Dealing with peeling paint on your ceiling? Is the paint peeling off the wall like plastic? This is a fairly common issue people may find. Your paint will start to bubble and peel from the ceiling or maybe the walls, and you may find loose pieces of plaster. Peeling paint on the walls or ceiling of your bathroom can be unsightly. In some cases, the paint will look as though it is peeling off the wall in sheets like wallpaper. It’s a cause for concern and instantly makes your home look like it is older than what it is.
How to stop bathroom ceiling paint peeling?
Wait. Let’s understand why the ceiling paint is peeling off the plaster first.
What Causes Paint To Bubble, Crack and Peel?
Before you set off to fix the peeling paint on your bathroom walls or ceiling, it is essential to understand the cause. When paint does not correctly adhere to the surface, it will eventually peel.
It can be pretty disappointing when you find paint bubbling, cracks, or ceiling paint peeling off the plaster, especially when it’s something you’ve done yourself. Without all the necessary information, things like this happen. Don’t beat yourself up too much. If you are just fed up and don’t want to deal with it anymore, you can contact a professional. Toronto Painting contractors have all the skills and experience needed to fix and prevent bathroom ceiling paint from peeling or bubbling. You might be determined to get this done on your own, though. The best thing you can do is to take your time. We will go through what you will need to know.
You might not even have an issue yet. But maybe wondering “did I do that right?” or “did the previous owners know what they were doing?” These issues may not even appear right away. It can take weeks, months or even years for the fresh paint to peel off the walls. No paint job lasts forever, but there are some things you can do to make it last longer. We will go through different issues you may run into and what causes them. The best way to prevent is to know. Knowledge is power in most situations.
The first thing to cause paint bubbling or paint peeling off the plaster in a bathroom
The surface you are working with! That’s right, the wall or ceiling under the paint. Some may not think about what they are painting and think you can just through a layer of paint on a dusty wall. If not prepared properly, this will be the first cause of paint bubbling. If you paint over a dirty or greasy surface, the paint won’t stick. Not only will this be noticeable in the finish, but it could also cause premature peeling. Peeling ceiling and paint bubbling on the walls might be the issues you’re trying to fix in the first place! You need to make sure your surface is clean. Outdoors, you should power-wash and scrub as needed. With indoor, wipe down all surfaces you are painting. You want to pay special attention to areas around stoves and sinks in kitchens, as well as tubs and showers in bathrooms.
If the area is already painted, remove all peeling plaster and bubbled paint. If you see any cracking or peeling spots, scrape them away! If you don’t, you will end up with the same issue. Simply painting over it will cause your new paint job to bubble and peel again. Take your time. Remove all bubbling paint and peeling areas.
The wrong paint will cause bubbling & Peeling Paint On Walls.
This can happen to many new DIYers. If you have been in a hardware store, you may have seen the vast selection of paint. It can be a little overwhelming for some. There are a lot of different kinds of paint, but you need to take your time. Some of the differences are small and more a matter of personal taste. Some things can cause paint to bubble, crack, or peel. The product label will usually tell you what the paint is best for. For example, if you are painting the exterior of your home, you want paint designed for the outside. Paint on the outside of your home is exposed to rain, wind, the sun, cold, and other weather. Here in Canada, we know that best at times. If you use paint on the outside of your house that is made for the inside, it won’t have what it takes. It’s just not made to withstand that kind of environment.
When buying your paint to do it yourself, make sure to read the labels. If you have questions, ask the professionals at your local hardware store.
Paint bubbling might mean that it just can’t stick to it.
Paint can stop sticking over time. It loses its adhesion to the surface. Adhesion loss can occur due to factors like heat and moisture. You might find issues like this in your bathroom. With steam from showers and constant water use, it’s a prime spot.
The weather can also cause paint to bubble and peel. In areas with high humidity, mostly. But with the combination of other factors, it can happen during our hot summers.
When you know what can cause a problem, it makes it a lot easier to avoid it. That is the easiest way to prevent any problem. Hopefully, some of the information covered will help you avoid paint bubbling in the future. In summary:
- Painting on walls that have not been adequately cleaned
- Painting over paint with an incompatible product (painting over oil-based paint with latex or vice versa)
- Not using a primer or using the wrong primer product
- Using paint that has gone bad
- Water and humidity are one of the most common causes
Humidity, water leaks, smoke, a home fire, or just merely age can lead to a peeling plaster ceiling. Luckily, regardless of the cause, repairing your ceiling follows a similar process. Stay tuned for details on how to fix your ceiling yourself.
How to fix peeling paint from drywall or Ceiling (ceiling paint peeling)
Before going in on your ceiling with a knife or starting to pick away at it, there’s some prep work to do first. First, you want to protect your furniture, pictures and decor. If you can, remove all the furniture from the room you need to work in. If that’s not an option, move everything to the centre of the room and drop sheets or another protective covering over the furniture and floor. Be sure to tape the sheets to the bottom of the furniture, and tuck in any loose ends underneath. If you have a hanging light fixture, make sure you cover that as well.
If you have a spouse or a friend who can help, please do so, because two is better than one when doing these types of jobs. Wear protective eyewear and a mask to protect yourself from debris and inhaling anything you shouldn’t; it’s a must to protect your eyes and lungs. Remember: if your house or paint is on the older side, you may be dealing with lead-based paint. If you have any concerns about this, call a reputable painter, and they can come to take a look at it for you.
Use a step ladder and have a spotter, just in case.
Now you can do it yourself! Follow the steps below to have your bathroom looking fresh and inviting once again.
Prepare – Lay a drop cloth. Ensure you have protective eyewear and a mask. Make sure you have all the tools you need, such as a putty knife, a paintbrush, a roller, and tape. Select your primer and paint.
Scrape – how to scrape paint off the ceiling? Use a paint scraper, putty knife or wire brush and scrape off paint. Brush off all dust and ensure you have removed all flaking paint.
Patch – The surface will now be uneven. Use a patching compound to fill the holes and imperfections in the wall—follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure you allow time for the patching compound to dry appropriately.
Sand – Use a fine-grit sandpaper to smooth the surface. You will need your mask and goggles. If repairing the ceiling, you can use a vacuum rather than sandpaper. The vacuum will catch most of the dust.
Prime – Especially if moisture was the cause of peeling paint, you will want to protect your walls from this happening again. Apply primer to the surface and allow to dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions. An oil-based primer is recommended for the bathroom. It will have a more pungent smell than your typical latex-based paint, so be sure you ventilate the room well.
Paint – Evenly apply the first coat of paint and let it dry. Apply a second coat of paint and let it dry. When choosing paint for your bathroom, a gloss or semi-gloss finish is best. This will help protect your walls and ceiling from moisture-related flaking and peeling once again.
Choosing a paint colour for your bathroom? Since you are painting the walls or ceiling anyway, it’s a good time to consider refreshing your space with a new colour. Consider using the spa as inspiration. Popular bathroom paint colours for 2018 are based on themes of serenity and comfort. Soft greys, greens, and blues are popular choices. Or, go bold. Vivid, nature-inspired colour palettes are trending, especially for powder rooms.
How to scrape paint off the ceiling or bubbled wall
Use a putty knife or scraper to remove all paint chunks from the ceiling. Try to do an excellent job to catch the pieces that are being scraped off to avoid having a big mess to clean up after the fact, because picking up fragments of paint isn’t the most fun. Using a trash can or a small pan you can hold under you as you go will do the trick.
What to do after removing paint from the ceiling plaster
Once you’ve cleaned up the ceiling, it’s time to apply new plaster!
Fill and plaster the areas you’ve scraped off and make sure they are as even as possible. If you need two coats, make sure your first coat of plaster is dry before applying the second.
Once you’ve done that and the coats of plaster are dried, go ahead and sand them down, first using medium grain sandpaper (150 G) and then a fine grain (220-240G) to make them smooth, even and blemish free. Make sure to pay close attention to detail, as imperfections can be difficult to spot in natural light, but once it’s painted, they’ll be amplified, so check thoroughly with a flashlight.
Peeling paint on the ceiling, be gone!
Painting Your (now fixed) ceiling paint peeled
Primer first!
- Primer is the first step for preventing moisture damage. You may have had a peeling plaster ceiling because the wrong primer, or not enough, was used. Some are even specially made for extra protection.
- Apply the primer to the ceiling with a paint roller. Use a brush to make sure you get all edges and corners.
- We will be doing two layers for a plaster ceiling. Let the first layer dry for a bit, then apply another one.
- Let the primer dry completely before you continue.
- Now for the Paint
● It’s time to repaint! It’s best to repaint the entire ceiling, not just paint the places you patched. There will be a glaring difference from the fresh paint to the old paint that is still there, even if it is the same colour and brand, just due to age and normal weathering.
● We recommend using a roller to do the whole ceiling and then using a small brush to get the small details, along with the edges and corners. Let the first coat of paint dry completely before going over a second time.
● Once that first layer has had some time to dry, the second coat goes up. Now leave to dry.
● After your paint has dried completely, it is time for clean up.
Do You Want to know how to remove peeling paint from drywall?
Hire professionals! This is the quickest and easiest way to get the job done. Perhaps you are concerned about the debris and dust from scraping and sanding. Or, you are uncertain whether you can get a smooth surface. Maybe you do not have the time for this multi-step project.
When deciding to take on home repair projects, hiring professionals can save you time, frustration and even money. Professionals have the experience, tools and time to get the job done correctly, and they know how to stop bathroom ceiling peeling paint.
If you’re inexperienced or feel like this isn’t a job you think you want to take on, Royal Home Painters Toronto would be happy to take on a project like this for you – this type of work is what we love to do!
