Does This Look Like Rising Damp or Efflorescence? Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[dave88]

Hello,

Can anyone advise on what this looks like:

It does not feel damp, but the paint keeps drying out and flaking off.

[Skid Sprocket]

As the stain does not start at the bottom, at a guess I would say it could be some contamination in or on the plaster surface staining the emulsion paint. Any staining will come through water based paints however many coats you apply. A simple fix could be a coat or two of OIL based undercoat to seal the stain before applying the emulsion finish coat.