Maybe you are starting to notice some paint peeling or discoloration on the wall of your commercial building. Maybe there is a large swath of paint missing above a window, some bubbling happening closer to the ground, or significant caulking on the exterior.
Peeling paint in commercial buildings is not the root of the problem that needs to be fixed, but instead a symptom. If you are able to find and correct the root cause of the peeling paint symptom, the results will be long-lasting.
The following article addresses diagnosis of your commercial building’s paint issues and does not handle step-by-step fixes since this depends on what problem is happening.
Peeling Paint is a Symptom, Not the Problem
What the Coating is Actually Telling You
Peeling paint on a commercial building might seem like an aesthetic issue that can be resolved by scraping, priming, and applying a fresh coat, but it is almost always pointing to an underlying issue. When you notice paint failures, you can assume that there is something happening underneath the paint to actively destroy its bond to the building.
Your commercial coating is likely telling you:
- Trapped moisture trying to escape
- Substrate is deteriorating behind the paint
- Poor prep before painting
- Temperature fluctuations weakening bonds
Why the Location on the Building Matters More than the Size of the Area
Location is everything. You may be alarmed by a large 20 square foot section of missing or peeling paint on a flat wall in the middle of the building while completely missing the small 2 inch section of paint peeling along the window lintel. Location tells you what might be quietly happening underneath.
Reading the Failure: What the Paint Releases To
Peeling to Bare Substrate
If you are noticing bare substrate behind your peeling paint, you could be facing a few problems. Most often, bare substrate points to poor prep. If the paint was applied to an unwashed building or a building that was not properly sealed, the paint is bonding to the dust or loose particles on the building instead of the building itself.
Another reason you could be seeing bare substrate is because moisture is pressing out from behind. It’s important to pay attention to this!
Peeling Between Coats, Color Still Underneath
Peeling paint that reveals the old paint coat underneath indicates an intercoat adhesion failure. This means that the old coat bonded correctly to the building, but there was an issue with the new coat bonding to the old paint. This can happen for a few different reasons:
- Adding a topcoat without removing the dust or atmospheric caulking
- Paint incompatibility (eg. putting latex paint over oil paint)
- Missing the recoat window leaving a too-hard shell for the new paint to adhere to
Blistering with the Film in Tact
Bubbles in your paint that have not yet torn are an important indicator of trapped moisture or gas. Water can get in the substrate several different ways and then turn into water vapor, pushing out against the paint, forming a blister.
Gasses can do a similar job when paint is applied and temperature fluctuations happen before the paint is fully bonded with the building. These fluctuations cause building contractions and expansions that produce gasses that try to escape and push on uncured paint.
Sheet Delamination On Stucco and Block
An entire sheet of paint falling from stucco or block is alarming, but can have some direct roots. Most often a sheet of paint falling off your building can indicate that the paint was applied to a wall that was still covered in dust or atmospheric chalk.
It could also point to efflorescence which is when moisture gets in the masonry and draws out the salts. Over time these salts build up and push the paint off the wall.
Where the Moisture is Getting In
Roof, Plumbing, and HVAC Condensation Paths
Leaks from roofs, plumbing, and HVAC systems all have paths to follow, using joists, pipes, or ductwork that bring water damage further away from the actual leak. Breach points in commercial buildings include:
- Broken pipes
- Damaged flashing on rooftop HVAC systems
- Improper insulation causing condensation in ductwork
Control joints, window transitions, and weep screed at the base
The most common failure points in commercial buildings that let moisture into the walls are control joints, window transitions, and weep screed at the base of walls. This is because these areas all involve transition points with a mixture of materials or system terminations. When these areas are exposed to the harsh climate of Arizona, they can fail and lead to moisture. Peeling or blistering paint is an indication of these issues.
Efflorescence, irrigation, and ground contact on block walls
Commercial buildings that have block walls in direct contact with the ground can soak in moisture from the ground. Especially when the ground is not graded away effectively. Irrigation can also cause constant moisture contact with the walls. All this moisture can cause efflorescence under paint which creates a buildup of salt under the paint layer, pushing it off.
Monsoon season and what it does to a wall that was already open
The monsoon season of Arizona is another culprit of moisture in commercial buildings, especially if there is a spot in your walls that is open to the internal assembly. The heavy rain and winds push water in this opening, saturating the core substrate and trapping moisture that will turn into water vapor in the next day’s high heat.
Most Failure Traces Back to Prep- Not Paint
Chalk as a Release Layer
Chalk on your commercial building occurs when the resin or glue that is in the existing paint breaks down due to UV rays or moisture and forms a fine powder. If the new paint is applied without removing the chalk layer, it will bond to the chalk and not the walls. The chalk then becomes the release layer. Proper prep resolves this.
Incompatible Coating Systems and Missed Recoat Windows
Commercial buildings are painted with high-quality oil based paints or acrylic paint. When one of these paint types is applied on top of another without a proper tie-coat, it can cause immediate or quick failure of the paint.
In a similar vein, commercial building paint has a specific window of time before it will become too hard to paint over. If you are noticing paint delamination or paint flaking, you may have missed the recoat window.
Painting a Damp or Dirty Substrate
Painting over a damp or dirty substrate will cause serious adhesion issues. Dirty substrate will prevent the paint from reaching the pores and bond. Damp substrate will cause trapped moisture that will eventually build up and push its way out, causing paint peeling off the wall and paint blistering. The substrate must be sufficiently cleaned and dried before any paint is applied!
Why Repainting Over it Fails Again
What Has to Come Off Before Anything Will Bond
It is important to understand how to fix peeling paint on a commercial building’s wall. The answer is never to scrape and repaint over it. The prep is the most important part and includes removing the following:
- Anything that is physically loose
- Everything that is chemically non-stick
- All biologically active things
What a correction adds to a normal repaint scope
When you hire a commercial painter for a normal repaint and discover you need an entire correction repaint, your project just went from relatively simple to extensive. A corrective repaint involves addressing any structural issues that caused the failure and removing the entire layer of paint that was affected. Only after this process can the repaint begin using special primers and products.
The Bid that Looks Cheaper and Costs More in Two Years
If you’re noticing some peeling or bubbling in your paint and you get a commercial painter’s bid, a low bid most likely isn’t looking at the deeper issue, but instead plans on doing a normal prep and paint job. While this paint job may last a year or two, it will require you to do an extensive removal in the near future adding significant costs to maintenance. It is always less costly to do the job right the first time.
Pre-1978 Buildings and What Actually Applies
When RRP covers a commercial building and when it does not
Many contractor companies reference all pre-1978 buildings having the EPA’s RRP rule requirement, but this is not true. In general, the RRP rule does not apply to commercial buildings, only residential.
However, there are some exceptions to this. The RRP rule exists to protect children and pregnant women from lead paint. If a commercial building has regular child or pregnant visitors, then it must follow the RRP rule. Otherwise it is not a requirement.
What governs the work when RRP does not
When it comes to commercial buildings, OSCHA governs and requires healthy working conditions for workers. This means that if you are hiring a contractor to paint your pre-1978 building, OSCHA requires that your contractor uses air monitoring systems, workers use proper PPE, and containment systems are in place.
What to ask a contractor before they start scraping
Because pre-1978 buildings contained elevated risks when it comes to painting, there are important questions you should ask your contractor before they start work. It may be helpful to ask the following questions to ensure compliance and a job well-done:
- Who is in charge or regulations of this project? EPA’s RRP or OSCHA?
- What containment measures will you take before scraping starts?
- How are you satisfying OSCHA’s initial exposure assessment for workers?
- How do you handle, bag, and dispose of scraped paint debris?
- How will you capture the waste water after power washing?
Questions Property Managers Ask Us About Peeling Paint
Can you just paint over peeling paint on a commercial building?
You should never paint over peeling paint in commercial buildings. Peeling paint is a symptom of a deeper issue and painting over it without addressing the issue could lead to costly future problems. If you have peeling paint, you should evaluate why the paint is acting this way to take the necessary steps.
How do I tell whether it’s moisture or bad prep?
One of the ways you can check the cause of peeling paint is to check the back of the peeled paint. If it is chalky or dirty in some way, it is likely due to poor prep. If the back of the paint chip is clean, it is often due to moisture or gas.
Does peeling paint mean there’s a leak somewhere?
Sometimes, but not always. The two things you should check is location and what the substrate is like. If the substrate underneath is soggy, you may have a leak. If the location of the peeled paint is near a window or the roof, you may be dealing with a leak. Dry substrate could mean another issue.
How much does correcting a failed coating add to a repaint?
Correcting a bad repaint is much more costly than a maintenance repaint. While maintenance includes scraping and adding a top coat, correcting a bad paint job involves testing, total coat removal, structural repairs, and specialized primers. It is always less costly to do the job right the first time without cutting corners to save money.
Why did paint that’s only two years old start peeling?
Commercial paint is meant to last many more than two years. If your paint starts peeling within two years, it most often points to a bad prep issue. It means the paint was unable to fully bond with the substrate to begin with and it will need a correction repaint.
If we do nothing, how bad does it get?
Commercial building paint jobs are an essential exterior protection of your building. Ignoring bad paint is not simple to fix. Instead, the issue will grow exponentially and create a breach in your essential protection against the elements leading to many other issues.
Our building is pre-1978. Do lead rules apply to us?
Whether lead rules apply to your pre-1978 commercial building depends on if your building routinely sees traffic of children or pregnant mothers. The RRP rule applies to daycares, pediatric offices, schools, and more. But if your building does not interact with children, you do not have to follow the RRP rule.
Getting a Straight Answer About Your Building
Don’t wait when you begin to notice signs of peeling, bubbling, or other paint failures. At AZ Commercial Painters, we can take the guesswork out of what is going on. We have years of experience diagnosing the cause of failing paint and taking corrective action that will last. Reach out to us today to schedule a consultation!
ACP Commercial Painting Company
Phone: 480-604-2886
