagine it would hurt.

 

[my_name_is_slim_daisy]

Thank you @Cubist. I’ve spent 10 months on this room already, so why not spend a few more days on it