Many people complain that their kitchen ceiling is peeling, and usually, they do not know the exact reason behind this.
The kitchen walls, floor, and ceiling should be perfect, and it should have harmony to present a complete and balanced look.
Why is My Kitchen Ceiling Peeling? The kitchen ceiling starts peeling when there is humidity and water leakage either in it or by the condensation of moisture in the walls. It may flake away due to the extreme temperature and heat from the stove that causes cracks in the paint. The presence of dirt on the surface and the smoke reduces the sticking capacity of the paint. Repeated coatings, unprimed surfaces, poor sanding, and incompatibility between the paint and the roof are some reasons for this problem.
Sometimes, a single spot keeps peeling off repeatedly, which usually requires more inspection.
After identifying the exact reason for the same problem, I resolved this problem in a much better way in my kitchen area.
Heat and smoke
The kitchen has a stove that is the source of heat and smoke.
Heat enforces the paint to peel off because these are not resistant and undergo general wear and tear.
This is more common in homes where people regularly cook in their kitchens, and as a result, more heat is produced, causing more damage.
These are flammable in a way as the fumes and air mixture can catch the flame, and heat from the flame increases the temperature of the paint, and it starts cracking.
The smoke can have some corrosive substances that can react with the chemicals in the paint leading to the flaking of paint.
This problem is more common in places where is poor or no ventilation.
It is better to add a chimney and proper ventilation to remove this hot air from the kitchen and fix this problem.
Moisture and water leakage
The water leakage in the roof can cause peeling as water molecules start to penetrate in the mixture of fumes, air, and liquid in the pigmented product.
If your bathroom is located above the cooking area on the first floor, you are more likely to have leaks. These water leaks can be dangerous for the whole structure of your home.
When a sink slab leaks, water accumulates in walls and can move towards the ceiling, causing the paint to detach from the cemented roof.
You have to use proper and sufficient insulation during construction because it can cut down the risk of spending more money due to this problem.
Try to fix any visible crack in the floor of the bathroom and roof of the kitchen, and you have to inspect for the non-visible gaps and try to put putty or sealant in these gaps.
Low-quality paint
Many low-quality brands are available in the market that offers poor quality paints that do not adhere adequately to the roof.
These have less amount of resin that is the binding agent in them and are involved in the adhesion of the product.
Many people buy these cheap products just to save some money which eventually costs them much more.
Calcimine containing pigments and excess solvents can cause more damage as this paint does not dry completely.
It is better to use good-quality brands that offer perfect quality products with less calcimine and solvents.
Exposure to sunlight
Excessive exposure to sunlight results in sunburn to the ceiling, just like you have a sunburn due to frequent visits in sunlight.
These are harmful both for oil-based and water-based products because these result in a reduction in adhesion capacity.
UV radiation from the sun also damages the ceiling because these rays flake the pigment, which is hazardous.
You have to make sure to have a weather sheet and insulation layers to fix this problem.
Excessive paint coatings
Excessive coatings are one of the common reasons behind the peeling of the ceiling that results in difficult situations to handle.
It is a common practice that you renovate the home and repaint it but do not remove the previous coatings.
Excessive layering with different paint in the same place causes flaking and cracking because the new layer does not adhere to the old.
Do not use oil-based colors on the layer of water paints as they will not stick with each other and start peeling.
Non-primed ceiling
Primers are the coating materials used to prepare a surface for painting because it increases the attachment of paint to the ceiling.
Primers make the product durable, and these are also helpful in the cleaning process because paint starts flaking when you clean the roof.
In humid environments, an unprimed surface loses its adhesion after a few days of coloring because it has a low sticking capacity.
You have to ensure a coat of primer that gives a clean and perfect surface to the pigment you want to apply.
Poor sanding
Poorly sanded surface leads to the non-binding of the pigment with the roof, and it starts peeling quickly.
You should sand the surface properly to have an appropriate binding and sticking of paint with your ceiling.
I always use sandpaper to fix this problem because it works best and is readily available.
Incompatibility of paint
Incompatibility occurs because not all types of paints are suitable for every kind of ceiling surface.
Some chemically treated polymers like polyurethane and epoxy present a poor condition because these polymers are less adherent.
Some building materials like wood contain various substances that can react with the solvents and fumes with their color.
Wood release some oils that react chemically with these products, and similarly, the newly made ceiling also finds some compatibility issues.
Chemicals in concrete and glossy roofs react with oil-based paints that cause this problem.
Some ceilings are suitable for oil pigments, while others are suitable for water-based products, and try to use a perfect combination that will not peel off.
Old home with old paint
One of the reasons is the old home with old paint as there is less maintenance on the building since its construction.
Due to no maintenance, my kitchen ceiling started peeling, and I fixed all these issues.
Some old-styled homes are not suitable for the new paints, which means they are incompatible.
Try to use better quality paint that is compatible with your building.
Poor ventilation
Poor ventilation increases humidity, dampness, and moisture that can cause damage to your home.
A home without windows and other means of ventilation is most likely to become damp all over. This normally happens when your kitchen ceiling is lower.
The moisture due to the absence of windows and exhaust fans is the cause of the spreading of mold that results in cracking of the ceiling.
It is better to add a window and an exhaust fan with a chimney in your cooking area for improved ventilation to fix this issue.
Dirty surface
A dirty surface is more prone to damage. This layer of dirt does not permit the sticking of paint with the surface of the building because it weakens the bonds.
You have to clean this dirt and dust with the help of a duster or a cloth but avoid washing it with water because it can increase the moisture.
One of my friends had this issue, and he cleaned the whole ceiling and then applied new paint.
Can you seal the peeling ceiling of your kitchen?
First, you have to carefully inspect the walls and the ceiling and access the damage. Now you have to find the cause of this problem. Fixing the cause is essential because it can reoccur if you do not fix everything that is causing this issue.
You can seal the peeling ceiling by scratching the peel with sandpaper and cleaning with a duster to remove dirt. You have to be careful and clean the surrounding walls for better results.
Apply a coat of patching material to fill the gaps, sand them and apply a primer at this patch that increases the adhesion.
Then, you can paint it, but make sure that the primer and the pigment are the same types so that the color sticks well and doesn’t flake.
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