How to Fix Peeling Paint to Make It Look Like New
An hour is all you need to give your wall the refresh it deserves
- Dust mask
- Safety glasses
- Drop cloth
- Putty knife
- Wire Brush (optional)
- 220-grit sandpaper
- Spackle
- Primer
- Paint
- Painter's tape (optional)
There’s no doubt about it—peeling paint is an unpleasant sight to behold when you enter a room. However, you can repair it with relative ease compared to painting the entire room if there isn't extensive water damage underneath. There are two secrets to keep it from coming back. The first is to discover why the problem exists and remedy the situation; the second is to use proper repair techniques. Follow along to learn how to fix peeling paint to make your walls appear brand new.
Safety First: Check for Lead Paint
If your home is over 45 years old, you should test for lead paint. Lead paint can be a health hazard when it's disturbed, and particles become airborne or ingested. If you suspect your house may have lead paint, even below several layers of lead-free paint, consider hiring a local lead testing specialist to deal with it instead of risking exposure.
Prepping to Fix Peeling Paint
Repairing a section of peeling paint is fairly straightforward, but the trick is to keep the situation from happening again. That’s why it’s important to determine why the paint is peeling in the first place. Typically, paint that stops sticking to the subsurface results from the presence of water. Extensive water vapor in the indoor air can cause paint to peel, and water in the drywall or plaster can come from a leaking water source.
Determine whether high humidity is the reason your paint is coming up. If so, use a dehumidifier and fan to dry out the room and the wall area that needs repair before starting work. If a water leak may be to blame, find the leak’s source and repair it or have a local plumber fix the problem before allowing the wall to dry out and fixing the spot.
Prep the Room
Photo: SDI Productions / E+ / Getty ImagesAlthough peeling paint repair isn't a particularly dirty job, keeping spackle and paint drips off the floor and furniture makes cleaning up a breeze. Place a drop cloth below the wall area you're repairing and push it snugly against the wall. You can also use a plastic sheet. Keep it from coming away from the wall with a few pieces of painter's tape.
Remove Peeling Paint Chips
Before moving forward, take a moment to find and put on your safety glasses. A paint chip in the eye is unpleasant, to say the least.
Use your putty knife or paint scraper to chip off large paint flakes by pushing the blade forward and underneath the chips until they pop off. Continue around the damaged area until no more fragments fall and your blade slides onto solid paint without catching an edge. If small flakes remain, use a wire brush to eliminate as many as possible.
Repair the Spot
If your wall paint is semi-glossy or high-gloss, scuff the area a few inches immediately beyond the peeling spots with 220-grit sandpaper or a sanding sponge to help the next steps adhere to the surface.
Use your putty knife and spackling or joint compound to spackle the area by picking up a small amount on the blade and applying it liberally over the damaged area. Follow up with the knife by laying it flat and firmly but gently pulling it toward you, smoothing out the wet compound. Limit the number of passes to as few as possible. You can easily sand out imperfections later.
Sand the Area Smooth
Photo: Klaus Vedfelt / DigitalVision / Getty ImagesAllow the spackle or joint compound to dry thoroughly before making your next move. Drying can take a few hours and up to a day. When dry, gently sand the area using 220-grit sandpaper or a sanding sponge. Avoid applying much pressure when sanding, and instead, aim for numerous light passes until the area is smooth to the touch and no ridges exist where the spackle meets the existing wall paint.
Remove Dust
Use a dry or slightly damp cloth rag to remove the sanding dust from the repair area to allow the primer to adhere well. Avoid rubbing the wall vigorously and creating scratches in your smooth compound.
Apply Primer
Use a paintbrush or paint roller to apply a coat of primer over your repair spot evenly. Consider using a tinted primer to minimize the number of finish paint coats for dark colors. Allow the primer coat to dry thoroughly according to the product directions.
Hide With Paint
Photo: Daniel Llao Calvet / Moment / Getty ImagesFor the final step, use a paintbrush or roller to apply one or two coats of wall-color paint, allowing them to dry in between. If you don't have the original paint can, take a larger paint chip from earlier in the process to the paint store to match the color. Remember that paint can fade unevenly depending on each wall's sun exposure. If you're repairing several peeling paint areas on different walls, consider painting the entire room to avoid inconsistent colors.
Should You Fix Peeling Paint Yourself?
Repairing peeling paint in your home is a straightforward project and an excellent challenge for a beginning DIYer. Fixing a few small peeling paint spots yourself will only cost you the price of materials, which can be under $25. However, the project involves a little patience and a day or so of waiting for the paint to dry.
Meanwhile, hiring a local interior wall painter to perform the task costs around $100 for a few small spots. The cost of professionally painting the whole room is between $2 and $6 per square foot. But having someone else do it frees up your weekend if that's more your style.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes you can get away with simply sanding and painting over small areas of peeling paint. However, the problem will likely return quickly, and the ridge between old and new paint will be visible. If you just need a quick fix and won't worry about appearance, chip away the peeling paint as much as possible, prime and paint the area, and skip the spackle step.
Numerous primers on the market will do the job of covering peeling paint. The best primers for peeling paint are bonding or adhesive primers that essentially glue the edges of peeling paint back to the subsurface while providing a smooth, even surface for the new paint coat.
The most common reason paint peels is because moisture gets trapped underneath it and disrupts its bond with the wall. Other causes for peeling paint include a poor original paint job, painting over a surface with dirt or other foreign material on it, or applying paint coats that are too thick.
