This house has had an issue with their ceilings for years. after multiple attempts to repair the ongoing problems, they reached out to us to rectify the situation.
The ceiling in both the living room and dining room, the ceiling paint is pealing off in spots. The homeowner thought it was due to being previously a popcorn ceiling. A problem that can sometimes occur after removing popcorn texture.
After getting set up in the living room, and we began picking at the ceiling, we discovered that this is in fact not the problem. The paint pealing off is going down to the original plaster finish. Weird.
So our first step after picking out the bubbling areas, was to prime the ceiling with oil based primer, which should, seal the ceiling. After the ceiling was primed, we patched the areas that required patching, then spot primed the patches. After which the problems for us began.
When oil primer fails, that’s a serious problem. Because the oil primer is the industry go to.. when that doesn’t work, there’s really no other options from a painters perspective. At which point the recommendation for the home owner is to install drywall over the existing ceiling. Which can be expensive.
So to avoid that added expense for our client, we decided to try something different. Because we repair plaster with plaster, we carry a special plaster glue on the truck. We decided to roll the entire ceiling with the glue, which seems to have prevented more bubbling of the paint. Or so we thought.
The reason I felt this would work, is because it’s a glue, it’s sealing the surface. Better than the oil primer. After the ceiling was rolled with glue, we patched the areas that bubbled, then primed the entire ceiling with oil primer.
Then painted the ceilings 2x.
Now the dining room ceiling, supposedly didn’t have this issue. However after rolling one coat of paint on the dining room ceiling, the bubbles began. We can’t leave it like that so even though we weren’t contracted to patch the dining room ceiling, we did. Stacy made the decision to roll the plaster weld on the dining room ceiling, we repaired the areas that needed it, and then patched, spot primed, then primed the entire ceiling. Plus 2 coats of paint on the dining room ceiling as well.
Granted it has only been a week, but no more pealing of these two problem ceilings. We don’t know why the paint pealed off, but hopefully this fixes the problem. After this, I am out of suggestions. Both ceilings have oil primer > Plaster glue > oil primer> two coats of ceiling paint. The cost over runs on this one were substantial. But we exceeded our contractual obligations where others failed. Live and learn. But this is an example of when it comes to repair work, sometimes you just don’t know what your really getting into.
So a job that was bid for 1.5 – 2 days, took 3.5 days to complete. Its our company policy, that we stick to our contracted price unless the homeowner changes something.
With over 25 years of experience in residential construction, Dave specializes in ceiling repairs and high-end interior painting, often exceeding contractual obligations to ensure the highest level of craftsmanship. His ability to maintain exceptional customer satisfaction in such a demanding field is a testament to his expertise, integrity, and dedication to quality.
Dave Carrigan Jr. is the owner of Carrigan Painting, a 5-star-rated residential painting and plaster repair company serving the first- and second-ring northern suburbs of Buffalo, NY. For 15 consecutive years, Carrigan Painting has maintained a perfect 5-star reputation—an achievement nearly unmatched in the industry.
As the author of The Painter’s Plastering Blog, Dave shares expert insights on home improvement, plaster restoration, and industry trends. He also personally manages Carrigan Painting’s website and YouTube channel, providing homeowners with valuable resources and a firsthand look at the company’s craftsmanship.
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Explore Carrigan Painting’s work:
🔹 Interior Painting | 🔹 Ceiling Repairs | 🔹 Plaster Repair | 🔹 Drywall Repair
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