What can I do to a portion of a bathroom wall (plaster) where the paint keeps curling up and falling off?

Question

Oddly, this place is up high where no water reaches, but I think there is mildew there. I've tried a couple different primers over the years. I have the same flaking problem on a kitchen wall. The house is 82 years old and I live in the South (VA) where humidity is high...? Thanks for any advice.

Answer 1

check behind the wall to make sure there isn't a water pipe leak or go to a paint store and tell them what's wrong and they may know

Answer 2

The curling up and flaking off certainly sounds like a reaction to moisture, coming from the outside in. I'll bet the same is true for your kitchen wall. It's time to do some sleuthing:

When I am trying to figure out how water is entering a home, I try to think like water. Water basically flows along and minds its own business until something gets in the way. Then seemingly out of spite, it works its way inside. Look for an area that cooresponds with your internal problem. See if you can see a likely path for running water during a storm, and if there is an obstruction to that path (flashing, architectural detail, gutter, etc.) that might cause the water to be diverted into the home. Look for cracks, dry rot, loose caulking joints, peeled paint, mold and other evidence of moisture accumulation. I'll bet you'll find the location of the leaks very quickly.

For sealing out water, nothing is more effective that urethane caulking, at about $4.25 a tube. Make sure the surfaces you are sealing are clean and dry. After the leaks are fixed, and the interior dries out, you will probably have to gouge the loose plaster out and repair it with joint compound.

Good luck!

Answer 3

it sounds like you have a paint match problem. This old of house was first painted in a lead based oil paint. If the primers you have used are acrylic based. then paint won't adhere to it. Try washing the area with bleach{use care}, then try a primer like Bins Sealer[also call Bullseye}, If that doesn't work, don't know of any other quick remedies.

Answer 4

I don't know what else to tell you aside from sanding, priming and making sure you use paint meant for high humidity environments... you may need to replace that area of plaster if there happens to be mold growing there, you can't just paint over mold, it will keep coming back. Use bleach or a mold killer to remove the mold then reprime and repaint.

Answer 5

Try a dehumidefier. Or you may just be using the wrong type of oprimer with the wrong type of paint. Go to a paint store Im sure they will have the answer

Answer 6

killz is a good one to stop this