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Prep and Surfaces

What Causes Paint to Peel, Bubble and Crack?

5 min readBy the Paint Superhero team

Key takeaways

  • Moisture behind paint pushes it off
  • Painting over dirt or gloss causes peeling
  • Cracks come from movement and old paint
  • Fixing the cause matters more than repainting

Peeling paint is a symptom. The cause may be moisture, poor prep or an incompatible paint. Repainting without fixing the cause brings the problem back.

Common causes

  • Moisture from leaks, humidity or poor ventilation
  • Painting over dirt, chalk or glossy surfaces
  • Applying paint in cold, hot or damp conditions
  • Too many layers of old paint
  • Wood movement and aging caulk

Try our Villain Finder to match what you see on your wall with the most likely cause.

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