Asked on Mar 28, 2015

How do I repair peeling paint on ceiling and walls?

7 yrs ago I repainted the kitchen. Someone had used oil-based paint and I had to prime with latex and put the new yellow latex on it. It's been ok until this last winter and today I see the peeling is more than before. I need to repair and paint as we are selling and moving to the other house we own. There is no leakage as the fan vet isn't near where the peeling is. I checked. Also the other pic of the ceiling is where someone repaired and didn't smooth it out. 7 yrs ago I repainted it and don't now what to do to level it, or leave it alone. Help!
Corner near the cabinets and door closeup.
same but pulled back to show how much peeling, it's lighter pic cause the flash went off.
the 'hump' in the ceiling.
  8 answers
  • Moxie Moxie on Mar 28, 2015
    I would remove the loose paint; you can't paint over what isn't sticking, then I would sand and repaint...if you find only a smaller area that let loose I would skim coat it with drywall and sand to make it all smooth before repainting. You will probably have to repaint the entire ceiling to make it match. As for the wall patch; sand it down and then repaint the wall. It will be a lot of work : ( Be sure to paint with thin coats and let fully dry before second.
  • Marion Nesbitt Marion Nesbitt on Mar 29, 2015
    Yes, remove peeling paint, etc. as Moxie suggested. If the ceiling is plaster and lath, the hump may be caused by a lath coming loose. (Just chipped away an area on my dining room ceiling and this is what had happened. Perhaps initial problem with the paint was caused by using latex primer over oil-based. I use Zinzer 1-2-3 - super adherent.
  • Al Al on Mar 29, 2015
    Looks like water damage. Painting is all about surface prep. Scrape off loose paint with a wide putty knife. Lightly sand area that needs paint. Use a separate primer to insure the final coat stays put. Depending on how good you want it to be use space or drywall compound to make up for the difference in levels. And hope the buyer doesn't look up...😀
  • Susan Susan on Mar 29, 2015
    All good suggestions. Another alternative is to strap the ceiling, instal new drywall, tape, mud and paint as usual. More work but you are selling and in my experience anything that even hints at water damage is a huge red flag for purchasers. Good luck !!
  • Sandy Sandy on Mar 29, 2015
    that is definitely water damage. remember that water can come in on the other end of the roof sometimes, even through vents further away. drips of water can travel the trusses and rafters, even electrical wires to get to odd places. i have had water drip out of ceiling fixture that was coming from a chimney leak 10 feet away on the roof. you have water damage without a doubt. been there, seen that, done that -
  • R.James Olson R.James Olson on Mar 29, 2015
    I agree with @Al and @sadyfish that you've got water damage.
  • Duv310660 Duv310660 on Mar 29, 2015
    Yep, water damage for sure! It doesn't matter where water is getting in; it can travel down the slightest slope until it finds a place where it can collect and leak down. The fact that this has occurred at the end of winter suggests you may have had an ice build-up during a thaw/freeze cycle somewhere that caused water to collect and do damage that it hasn't done before. You won't get rid of the problem without addressing the cause of the damage. I know this because I have plaster-and-lathe ceilings!
  • Ellen B Ellen B on Sep 05, 2015
    I have somewhat the same problem but mine is caused by heat/air coming from register. I guess I would follow the same process?