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Application · answered by Fini

Why is my paint peeling and how do I fix it?

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Quick answer

Paint peels because it never bonded properly — usually down to moisture, a dirty or glossy surface, or skipping primer. To fix it you scrape back to a sound edge, sort the underlying cause, prime, then repaint.

Peeling paint is almost never the paint's fault, mate — it's an adhesion problem. The film bonds to whatever's underneath, and if that surface was damp, greasy, chalky, or too shiny, the paint had nothing to grip. Sort the cause first or you'll be back doing this again next year.

The usual culprits:

Moisture. The big one. Rising damp, a leaking gutter, condensation in a cold bathroom, or painting onto a wall that wasn't dry. Water gets behind the film and pushes it off. Fix the leak, let it dry properly, and don't even think about repainting until it's bone dry.

No primer / wrong surface prep. Painting fresh plaster without a mist coat, painting over old gloss without keying it back, or painting over a chalky distemper — all guarantee peeling. Bare or porous surfaces drink the binder out of the paint; glossy ones give it nothing to bite into.

Grease and dust. Kitchens especially. Paint won't stick to a greasy wall, full stop.

The fix: scrape and sand back to a firmly bonded edge — keep going until nothing more lifts. Feather the edges smooth so you won't see a ridge. Wash the area with sugar soap, rinse, let it dry. Then prime according to the problem: Zinsser Cover Stain or BIN for stains and dodgy adhesion, a stabilising primer for chalky walls, a proper mist coat (watered-down emulsion or a dedicated plaster primer) on new plaster.

Once it's primed and sound, repaint with something hard-wearing. For walls I'd reach for Little Greene Intelligent Matt or Dulux trade emulsion — both tough and forgiving. In a steamy bathroom or kitchen, Earthborn Claypaint breathes beautifully and resists peeling on plaster, or go for a dedicated bathroom emulsion. Soft, practical neutrals like Farrow & Ball Cornforth White or Skimming Stone sit happily in those spaces.

Don't rush the drying between coats, and never paint over a problem hoping it'll hold. It won't.

Colours from the answer

LRV 60
Farrow & Ball
Cornforth White
LRV 67
Farrow & Ball
Skimming Stone

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