After a fire, is a coat of paint enough to get rid of the black?

SootSootThe black, greasy dust that smoke leaves on walls and ceilings after a fire, or from a fireplace or stove. Paint straight over it without cleaning and priming and it comes back through. is a greasy dust left by smoke. Paint does not bond well to it, and its stains come through the new coats however many go on. That is why, after a fire, painting is the last step, not the first.

In this room soot covered the walls and ceiling, and the heat had loosened plasterRender (plaster)A layer of mortar (sand, cement or lime, and water) spread over brick or concrete to give a wall a straight, sound surface ready for paint or tiles. and paint. Before anything else, it was checked what was still sound and what had to go, and everything the heat had loosened was removed.

Then the soot was cleaned off section by section, the plaster was repaired and a stain-blocking primerPrimerThe thin first coat that goes on before the main material. It binds dust, seals the pores and helps paint or waterproofing stick firmly. went on. Only then did the walls and ceiling get two coats of paint.

Keep in mind: a fire can do damage where you can't see it. The electrical wiring near the fire should be checked by an electrician before the walls are closed up. If the heat was intense, or there are cracksCrackA split or gap in render, concrete, a wall, a coating or wood. Fine cracks are usually only on the surface; ones that grow, keep reopening or run diagonally need attention. or exposed steel in the concrete, it is wise to have an engineer look at the slab too. And the smell of smoke lingers unless the surfaces are properly cleaned and sealed.