How to Fix Peeling Paint

Once you know what caused your paint to peel, you can get to work fixing it. Simply remove the failing paint with a sharp scraper until you reach paint that is sound. Sound paint should be tightly adhered and hard to remove. Once you’ve uncovered this underlying coating, clean it, sand it, and clean it again. You’ll know when it’s clean enough when it is squeaky-clean to the fingertips and no paint comes off on your fingers. Next, buy a good quality acrylic bonding primer and apply it to the cleaned area. Allow it to dry, and then add a topcoat. If patching is required, patch after priming, allowing proper dry time (read the labels of all products!). Then, re-prime before painting.  It is frustrating to discover someone else’s incompetence has just added hours to your painting project, but take the time to assess, repair and repaint correctly to prevent repeating the mistake of the previous painter.