# paint flaking from the ceiling...cause/solution??



## lornmastro (Mar 17, 2006)

Went to a home to paint a foyer this week. The foyer I knew had some issues with the last layer of paint seperating from previous layer of paint. I scraped off the paint that was already coming down...however when I scraped anywhere on the ceiling the paint flaked off...it looked like it was snowing...it was flakes not chips.Never have seen anything like this before. I scraped the whole ceiling and still when I went to roll I got sections of the last layer of paint on my roller. The house was built in the 50's and had a small textured plaster ceiling...the paint that the last layer paint was chipping off of was not oil. I scatched my head and call my friendly neighborhood BM dealer. They said that the Problem layer of paint was probubly just cheap/waterdown paint and that I should carefully roll (one pass) of oil based primer and that would seal that problem layer. The next day my crew went in ( I was home sick as a dog) and rolled the ceiling with latex paint. For the most part went well except they said they had spots that bubbled. The bubbles eventually went away. 2 nd coat the same thing. Questions...was the problem really just cheap paint and was the solution the correct one. As I am expecting a return visit to this ceiling ...what would you do to permently fix this problem ceiling. Thanks for any feedback on this problem/solution.


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## tcleve4911 (Mar 26, 2006)

Could it be Moresco milk paint? The test is to wet your finger and if the paint is on your finger...you've got Moresco. Used in WWII era in place of oil products.
Just a thought..................


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## Workaholic (Feb 3, 2007)

Cheap paint and poor adhesion or it could of been painted over oil, there are a lot of possible factors. You actually had the same problem with adhesion and plowed through it like the previous painter did. Good chance when the next guy comes to paint it he will run into the same problems that you did. 
Best bet would of been to scrape and sand failing paint, skim coat patchy problem areas or entire ceiling depending upon condition. Then oil prime before topcoating.


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## world llc (Dec 9, 2008)

is the ceiling plaster?


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## lornmastro (Mar 17, 2006)

was built in the 50's but the most recent paint job and problem paint was done in the last 6 yrs... and I checked it wasn't oil underneath. couldn't sand it the ceiling is textured. I did scrape it....I guess I should have used a steel brush to loosen more loose paint. thanks for the input!!


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## Workaholic (Feb 3, 2007)

lornmastro said:


> was built in the 50's but the most recent paint job and problem paint was done in the last 6 yrs... and I checked it wasn't oil underneath. couldn't sand it the ceiling is textured. I did scrape it....I guess I should have used a steel brush to loosen more loose paint. thanks for the input!!


 What kind of texure? Did you snap any pics?


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## lornmastro (Mar 17, 2006)

Yes the ceiling is plaster and its textured with peak and valleys but no pattern (sorry can't explain it any better kindof like popcorn but it wasn't popcorn)....and no I didn't take any pics.


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## Frankawitz (Jun 17, 2006)

Well you have a texture that is typical of that year the house was built. the paint is oil base, I would use TSP on it to break down the surface, I just had a job last week where some painters skim coated a wall then wallpapered it, well it all peeled down to the oil base paint and plaster. big mess. the upstairs bathroom had a leak and it came down in the Dinning room. But use TSP they have it in spray bottles at Home Depot soak the paint down use a stiff broom and brush the ceiling get all that latex off, then wipe ceiling down with clean water, then you should be able to prime and paint.

www.frankawitz.net


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## world llc (Dec 9, 2008)

this happens to me on plaster ceilings... not sure why.. if anyone can explain it i would appreciate it
anyway... you need to prime with BIN


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## lornmastro (Mar 17, 2006)

I also thought it must be oil...but when checked (2X) it wasn't!! But your right frank I probubly should have wet it and scaped off all the old paint. Will know to do that next time. Thanks for your input!!


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## world llc (Dec 9, 2008)

lornmastro said:


> I also thought it must be oil...but when checked (2X) it wasn't!! But your right frank I probubly should have wet it and scaped off all the old paint. Will know to do that next time. Thanks for your input!!


 nice trick:
when you run into that get some old cheap paint you don't care about and roll it out on the ceiling and go behind 5 min after aplication and scrape everything off

works like a charm


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## vandyandsons (Dec 23, 2008)

if that happens in the future, scrape and sand everything that will come off.

then you have to seal the surface. an oil/ alkyd sealer would be optimum. I personally would use Zinsser Gardz.

once sealed, skim and patch. 

then sand

then prime and paint.


glad to hear that it all worked out though.


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Is it possible that a calcimine paint was used at some point? I know you said it was built around 1950, but.. maybe.


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## lornmastro (Mar 17, 2006)

Thanks all for your advice. I thought about calcimine....but wasn't that used in older homes?? Not much experience with paster walls


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## Frankawitz (Jun 17, 2006)

Here's a job I just did where a Painter skim coated walls instead of scraping the paint off the plaster. Moron.

www.frankawitz.net


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

lornmastro said:


> Thanks all for your advice. I thought about calcimine....*but wasn't that used in older homes??* Not much experience with paster walls


Yes. My understanding is it was used up to the early part of the 20th century. I was thinking an old school painter at the time may have used it.*
*


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Frank, how did you go about removing the paint off that plaster to get it ready to paint?


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## world llc (Dec 9, 2008)

that pic is bringing up old repressed memories....


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## davitk (Oct 3, 2008)

world llc said:


> that pic is bringing up old repressed memories....



Happy memories? :jester:

Customer recently had me look at a kitchen ceiling, 50 year old house, idiots came in last winter (insurance co's recommendation for ice dam repairs) and skim coated w/o sanding. I refused to quote anything but new sheetrock, I will not warranty anyone else's work.


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## lornmastro (Mar 17, 2006)

wow frank that job looks like a real nitemare!! World...I remember what the homeowner said..the original owner used all sorts of crazy things when he built this house...maybe it was calcimine...hmmm...something to think about. would calcimine make the paint flake off the ceiling??


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