How do I stop cracking, flaking paint getting worse?

KBdoesDIY

Hi Team

I am painting my laundry and have come across a section of paint that is very brittle and is flaking off.

I've easily scraped away a lot of it, anything lose, but definitely not all of it. It's left a jaggered edge where the paint is still secured to the wall.

How do I seal this edge so it doesn't crack and flake off more, taking my new paint with it?

I am getting horrible picture framing too. Not darker edges, but lighter. The cutting in with a brush is lighter than rolled sections. I've painted a lot and never ever had this problem. Could it be the surface or old paint that is causing this? Could it be because it's a bright blue that I'm painting over? Is it worth trying 2 undercoats? I'm getting this effect in both the undercoat and top coat so pretty confused.

Thanks team 👍

JacobZ

Hi @KBdoesDIY,

If you can upload a few photos of your progress, this could certainly help us to identify what the issues are and offered more specific advice. If you need a hand with this, please let me know.

Just noting that it is in a laundry, does there appear to be any sign of water damage, moisture or staining around the area where the paint is flaking? If there is, it would be important to identify and address the cause before repainting.

Generally speaking, when paint is brittle and flaking, you'll need to remove all of the loose and poorly adhered paint rather than trying to seal over it. Your new paint will only be as strong as the surface underneath, so if the old coating is weak, the new paint can lift with it. As the paint is brittle, this can usually be achieved relatively easily using a metal paint scraper. Once you've removed everything loose, sand the remaining edges with a sanding sponge to feather them out. If needed, use a suitable filler to smooth the transition before sanding, priming and repainting.

For the picture framing, where the brushed cut-in areas are drying lighter than the rolled sections, my thoughts are that the most likely cause is a difference in paint thickness, texture or drying between the brush and roller application. Applying the paint with a brush, then backrolling it with a mini roller can help with the texture, and applying a second coat of undercoat can help with thickness. You also want to maintain a wet edge, so don't leave too much time between cutting in and rolling the rest of the wall.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, or have some photos you can share, please don't hesitate to add them to the discussion.

Allow me to tag @OurPretty_LittleHome, @Nailbag, @Dave-1 and @craig.browne to see if they have any advice.

Jacob