How do you fix peeling paint on exterior walls?
Imagine: you have been painting all day, the paint starts to dry and suddenly you start noticing all these small cracks appearing. What do you do? Add another layer of paint? Top off with varnish? Hope the cracks go away again? No stress, we're here to give you our best advice to make that wall look smooth again.
image source
What causes chipped paint?
You know what they say: it's better to be safe than sorry. So, let's have a look at all the things you can take into account while painting, to be safe rather than sorry. These are some of the possible causes for paint peeling off:
- You're combining paints that aren't compatible. For example, if you combine solvent and water-based paints, the paint layer can start to peel off.
- Sometimes, the surface can be the cause, too. If the substrate is not strong enough to allow the paint to adhere, then obviously the paint will come off again. Or, if the surface can transform during harsh weather conditions, and you're not using paint with high elasticity, there will be cracks as well.
- Not preparing the surface (i.e. cleaning, degreasing, sanding,...) well enough before painting may also result in chipping paint. The surface will then be irregular and/or dirty, which will prevent the paint from adhering properly.
- Paint can also start to peel off due to ageing. In that case, the only solution is to remove the flakey paint layers, treat your wall and re-paint it.
- Rain, mildew or other moisture influences right after painting can also be an issue. Be sure to be aware of the drying times of the paint you're using and try to respect them. Also take into account that the drying times mentioned are usually intended for a temperature around 20°C. If it's colder outside, the paint may take a bit longer to dry completely.
- Moisture is not paint's best friend in general, as paint cannot adhere properly to a moist surface. So, before you start to paint, make sure the surface is completely dry. If not, try to find the the cause and fix it.
- A faulty impervious barrier
- Faulty ventilation
- Damages in the wall that allow rain water to penetrate the wall
- Thermal bridges in the wall cavity (i.e. places in the wall where the insulation is disrupted)
- Leakages in the gutter, piping, drainage, etc.
Now... How to remove paint layers that are peeling off?
afbeelding: Unsplash
Remedies
You can pay a lot of attention to the above causes, and take many precautions. Hopefully, then you won't need any cures! However, should you still end up with chipped paint, there's nothing left to du but to remove it treat the underlying problem en then re-paint the wall. How the paint can best be removed, depends on the wall substrate and the type of paint.
To remove peeling paint from a brick wall, you can use a high-pressure cleaner and/or paint stripper. If the paint doesn't come off easily using the high-pressure cleaner, you can consider applying stripper all over the wall first. Then, after it has done it's work, continue to spray off the paint with the high-pressure cleaner. Just know this is not the cleanest job to do.
Before you start painting again, it's best to treat the wall with an anti-moss product. Try spraying the wall with water mixed with bleach, for example. After letting that sit and dry for a night, thoroughly rinse the wall.
As mentioned before, it is also important to know what caused the peeling off, and to fix it, before starting to paint again. In wood, you can check if the cracks were caused by moisture (rough surface of the wood) or by heat (wet paint underneath).
Not sure what could be causing your paint to peel off? Any other questions about this topic? The Tintrio experts will gladly help you out.
