It's a 110 year old house. In the bathroom there are sections where the old topcoat came off, but the basecoat is good. I've seen suggestions to use PVA as a primer. I'd like to end up with unpainted plaster that can be limewashed, keeping everything breathable. I'm trying to retain/restore the historical characacter of the old house. Plan B is to skim with drywall mud and put in wallpaper. Would the PVA be breathable if I go that route? I suspect not. There is some paint on the walls, some on wallpaper. Some directly on the plaster. I know it's a huge job to get old paint off plaster, so the goal of getting the walls breathing might not happen.
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The PVA primer seals porous surfaces. I'm curious as to why you want walls to be "breathable" ? In a bathroom where there is high humidity most surfaces need to be sealed to cut down on mold and mildew.– RMDmanCommented Jul 25 at 16:31
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Usually when you hear the top coat came off, it means someone just slapped the paint on without any prep work done. They painted over dust/dirt/oil and the paint bonded to that and not the basecoat.– crip659Commented Jul 25 at 16:49
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" I'm curious as to why you want walls to be "breathable" ?" The theory is that paint traps water in as much as it keeps it out, and leads to mold. I've never thoroughly researched it. I probably should. There are some spots near the sink where the plaster has bubbled behind paint.– DrexHillJonCommented Jul 25 at 21:22
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I found my answer on a couple of different sites. Old plaster, i.e. lime-based plaster, needs to breathe, and should not be sealed with PVA or painted. Newer gypsum-based plaster, generally post 1920, are stronger and PVA and paint aren't an issue. a good explanation here