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Paint problems with my son's bedroom closet trim :-(

melle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/

4 years ago

I was measuring his closet for an organizing system, and discovered that the paint on the closet trim of our new-to-us 1960s house is peeling right off where the sliding door closes against the trim. I could easily peel 4-6" sheets of paint off from the paint below, and I'm pretty sure if I use the heat gun I would get most of it off in a short time. We didn't paint this so I'm not sure if primer was used or what, but what's underneath seems to be dingy beige high gloss.

I want to use the heat gun to remove all the trim paint and address the problem appropriately, then re-paint with something that will adhere properly, either before or after organizing system is installed.

What steps do I need to take? The paint underneath isn't flaking or anything like that.

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Comments (5)

chispa
4 years ago
Maybe the old paint was oil based and they just freshened up with latex, which is now peeling. I'm no pro, but have done plenty of my own painting over the last 25 years. I would clean and sand/scuff the old finish. I would then use the correct primer before putting on any new paint.

I think there is a way to test if it is oil or water based paint.

When we moved to LA we rented a house first. The owner had it rented for several years and had a fresh coat of paint applied before we moved in. The painters had applied latex over oil and pretty much all the trim started peeling not long after we moved in. I quickly took photos and emailed the owners who lived out of state. Didn't want them to think we were abusing the house!
sdello
4 years ago
The key phrase in your post was "high gloss". High gloss finishes are usually hard and slick so you get the shine and they're easy to clean. Because they're slick they need to be abraded and/or sanded prior to repainting so the new paint has something to bite into. I suspect whoever repainted didn't sand it and that's why you're able to peel it pretty easily.

Clean and sand the old paint prior to repainting. Note that the thickness of the existing paint might make lines show through where the old paint stays and where it's been peeled. Be sure to sand those edges well to prevent that from happening.
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kudzu9
4 years ago
Also bear in mind that using a heat gun on vintage paint that may well contain lead results in vaporization of the lead and poses an inhalation and contamination risk.
melle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/
Original Author
4 years ago
I will see about the proper primer, and I guess if that still doesn't adhere maybe just remove and replace the trim. I should not have peeled it I should have just glued it back down ;-)
PRO
Anglophilia
4 years ago
If it was high gloss, it may well have been oil, and latex was used to "freshen" it up a bit. That causes major peeling over time. The only solution is to sand and then use the proper primer and then re-paint.

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