Paining Vermiculite ceiling

Hey all,

Need to paint a vermiculite ceiling. There is a lot of contradictory advice on the net about number of coast, paint type etc.

Some say spray and don't roll, some say roll and don't spray.

Has anyone actually done this themselves and have first hand experience?

Thanks!

 

Paint with water-based acrylic. Use a spray or a long nap roller. Either way it is going to soak up lots of paint in multiple coats.
Many would prefer to batten it out and install gyprock over the top (locking it away forever).

 

+1 for gyprocking over. You can get the opportunity to install modern downlights in your false ceiling too.

 

Thanks @Propertunity and @Gockie

I would personally go with gyprock and downlights but unfortunately it's not my choice!

 

Vermiculite sux, literally. It will use 5 times more paint than you think you will need and then it will look like it still requires painting.

 

Was there a reason why people used vermiculite all those years ago? Was it the "in" thing? Or was it a cheap alternative to something else

 

Cheaper than false ceilings, covered up concrete slabs, small amount of sound deadening

 

.......and some of it (not all) contains asbestos.

 

Never painted it, how would it go if u watered down the first couple of coats.
Or used thinned down enamel primer

 

We got a professional painter to do it. Looks so much better. They did a whole 2 bed unit for a pretty reasonable price but was 7 years ago now. I still have their contact details if you decide you want them. Korean guys from Ryde area. Very efficient.

 

I got Korean guys to lay floorboards at West Ryde! Best price and super efficient.

 

Korean guys - I looked for the ABN or a builders licence and came up short

Come to think of it, Korean guys did my tiling.

 

Haha yeah that would be awesome @Magnet probably not worth me stuffing around for a couple of grand. Much appreciated!

 

@dan2101 have PM'd you.

 

Has anyone ever removed a vermiculite ceiling - can it be scraped off...and would any tradies be game enough to do it? Mine's an apartment (top floor).

 

The textured bits can be scraped off... but then setting the ceiling so its all even is the hard bit. Better off to batten and gyprock it

 

OK point taken. Might go that direction then. Guess the ceiling will look a tad lower but that's the price of better aesthetics I suppose.

 

And as I said back in March... you can fit in downlights too with the false ceiling. Looks more modern and streamlined.

 

I think our ceiling came down 30mm after we added the false ceiling 18mm for the batten and 12mm or 10mm for the gyprock. Cost about $1500 and made the place so much brighter and cleaner.
My friend painted his with a sprayer, first coat was watered down Bond Crete I think, then two coats of primer and 3 coats of white. Still didn't look as good as ours but was a improvement.