Ceiling Paint Is Peeling After the Primer

Eliminating Possibilities

• Because the primer is not peeling, you can eliminate one of the major causes of peeling paint: surface preparation. Paint often peels from surfaces that are too dirty or glossy. Calcamine can also be eliminated as a cause. Older homes often have ceilings that are coated with a powdery substance called calcamine. It needs to be removed, or it will cause the paint to flake off.

Painted Too Early

• All primers have a "recoat time," which means the amount of time the primer needs to dry before it can be painted. The recoat time is different, and longer, than the paint's drying time. If you apply paint to the primer too early, it has not had enough time to dry. The moisture in the primer will then evaporate under the paint and cause the paint to blister, crack and peel.

Painted Too Late

• Primers are not only designed to stick to the surface but to the paint applied to them. But they don't stay "sticky" for long. After a period of time, the primer can lose its ability to adhere to paints. For this reason, manufacturers may list a "maximum recoat time" or "critical recoat time." This means that paint must be applied to the primer before this time, or a new layer of primer will be needed.

Weather Conditions

• The manufacturers typically base the recoat and critical recoat times on conditions that are between 74 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit and about 50-percent humidity. If the temperature was cooler than 74 degrees Fahrenheit or the humidity was above 50 percent, the paint would need more time to dry. If the temperature was higher and the humidity was lower, the reverse would be true.