What Makes Interior Paint Peel?

When it comes to the look of the interior of your home, dealing with peeling paint can be an extremely frustrating and disenchanting situation. Not only does it affect the overall attractiveness of your household, but it can also be a real hazard to your health if left for long enough. While you might expect paint to start peeling after a few years, it can easily drive homeowners crazy when they see it only a few days after a new paint job. Unfortunately, there are a number of certain factors that can contribute to your paint starting to crack and flake off even after only a short period of time. Here are a few of the most common causes of interior paint peeling that you should be aware of before you start your next paint project. 

High Humidity and Condensation 

One of the principal causes of paint peeling off of interior walls is the amount of condensation and humidity in the space. If you’re trying to repaint a bathroom or if your home has particularly bad ventilation, this is definitely a concern you’re going to want to keep in mind. When a room is in a constant state of high humidity, the moisture will actually absorb into the walls which means that the paint itself is unable to form that bond with the wall material. This results in bulging which will quickly turn into cracking and peeling. If you’re looking to paint rooms in these conditions, the best thing you can do is dry the room out for a few days ahead of time either by finding a new ventilation method or, better yet, investing in a dehumidifier. 

Dirty Walls 

Another incredibly common cause of interior paint peeling is that the walls themselves were incredibly dirty before the paint was added. This is a particular concern in rooms such as kitchens where things such as grease, oil, and smoke are constantly in the air and hitting up against the walls. Paint will never stick to dirt. Because of this, before you start any sort of paint project, making sure that the walls are properly cleaned and primed ahead of time is critically important. Otherwise, you will most likely end up having to start over again from scratch anyway.

The Paint Was Expired

You know that old can of high-quality paint that you’ve been saving for years in the basement? Unfortunately, that might not be the best thing for you to use for your new project. Believe it or not, paints come with expiration dates and all too often homeowners end up using these old paints that they’ve had in storage for who knows how long and come to find that the paint chips and peels off almost immediately after. Generally speaking, paint can last up to 10 years under the right conditions, but if you’re worried you’re anywhere close to that time frame it might be best to simply pick up a new can.