Exterior paint peeling off the bottom of the wall
#1
02-05-11, 08:33 AM
Exterior paint peeling off the bottom of the wall
I hired a contractor to paint my house about a year ago, we agreed that he would pressure wash my walls, then one coat of primer and two coats of paint.
I specified Benjamin Moore Fresh Start as the primer and BM latex acrylic paint as the finish coat.
He did the pressure wash first, then prime/paint took only one day. I asked whether he did two coats he said he did (I was not home was at work) and I asked if he primed he said he did as well. He showed me receipts from BM, but at the time I thought three coats done in one day is a bit quick for a 2000 SQFT house's exterior.
The exterior is CBS (Concrete Block Stucco) and location is Miami so we get A LOT OF rain.
About three months later the paint at the lower 1/3 portion of the wall began to form "bubbles". I started to peel it off and more came off. This happened on only one side of the four walls facing west and only on the lower portion. Once I peeled off the paint I wipe my hand on the wall and I feel what comes off being chalky powdery. Does it mean he did not properly pressure clean the wall previously and this is the decomposed paint from the original paint?
I called but number no longer in service...oh well...
Do I need to just address the lower portion of that wall, or do I need to completely redo all my exterior walls?
I specified Benjamin Moore Fresh Start as the primer and BM latex acrylic paint as the finish coat.
He did the pressure wash first, then prime/paint took only one day. I asked whether he did two coats he said he did (I was not home was at work) and I asked if he primed he said he did as well. He showed me receipts from BM, but at the time I thought three coats done in one day is a bit quick for a 2000 SQFT house's exterior.
The exterior is CBS (Concrete Block Stucco) and location is Miami so we get A LOT OF rain.
About three months later the paint at the lower 1/3 portion of the wall began to form "bubbles". I started to peel it off and more came off. This happened on only one side of the four walls facing west and only on the lower portion. Once I peeled off the paint I wipe my hand on the wall and I feel what comes off being chalky powdery. Does it mean he did not properly pressure clean the wall previously and this is the decomposed paint from the original paint?
I called but number no longer in service...oh well...
Do I need to just address the lower portion of that wall, or do I need to completely redo all my exterior walls?
#2
02-05-11, 11:26 AM
It sounds like he painted over chalky paint 
Pressure washing alone doesn't always remove all the chalk. The best way around this is to add Flood's Emulsa Bond to the 1st coat of latex paint/primer. The fix is to remove any loose paint, treat the chalk and repaint. More paint might peel later depending on how much chalk is under the paint 
Depending on the method of application, size of crew and the weather it's possible to apply 3 coats of latex in 1 day but it isn't advisable!! Applying that much coating in a short time doesn't allow the paint/primer to thoroughly dry. The top of paint can dry quickly but that doesn't mean the paint has dried all the way through. 2 coats is max on a warm sunny day. A cooler overcast day might only allow 1 coat to be applied properly but it's hard to say without being there.
It sounds like you didn't get the job you paid for
It's best to stick with companies that have been in business for awhile or atleast have a good word of mouth reputation. Did you check the contractor's references before hiring him? Everyone thinks they can paint and while that's partially true, there is a big difference between an experienced painter and someone who's just trying to earn a buck.
Pressure washing alone doesn't always remove all the chalk. The best way around this is to add Flood's Emulsa Bond to the 1st coat of latex paint/primer. The fix is to remove any loose paint, treat the chalk and repaint. More paint might peel later depending on how much chalk is under the paint 
Depending on the method of application, size of crew and the weather it's possible to apply 3 coats of latex in 1 day but it isn't advisable!! Applying that much coating in a short time doesn't allow the paint/primer to thoroughly dry. The top of paint can dry quickly but that doesn't mean the paint has dried all the way through. 2 coats is max on a warm sunny day. A cooler overcast day might only allow 1 coat to be applied properly but it's hard to say without being there.
It sounds like you didn't get the job you paid for
It's best to stick with companies that have been in business for awhile or atleast have a good word of mouth reputation. Did you check the contractor's references before hiring him? Everyone thinks they can paint and while that's partially true, there is a big difference between an experienced painter and someone who's just trying to earn a buck.
#3
02-17-11, 04:47 PM
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Nothing wrong in paint application
your problem is not paint, it is the substrate moisture.
most likely this is due to negative moisture, the moisture climbs up the wall from the ground due to waterproofing failure or absence.
there is nothing you can do a t this stage, but you can hide the problem by fixing a stone cladding 1-2 feet starting from the ground level, this will hide the problem.
make sure to use porous stones to allow breathing out the moisture.
most likely this is due to negative moisture, the moisture climbs up the wall from the ground due to waterproofing failure or absence.
there is nothing you can do a t this stage, but you can hide the problem by fixing a stone cladding 1-2 feet starting from the ground level, this will hide the problem.
make sure to use porous stones to allow breathing out the moisture.
