You’re having a shower in your beautiful Toronto home and you look up and see that there is peeling paint on the ceiling. “How did this happen?” you say to yourself, “and how can I fix it?”
Peeling paint is far more common on the exterior of a home than on an interior, exteriors are more subject to temperature changes and the elements, which puts more stress on a paint system. Having said that, paint can still fail on the interior of a home, so let’s figure out what’s happening.
Improper home surface preparation
Some surfaces don’t let paint “bite” into it, resulting in less adhesion and subsequent peeling. Glossy surfaces need to be sanded and/or primed in order for the finish coat to properly bind onto the surface.
This is why painting a latex paint over an old oil-based paint can result in problems down the road. The oil paint is too glossy for the latex paint to properly bond to, so it’s essential to ensure that old oil-based paint is sanded and primed so that the latex topcoat gets good adhesion.
Dirty surfaces can also create problems with paint topcoats. Take, for example, a kitchen, where a thin layer of grease can build up on the walls over time through cooking. Or possibly a bathroom, where hairspray can miss it’s intended target and build up on painted surfaces. If these are not properly cleaned they can cause issues and cause the topcoat to fail.
When we run into dirty surfaces we use a cleaner/degreaser to clean the walls. If we think there is going to be any chance of residue we use a very aggressive primer that will bite into these contaminants and seal them properly in preparation for the topcoat.
Generally, if it is an issue with improper preparation, only the topcoat will peel. This is sometimes called “tissue peeling”, the paint peels down only to the paint underneath, which is sound.
READ: How Do I Know If the Paint in My Toronto Home is Oil or Latex
Painting over silicone caulking in your home
Be careful when purchasing caulking, if the caulking doesn’t say “paintable” on the label don’t try to paint it!
Many times, though, ambitious DIYers or handymen will put clear unpaintable silicone over a painted surface. This is very common in bathrooms and kitchens, around bathtubs, sinks, etc. If this has been painted over it will peel and create a mess. If you notice peeling paint around the tub or sink in your bathroom, likely this is what has happened. To fix this, the silicone caulking must be removed, the area should be primed, new paintable caulking should be used and the area can then be repainted.
READ: How-To: Get a Straight Line of Caulking
Moisture issues in your home
This is a little more tricky for a painter to fix. First, the source of the moisture must be eliminated, which involves a plumber, roofer, or some other contractor depending on where the moisture is coming from. Once that is fixed, we have to assess if the drywall is still sound. A professional drywall repair contractor will then be able to determine whether the waterlogged drywall should either be left to dry or removed, depending on the extent of the damage. Drywall repairs are then made and the walls are primed and painted.
Generally, when moisture is the reason for the failure, the paint peels right down to the drywall. Also, you might notice some mold forming on the surface or the drywall feels soft. This can be for many reasons, but leaks is a common one. One customer found plumbers in Port St. Lucie here who were able to locate the leak which was causing the paint damage but sometimes it can be more difficult. You can have all sorts of leaks around the house, but sometimes you can have a faulty roof; this is hard to notice seeing as you can hardly see your roof very well. Sometimes it just needs recladding or a simple repair of a fault tile. If you would like to find out more about this, visit https://divisionkangaroof.com/roofing-services/roof-repair/. They may be able to help you out whether it be talking through your options, checking your roof, making a repair, or redoing your roof with a more sustainable material.
If you’ve noticed some peeling paint on the interior of your home, why not book a quote? We’d be happy to stop by and give you feedback and provide you with solutions that will Transform your home with lasting beauty!