by Thom W. Conroy

Created on: March 14, 2011

Peeling pain can happen on any home and at any area either on the interior or exterior, due to any number of reasons ranging from moisture to age. While repairing peeling paint can be intimidating to a non-professional it is really a home repair that requires little more than the proper tools and common sense to make the damaged area look brand new in short order.

To perform the necessary fix a homeowner must first assemble the tools needed - a paint brush, paint roller and pan, a few pieces of sandpaper in grits ranging from coarse to fine, a small container of drywall joint compound, a scrapper,  a drop cloth, a few rags, the paint of your choice and protective gear such as a dust mask and safety goggles. Once these items have been obtained remove the furnishings from the area affected and spread out the drop cloth to protect carpeting and flooring and to keep debris from the work in a contained area.

After putting on the needed personal safety gear grasp the scrapper and scrap the damaged area of the paint from the center of the peeling paint outward going in all directions. This should get the larger pieces of peeling paint off the wall quickly, and then the wall can be sanded several times beginning with coarse sandpaper using more fine sandpaper as you begin to progress. When finished wipe the sanded spots with a slightly dampened rag to remove dust particles.

Often times a wall will have 5 to 10 coats of old paint on it, so when you remove the peeling paint there is a significant depression in the area where paint chips have been removed. This can be remedied by applying a thin coat of drywall joint compound and sanding it to a level finish after it has dried using fine sandpaper.

When the point is reached where you feel confident that your repair is satisfactory it is time to apply your selection of paint. In the instance where the repairs are vast or where joint compound has been used it is necessary to apply two coats of primer to the affected areas. This is best accomplished using a paint roller and spreading the paint thinly, allowing adequate time between coats for drying. Following this your finish coat of paint can be applied and after cleanup you peeling paint should be a distant memory.

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