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I have a problem in my home that's driving me crazy. I have painted the ceilings twice since moving in. All of a sudden, in multiple rooms, the paint is falling off in chunks. Right down to the plaster. If I try to plaster over it after scraping all the loose paint it comes off worse than ever. If I try to paint it with latex paint it just falls off again right down to the plaster. I asked around and some people said years ago a sizing was applied to plaster in some houses and after a while, you can't paint it any more because the paint just won't stick. This is crazy! Do I have to sheet rock every ceiling in my house? Any painters know a solution to this? Thank you.
You don't say the age of your house but it sounds like calcimine was used at one time. Here is a link that discusses the problem. In the end you usually wind up covering most of them with new sheetrock. In bathrooms nothing ever seemed to work. Another solution was to wall paper the ceiling with a textured vinyl that was designed for the purpose. Was one of my favorite solutions especially for in bathrooms where folks wanted a cheaper fix.
My tenants a few years ago painted an entire home with Latex Paint over Alkyd Oil Base Paint... what a disaster... all of the latex paint was peeling from everywhere... total lack of adhesion. This home was built in 1922.
I've covered over almost all of the old plaster ceilings in the units I manage with new Sheetrock followed by primer/sealer and top coat of Latex... that will solve any problem by giving you a fresh surface.
Cosmic... for Bathrooms, the only thing I will use is Zinsser Mildew Guard Latex Paint... I've never had a paint issue once Mildew Guard was on the wall... I also use it for closets... anywhere high moisture is a potential problem.
Last edited by Ultrarunner; 08-13-2008 at 07:19 PM..
Reason: Completed my thought
If you read exactly what the OP sezs does not sound like incompatable paints type problem. If it peels down to the plaster and appears clean before additional paint is applied in another coat, the problem should have cleared itself. Description is saying there is something within the plaster surface itself, aka just how calcimine works in many situations once used.
Not what the OP describes, seems to make no difference after a peeling incident, if the ceiling seems down to bare metal, it peels again after another coat of whatever paint is applied.
Your classic problem where calcimine has been used. Indicators fit the problem until we know different. Still seems more like your classic calcimine, you never get the puppy clean enough. In my experience interior paint compatibity problems are not that common, not that they can't happen but probably require some strange circumstances.
If it is really serious, recover with thin sheetrock and be done with it, serious wholesale peeling sezs it has really gone wrong for some particular reason. This one still sounds like your classic calcimine deal.
Would be interestng to know the age of the house and what it appeared like in the beginning. My other guess would be the former owner, had the problem in spades, did a quick paint over and dumped the problem on the new fellow. Again a situation that occurs so many times in real life with these type problems. Might try to check with the neighbors and see what could be learned about the history of the house.
House is around 60 years old. You're right, it peels right down to the plaster. I painted the ceilings twice without any problem and now it has started. No sign of the problem for years after we bought the house. We've been here 29 years. Thanks for that link. I think I'll wind up sheet rocking the whole friggin' place.
I like the wallpapering idea though. I'm not sure if the glue would adhere. It might fall off just like the paint.
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Sounds like calcimine was used at one time.....
