How To Fix Paint Bubbles And What Causes Them
This Is The Basic Process For How Professional Painters Should Fix Paint Bubbles On Walls
Nobody wants to look at the fresh coat of paint on their walls and see bubbles popping up. It means more work and having to deal with knowing they’re there, ruining the look of your walls.
In this post, you can find out what causes paint bubbles, how to fix them, and how to prevent them from happening.
What Causes Paint Bubbles In The First Place?
You’ll see paint bubbles usually because there’s dirt beneath the paint, stopping it from sticking to the wall. The other leading causes are not priming or the area you were painting has a damp spot.
In short, paint bubbles usually happen because something is between the paint and the wall.
How To Fix Paint Bubbles
1. Wait to see if more pop up
When you first see bubbles rising up on your walls, wait.
The paint could just be starting to bubble up. There may be more, and it’s better to do it all at once rather than multiple times. It’s best to wait for the paint to completely dry, as well as any damp spots if that’s the cause.
Sometimes the bubbles can go down after drying. These areas can eventually start peeling, so be sure to keep an eye on them.
2. Remove the bubbles
To fix paint bubbles, you first need to pop them.
Pop the big ones with a sharp object and scrape areas that have a collection of smaller ones. You need to remove them so you can get to the area beneath.
3. Sand the area smooth
Now you start prepping the area so the new paint sticks and doesn’t bubble up.
Lightly sanding gives the area texture, which the paint can better stick to. It’s like how bald tires don’t have a good grip on the road, but new tires have that texture that helps them grip the road. A medium-fine sanding sponge or sandpaper will work.
4. Clean the area
You don’t want to have to fix paint bubbles soon after fixing them the first time, right?
It could have been dirt or some other contaminate causing the bubbling. Cleaning the area gets rid of them and any dust from the sanding. You can dampen a sponge with soapy water and gently wipe the area clean.
5. Prime the spots
You’ll want to use primer properly to give the paint a better chance of sticking.
Primer is what helps paint stick to walls even better. You’ll want to let it dry thoroughly before starting to paint. This way you’re much less likely to have to fix paint bubbles in the same area again.
6. Paint
You’ll want to make sure you’re using the right tools and technique when doing this.
The best technique to use when repainting an area is feathering. You start in the middle of the spot and gently brush outwards, going lighter as you go further. This helps the new paint blend in better with the paint already on the wall.
How To Prevent Paint Bubbles From Forming
The best way to not have to fix paint bubbles is to do all the boring parts of painting.
This means you need to check to make sure the walls are dry. You also need to clean the walls and let them dry, then apply primer and let it dry. These steps may not be as fun as the actual painting, but without them, you’ll be doing a lot more work.
Don’t Let Paint Bubbles Ruin Your Wall
You don’t have to let paint bubbles make it hard to enjoy your home. Just knowing they’re on your walls can ruin any chance you have at getting some peace of mind.
If you’re not comfortable fixing them yourself, you can always contact us and we can handle it for you. You can also check out our interior painting services page if you want more information.