How to repaint a wall if the paint is peeling
We all try to use modern, high-quality materials for decorating the walls of our homes, and paint is one of those materials that is always present in our interior design. And, of course, each of us, from time to time, is faced with the need refurbishment of the painted surface. A faded, peeling wall surface covered with paint is not aesthetically pleasing and does not protect the wall itself from negative influences. What to do if the paint is peeling off the wall? How do I remove it and apply new paint? What tools are needed for this and how to avoid paint peeling in the future?
Depending on the degree of wear and the area of damage to the painted surface, you have the opportunity to restore part of the painted wall, or repaint the wall completely. In any case, before you start directly painting the wall or its section, you need to do a number of simple but mandatory steps.
Before you start painting, you must find out why the paint is peeling. Paint that is exposed to the active influence of the environment - wind, rain, sun, and so on in a few years will fade, fade and peel and flake off and, in fact, this is a normal natural phenomenon.
The paint consists of colored powders, so-called pigments, mixed with a liquid base. The basis of latex paints is natural or synthetic latex, and when water evaporates, a single film is formed. Oil paints have an oil base that is slightly more resistant to wear. But both paints, regardless of the basis, have their own service life and need to be updated over time.
Another thing, if paint is losing its color and performance ahead of time. Here it is worth thinking about and finding out the reason for this.
2. Why does the paint peel off?
reasons peeling, peeling or cracking there may be several on the paint, but it is quite possible to find them out and prevent another untimely repair.
Increased humidity in the room and the humidity of the object.
Any paint can begin to peel off if the painted surface is perfectly smooth and does not have minimal absorbent properties or there is moisture under the paint. This is why, for example, the wood surface to be painted must be dry.
Another example. Often only one side of the wall is painted. If you are painting a room in your home and the outside of the wall is constantly getting wet due to a broken tile or a leak in the roof. As a result, the paint peels off ahead of time. This is a common problem with concrete staining, as concrete readily absorbs water.
Often paint peeling in the bathroom. The reasons for those related to humidity can be two:
- The wall was painted before it acquired the necessary minimum degree of internal moisture.
- The humidity level in the bathroom was exceeded before the paint on the walls or ceiling was completely dry. But in the case of the bathroom, there may be other reasons.
That is, it is not enough that the humidity in the room during the repair meets the requirements of the paint manufacturer. It is necessary that it is painted the surface was completely dry. Otherwise, the paint will fall, but later it will certainly peel off, peel off or crack.
Wrong choice of paint.
Another possible cause of peeling and cracking of the painted surface is the wrong choice of paint type. Each type of paint is suitable for use in certain conditions, for specific premises. And if, for example, you apply PVA-based water-dispersion (water-based) paint in a room with high humidity, then don't expect anything good from it.
Do not match the base of the old and new paint.
It is possible that the paint that was used in the last repair is not suitable in its basis to the paint that was previously coated on the surface. A simple example: silicate paints based on liquid potassium glass should never be applied to a surface previously treated with an organic-based product.
The right choice of a suitable paint for the repair of a particular room is no less important than compliance with the entire painting process. How to make the right choice of paint and varnish products for self-repair in an apartment, based on the aesthetic and technical side of the issue, you can read in the article:
Painting was not done according to technology.
Gone are the days when the whole procedure of painting was reduced to the presence of a can of paint, a brush and a wooden surface. The variety of paints presented on the construction market implies not only the possibility of choice, but also the responsibility for use.
Whatever paint you choose - silicone, silicate, PVA-based, acrylic or some other, follow the application technology. Moreover, almost every manufacturer writes its own instructions for the use of its products (often due to the addition of non-characteristic additives to the product base). By not meeting these requirements, you are likely to come to the need for re-repair.
That's why before you start repairing, you need to determine why the paint is peeling off and eliminate the cause of the problem. Does it make sense to invest time and money, with a high probability of returning to the starting position?
If you decide to paint the walls yourself with your own hands, then you should know the individual nuances of the process that will help you avoid mistakes. With general painting rules wall painting work can be found in this article:
3. Removal of old paint. Surface preparation
If you have identified and fixed the problem of peeling, flaking, and so on, then the next step is to prepare the surface. In order to remove all the remnants of the old paint, you can use an ordinary metal spatula or a wire brush. However, you may be surprised to find that even paint that looks pretty good peels off easily and without problems.
All paint must be removed flaky otherwise, after a new painting, you will soon have to repeat the entire repair again. If you are planning to repair a separate section of the wall and have already removed all unnecessary paint in this area, you need to use sandpaper or a bar to even out the transition from the cleaned to the painted surface. All these actions you can.
4. Selection of the type and the required paint color
If you are painting a wall or its section after a few months, and even more so years, then it is clear that the original color of the paint will not match the color that you have today. These are all the consequences of various environmental influences, especially sunlight, under the influence of which the paint discolors. Of course, if you're painting the entire wall, you shouldn't have a problem with that.
The difference in color tone in a corner or other dividing line is usually not noticeable. But, if you need to repair only part of the wall, then any specialized department of the hardware store will easily help you. Just take a piece of old paint from the wall with you and the store will tint exactly the color you need.
You can choose the right color and tone provided that you know the brand and number of the paint that you have used before (although this does not give a guarantee). But this, as practice shows, is possible only if you still have a jar of paint from a previous repair.
5. Painting the wall
Now you are ready to start painting your wall. Use a quality brush or roller and follow the manufacturer's instructions. It is recommended to apply a special primer before painting.
The use of a special primer prevents the appearance of stains when painting wood, protects against excessive absorption of the first layer of paint and the influence of the painted surface on the paint itself. Also, priming before painting provides a more reliable adhesion of the paint to the painted surface. Be sure to let the primer dry completely before applying the first coat of paint.
After applying the first coat of paint and drying it, apply the second coat. This will give saturation to your color and durability of the painted surface.
If you correctly identified Cause of peeling paint, eliminated it, prepared the surface for painting, selected and used the right paint following the technology, then you can sleep peacefully - no new repairs are expected in the near future.
