No one wants to see paint peeling off their walls or ceilings, as that would make the building look less attractive and worn-out. Even if the structure of the house or room is still fine, peeling paint can still create an impression of neglect, rot, and mess. On top of that, peeling paint can also expose your building structures to damage in the long run. Exposed metal bars and concrete walls can corrode due to moisture, while wooden structures may attract molds and fungi. Peeling paint also affects the occupants’ health, as the microscopic paint dust can irritate the lungs and skin, while the falling paint chips can cause blindness.

Why is your paint peeling off?

The paint may start to peel off before your building becomes old. Paint can start to peel off even days after applying a fresh coat on the surface. The reason for this lies in the loss of adhesion between your paint molecules and surface. Many other factors can lead to loss of adhesion:

Water leaks

Leaks can cause water to penetrate through vulnerable layers of your paint coating. Since paint molecules and water repel each other, water leaks can pry the paint off your walls or ceilings. If you see bulging and cracking on your walls, it’s a sign that your paint has peeled off. Leaks can come from your roof, gutter, plumbing, window frame, or cracks from the wall or ceiling itself. 

Humidity and condensation

Humidity and poor ventilation can lead to moisture build-up in your interior. Moisture, in turn, can also form on the surfaces of walls and seep into vulnerable layers of paint. Just like how water leaks can cause flaking, so can moisture build-up peel off paints from the walls. Molds, mildew, and fungi can also form on moist painted surfaces. These organisms produce acids that would attack the paint and cause it to fall off from the surface.

Uneven, rough, or unprimed surface

Before the surface of a wall or ceiling is painted over, it needs to be smoothed out. Because the surface itself was uneven, the application of the paint itself becomes inadequate. Some parts would have a thinner paint layer than others, which can lead to vulnerabilities in the coated surface. 

Dirt on the surface

Debris, oil, grease, dust, and other dirt can prevent the paint from sticking properly onto the surface. Even an otherwise clean-looking area may have dirt. When the debris itself falls off the wall or ceiling after you paint, it will leave behind an unpainted area. 

High temperatures and intense sunlight

High temperatures and intense sunlight can prevent the curing and strengthening of paint on surfaces. These conditions can also weaken the adhesion of paint. Latex, for example, expands and contracts because of drastic temperature changes, which weakens its adhesion over time.

Choice of paint

Not all types of paint can work on certain surfaces. For instance, if you want to paint over a surface that would be exposed to the elements, you can’t use latex. You would have to use paint that is designed to withstand severe conditions. The material of the surface would also affect the paint’s adhesiveness. Concrete surfaces would need a different type of paint compared to wood, vinyl, or metal. The wrong choice of paint can cause your paint not to stick on the surface.

If you’re looking for a local interior painting service in Sri-State area, get in touch with us today! We have a wide range of interior paint solutions that will reinvigorate your Project.