How To Solve Flaking And Peeling Paint In Your Home?

Is your valuable home seeing paint work peeling off from the walls, concrete, steel, woodwork and other such places? Are you concerned with the flaking that you are seeing in some walls of your home? In such cases, you will find the next few lines quite interesting and informative. The answer to this problem is not about removing the paint from the damaged spots and repainting again. By doing so, you will only end up with ugly patches all around. Repainting the whole home would be a highly frustrating effort and even then unless the problem of flaking and peeling is addressed, you could still be in for trouble. Hence the most important step is to identify the root cause and remedy it. Unless this is done, you will be only addressing the problem superficially. There have been many instances where homeowners, after having spent thousands of dollars on fresh coat of painting, find the problem occurring over and over again. 

What Are The Causes Of Peeling & Flaking
As mentioned above, unless the root problem of flaking and peeling is addressed, a permanent cure is not possible. One of the most common reasons for peeling and flaking could be because of inadequate and improper cleaning of the surface where the paint is being applied. Dust and debris that lie on the surface is a major reason for this problem. Incorrect use of primer is also another big reason for such peeling, flaking and blistering. In some cases primers may not have been used at all and this certainly is a terrible thing to do. Improperly finished surfaces over which paints are applied over and over again is perhaps the single biggest reason for this problem. Seepage of water and moisture entering into the walls is also another major reason for blistering, peeling and warping. Therefore, before addressing the problem it is important identify it in the first place. If you are unable to find out the reason all by yourself, you could take the help of professional consultants who could identify the actual reason for such peeling and flaking. It is quite certain that paint applied to poorly finished surfaces will start peeling sooner than later. Poor quality paint could also be another reason why this problem could keep occurring over and over again. 

Does This Problem On All Surfaces
We need to understand that there are some surfaces which are notorious for throwing off paints. These including capping of walls, sills of windows, concrete panels which have been precast, window frames made from wood, gates, railings and other such constructions made from galvanized steel, brickwork that has been painted without primer, just to name a few. Hence, if you come across peeling and flaking in any of the above surfaces you could pin the blame on the surface rather than the quality of surface preparation. Though surface preparation could exacerbate the problem, the main reason should be shouldered by the surface on which paints are being used. There are some shiny surfaces like glass, aluminium, PVC and a few other surfaces which could also be the reason for such problems. Hence the answer lies in addressing the problem two fold; first identifying the surface where the peeling is occurring and then finding out whether poor surface preparation is contributing to the problem and exacerbating it. 

Why Concrete Surface Also Create Problems
If we look at concrete and try to identify the areas where peeling occurs, more often than not we will find that it usually occurs in capping of wall and sills of windows. This could be traced to the concrete sections which are used. The concrete sections are precast and are made in moulds. The moulds are generally sprayed with oil which helps in releasing the moulds. Only then will it be possible to remove the concrete from the moulds, once it has set in. The concrete sections are installed and people happily clean the surfaces, give a coat of primer and then paint it. All the while they feel that they have gone through the processes as set by experts. However, little do they realize that there is contaminating oil and this sits in the pores of the concrete which has been installed. When paint or primer is applied to it, it is bound to react and peel off after a short period of time. 

Hence the solution lies in cleaning all precast concrete with a suitable solvent which has the capability to remove oil. The concrete must be allowed to dry before the primer coating is applied. A repeat of the primer coat might be necessary for such concrete surfaces which have been treated with solvents. There are today high quality stir-in primers which bond very well with the concrete and the same should be used. 

Handling Peeling Problems In Wooden Surfaces
As mentioned above, wood is also a notorious surface which aids and abets peeling of fresh paint. However, the main reason for such problems could be because of improper priming and cleaning of the surfaces. A little bit of extra effort might be necessary to season the surface properly. If needed by thorough sanding or even using a suitable chemical remover should the need arise. Here again going in for high quality stir-in primers would be able to handle the problem nine out of ten times.

When handling shiny surfaces such as plastics, tiles, glass, melamine one needs to be doubly careful. The primer should be carefully selected and the surface preparation should also be done with care. This is because these shiny surfaces can easily develop scratches and blisters. Then no amount of surface preparation will work and you might be left with no other option but to discard the surface and buy a new one. 

Conclusion
At the end of the day, taking the right precaution and being proactive than being reactive is what one should aim at. It could go a long way in helping come out with surfaces that are totally blister and flake proof. More importantly it will save the hassle of repainting which is both a financial and time-loss for the homeowners.