Why is the paint peeling off of the furniture I just refinished?

Question

The chairs and table have the paint peeling off like the skin from a sunburn. (And yes, I stripped it, sanded it, primed it). I did the EXACT same thing on a different project last month, and the finish turned out rock solid and beautiful on THAT one. The only difference between the two projects was the paint brand.

So, is it the humidity? Crappy paint?....

Also, yes, I wiped it down between each coat to get rid of dust/dirt...

Wow! What GREAT answers so far! One more thing: when I tried to sand the paint between applications (to get a nice smooth finish), the paint acted as if it was rubbery, mucking up my sandpaper. That didn't happen with the other paint (both paints were satin finish latex paints that were painted over a primer that was suitable for wood). So, IMHO, the paint isn't even acting like (what I think is) latex paint......

Answer 1

Was the paint used meant for the type of material being painted? sometimes paint will only bond to certain materials (ie crylon w/plastic, rustoleum w/metal) while other paints may go on okay they tend to flake much sooner then what is intended for the material being painted, also the brand does play a part in it, dont expect walmart paint to last as long as a high priced counter part, also is the paint flaking only or is the primer coming off with it? if paint only then look to the quality and compatibility of the primer, also did you wait too long (or not enough) when applying paint to primer? most primers say to paint over within an hour or after 48 hours but if you paint has differnt dirctions for aplication to primer times then you may want to just avoid the headachew and get the same brand name for both, if the primer is flaking w/ the paint you may want to check to see if the primer is A) compatible w/ your material and B) a good brand, if none of these are the problem try roughing the surface up a little with a low grit sand paper, this may help the primer to adhere better and last long

Hope this helps =)

Answer 2

it could be the humidity. depending where you live or if it didn't fully dry. also another thing is where is it located....if it's by a fireplace, or vent that could case the paint to peel. those sorts of places have high humidity levels. vents usually cause condensation so furniture or paintings will usually have damage on them. another thing you can do is check and see if the paint is bubbling up and then peeling or do the flakes feel wet if so it's definatly a humidity problem. if it's just peeling and flaky it's probably the quallity of your paint or there may be not a enough coats. if that's the case you may need to try a sealer or a clear coat. krylon makes a good brand. you can find it at a craft store like michaels or hobby lobby.

Answer 3

I was told that when you paint furniture you have to make sure you have the proper paint for that particular wood. Did you check that out first? If not that could be the reason.

Answer 4

use a good liquid paint stripper, a wire brush and a lot of elbow grease. Or take it to a sand blasting company and have them remove the old paint

Answer 5

Did the paint freeze last winter? Uh oh.

Or humidity.

Answer 6

I would suspect first the conditions (temperature, humidity, sun exposure, etc.), secondly the paint quality.

Answer 7

it depends on the type of paint you used, it sounds like it wasn't made for that type of matrial (IE like Latex on wood.)

Answer 8

That's odd. i think the paint you use was expired.

Answer 9

if you wiped it down with any sort of chemical between coats thats what it is, chemicals act as barriers that leave behind residue

Answer 10

Did you use latex paint?