Any ideas for painting some type of finish on walls that have flaws????

Beth
by Beth
My walls have variations that would be visible if painted a solid color.....They have a faux finish painted now but paint is peeling....was told that houses in my area built in 50s had a paint used that was chalky, and paint will peel over time...advised to resheetrock??? the whole house? Anyone heard of this? I have had mold in house, but this area supposedly is not due to moisture...But the ceiling in my bedroom is peeling, and now has a two foot wide dark black appearance.....ANY ADVICE???? Opinions appreciated!!
  11 answers
  • Trent-Tonya Sharp Trent-Tonya Sharp on Mar 24, 2013
    check out the frottage painting i liked on my profile hope this helps
  • Jeanette S Jeanette S on Mar 24, 2013
    I think before I spent a lot of time, effort or money on these problems, I would have a contractor come out and check out the problem. Mold is not something you want to fool around with. And why bother to do anything if it is just going to keep happening? You may can scrape off the surface and re-float and sand the sheetrock (?) or it may require installing new sheetrock. There IS some continuing problem is paint is peeling.
  • PNP Craftsmen PNP Craftsmen on Mar 24, 2013
    From your description it sounds like the ceiling issue is in fact water. An inexpensive moisture meter (<$50) used after a heavy rain will confirm. Once you have a meter, you can also confirm what you were told about your problem wall or check any other area that may become an issue in the future. I would do this even if you call a contractor, however if you do call one and they do not use a moisture meter - Beware! After you have confirmed there is no moisture or the source of it has been found and fixed and any mold addressed, you can scrape the wall very well and apply Guardz from Zinsser a widely available primer for problem surfaces that helps lock down peeling edges and powdery paint. (also good for over wallpaper paste residue - sand first) This primer is water based and good for homeowner use.
  • Beth Beth on Mar 24, 2013
    Thank you for your comments. I have had no less than 10 contractors, Sheetrock guys, painters, etc. look at my walls. In one room, they checked(altho very briefly) and said there was no moisture but it has been since then that an entire wall in my kitchen has been knocked out(there was a leak in the wall) and it was covered in mold. My den and kitchen floors , my cabinets were rotten. Insurance is helping with this, but now saying the other rooms are not the same problem. Initially, before the mold was found, I had had several contractors look at my living room, dining room, and 2 bedrooms- ALL of which paint is peeling! I find it difficult to believe it is not all related. I'm not sure what to do. I can't afford to just resheetrock the majority of my house, but if it was wet, it's dry now; as I've had dehumidifier s, and the mold removed in kitchen. I've had roof redone, all the soffit and ventilation redone and checked around house. I've heard every explanation from moisture(most common) to the insulation is covering the soffit in the attic... etc. but could that really make the paint peel in every room?? I find it hard to believe its not all related to moisture. I haven't stayed in house for a couple of months- but now am back in it- I constantly am coughing, get sick , have been diagnosed with asthma- was so much better while not sleeping at house, all my symptoms are back now. I don't know what to do. My kitchen is being redone now. but when it is completed , I still am faced with the rest of the house. Should insurance help with this? Scraping it all would take a LONG time! Part of the paint peels right off, but part wont. I'll post pics- would appreciate thoughts! Thanks so much!
  • Beth Beth on Mar 24, 2013
    Here are a couple of pics with the paint peeling, the mold, and now what has appeared on my bedroom ceiling.
  • Beth Beth on Mar 24, 2013
    cant get other pics to show .... :(
  • Yair Spolter Yair Spolter on Mar 24, 2013
    Hi Beth, this is Yair from Hometalk Support. I see you're having trouble uploading photos. I'm sending you an email to help you out.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Mar 24, 2013
    paint peeling could also be due to some water issues...before you do any kind of paint work you need to make sure the water problem is fixed first...or you will just keep painting.
  • Tracy Frerichs Tracy Frerichs on Mar 24, 2013
    I had painted my bathroom ceiling with a latex not realizing I was painting over an oil-base paint. Over time it pealed, I scraped, it pealed & I scraped. Finally, I had some help who scraped, primed with Kilz, and re-painted, It's holding up well, Just a thought.....
  • Gail Salminen Gail Salminen on Mar 24, 2013
    @Beth wondering if a home inspector would be better than a contractor as they don't have a vested interest in a contract beyond the inspection. Just a thought.
  • Paper, Patch & Paint Paper, Patch & Paint on Mar 24, 2013
    Peeling paint can also be a result of using latex paint on top of oil. Back the fifties, many builders used flat oil on the walls. If the walls were not primed before the latex final finish, you could have failure. If i was doing the project, I would power sand the walls with 60 grit sandpaper. Then apply a bonding primer like Glidden Gripper. If you want a smooth wall, you would need a sheetrock finisher to skim coat the entire wall before the painter could finish. Paper, Patch & Paint since 1995