Signs your house needs painting, and signs it needs something else first
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
What are the signs that paint needs attention?
Extension services name the same handful: peeling, chipping, blistering, chalking, cracking and mildew. NC State Extension's maintenance checklist tells homeowners to check painted surfaces for paint failure of those kinds, and for water damage. Any of them means the paint is no longer protecting the surface well. But not every one of them means the next step is a painter. Several point first to water, and in an older house any of them may point to lead.
What does peeling paint mean?
Usually water. Purdue Extension, in a publication written with a scientist from the Forest Products Laboratory, says the most common cause of premature paint failure on wood is moisture. It lists the ways water gets in: rain and dew through breaks in the paint, ice dams at roof edges, and water vapor from inside the house produced by cooking, laundry, bathing and humidifiers, as well as plumbing leaks and damp basements or crawl spaces.
That is why its advice is that any moisture problem must be eliminated before repainting. NC State Extension makes the same link from the outside of a house: peeling paint, or white spots on stain, could indicate moisture problems. If the same patch of siding has peeled before, look above it for a gutter, a roof edge or a bathroom vent before booking a painter.
Peeling between coats is a different case. The Purdue publication says intercoat peeling usually results from inadequate cleaning of the weathered paint before the last repaint.
What about blisters?
Two kinds, according to the same publication. Temperature blisters form when the sun heats partly dried paint, and dark colors and thick coats are more prone to them. Moisture blisters contain water. If you break a blister and find bare wood or water underneath, treat it as a moisture problem.
What does cracking mean?
Often too much paint. The Purdue publication says cross-grain cracking comes from a paint film that is too thick, and that once it appears the only solution is to remove the old paint completely. A painter who proposes another coat over cross-grain cracking is proposing more of the cause.
Is chalky paint a problem?
It is normal weathering, up to a point. The publication says paint gradually starts to chalk and erode away as it ages. The issue is what comes next: if a tape test shows the surface is too chalky, it needs more cleaning, or an oil-based primer, before new paint will hold.
What about mildew and mold?
Mildew on siding is on NC State's checklist of things to inspect. Indoors, the Environmental Protection Agency is firm about one point: do not paint or caulk moldy surfaces. Clean up the mold and dry the surface first, because paint applied over mold is likely to peel, and if the water problem is not fixed the mold will most likely come back. Condensation on windows or walls, the EPA adds, can be a sign of high humidity; it advises keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent.
What signs matter inside the house?
NC State's checklist includes cracks, loose or failing plaster, signs of leaks and stains on ceilings and walls. A water stain that comes back after painting means the leak is still there. Loose plaster is a repair before it is a paint job.
When is worn paint a lead warning?
In a house built before 1978. The EPA says lead paint in good condition is usually not a problem, but deteriorating paint, meaning peeling, chipping, chalking or cracking, may need immediate attention from a certified lead professional.
The places to look first are those that rub. The EPA names surfaces subject to friction, such as doors and windowsills, as producers of lead chips and dust, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists windows, doors, floors, porches, stairways and cabinets as places lead dust is common. Paint that sticks, rubs or wears through on a window sash or a stair tread in an old house is a sign to find out whether it contains lead before anyone sands it.
The EPA's interim advice is to clean up chips with a damp paper towel, and to fix small areas of damaged paint, under 6 square feet, without sanding, or with the area wetted first if sanding cannot be avoided.
Are there signs to leave something alone?
Yes. The EPA lists textured paint and patching compounds on walls and ceilings among the places asbestos may be found in older homes. It says you generally cannot tell asbestos by looking, that material in good condition which will not be disturbed is not likely to pose a risk, and that you should not sand or scrape it. A textured ceiling that is cracking or that you plan to sand is a reason to have it tested before painting starts.
Who do you call?
If the sign is moisture, the first call may be to a roofer, a gutter cleaner or a plumber. If it is lead or asbestos, it is a certified professional. If it is plain wear, it is a painter. How often to repaint covers timing, doing it yourself or hiring covers who should do which job, and the cost guide covers price. Painters are listed on the painters directory page.
Sources
- Preventative Home Maintenance, NC State Extension
- Inspecting a House, NC State Extension
- Paint Failure Problems and Their Cure (NCR-133), Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service
- Reduce the Risk of Lead Exposure at Home, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Lead Abatement, Inspection and Risk Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- About Lead in Paint, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Learn About Asbestos, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency