bubbling emulsion paint General decorating topics, questions and answers. find help, tips and advice on completing your decorating projects

[meljg]

:( help - i am decorating my lounge using dulux matt emulsion paint - walls have been painted before so carried out normal preparation but paint bubbled on contact - dulux helpline said it was air and would dry out - it didnt and appears to have lifted paint underneath - have sanded down and washed down again and repainted but bubbles keep appearing - it makes no difference if internal or external walls and very randon but very noticable so cannot be left - please help

[stoneyboy]

meljg,
Try sliding a sharp filler knife in under the original paint layer in a bubbled area. If you can lift off the old paint then the wall was not primed correctly in the first place and you will have to remove poorly adhering paint before redecorating.
end

[theshedman]

Hi, as stoneyboy says the walls haven't been primed properly with a mist coat. If it is bubbling in many places I would try to remove the lot. It is not the paint you are putting on that is the problem it's the one under it. Does it go back to bare plaster when you remove the bubbles, if so then it is most probably the lack of a mist coat when the walls were first done. I have done a few jobs in the past where this has happened and it only took a few hours to get the walls back to bare plaster. Then give then a good mist coat before using couple of finish coats. You could also try looking at the post 2 above yours as that may help. Good luck. Shed