Fixing peeling
paint can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
Peeling paint can be annoying and looks unattractive. It happens in response to anything from exposure to the elements and water leaks to a poor initial paint job. Fixing peeling paint is not difficult, but, depending on the size of the affected area and the cause of the peeling, it can take up to several days to complete the project.
Instructions
1. Cut away any loose flakes of paint. Save one that is at least as big as a quarter and place it in a small plastic bag.
2. Take the bag to a hardware or home improvement store that has a paint-matching service. The staff there will match the paint by inserting the paint flake into a computer that essentially takes a picture of the flake and tries to find a color match. The paint flake needs to be at least as big as a quarter so the computer has enough surface area to work with. Make sure that the correct side of the flake is matched, too. Sometimes the two sides can have slightly different shading due to sun exposure, and if you match the wrong side, you'll end up with paint that is too dark.
3. Bleach the affected area if necessary, especially if it's in a bathroom where moisture might have gotten under the loose paint. Mix bleach and water in the ratio specified by the bleach manufacturer. If the peeling paint is located outdoors, clean the area with a combination of bleach, water and trisodium phospate, again following the manufacturer's directions for applying and cleaning off the solution. Make sure you are wearing safety equipment, including gloves, a mask and goggles.
4. Wait two to three days.
5. Place drop cloths under the peeling area and begin scraping off remnants of the paint with a paint scraper if it's located outdoors. Rather than having several small areas to be repainted, combine them into one big area. If the peeling paint is located indoors, be careful that you don't damage the drywall with the scraper. It's also possible that the paint might peel off without scraping.
6. Sand the cleared area. Use a disc sander on wood outdoors. Gently sand indoor areas by hand.
7. Apply wood filler and Spackle as needed to fix holes or divots in the wall.
8. Add a thin layer of Spackle to the edges of the paint that's staying on the wall, if it's located inside.
9. Sand down the area again gently once all the wood filler and Spackle is dry. Sand by hand if the patch is indoors. Sand the Spackled border from Step 8 as well to create a smoother transition between the old paint layer and the new paint.
10. Place painter's tape around any fixtures or other areas you don't want to paint. If you are painting a large area or using spray paint, tape plastic sheeting over anything you don't want painted.
11. Brush primer onto the bare area, covering all the Spackle, too. Cover the entire patch and let the primer dry according to the manufacturer's directions. Wipe off any excess primer from the brush onto newspaper and wash the primer off the brush.
12. Apply one coat of the matched paint, using a clean brush. Wipe excess any paint onto the newspaper, and wash the paint off the brush.
13. Let the coat of paint dry as specified on the paint can's label. The instructions should specify how long you have to wait before adding a second coat.
14. Apply the second coat of paint and let it dry. Peel off the painter's tape slowly, if you applied any. If you're painting in a bathroom, wait at least a day before running a hot shower and creating humidity.
Tags: affected area, bleach water, coat paint, filler Spackle, Fixing peeling
