Ceiling Paint Chipping?

[soupy1957]

"If the wood stove is causing it, the damage should be centered around the wood stove with less peeling as you move away."

That's what "I" thought, but the Contractor states that the "coldest part of the ceiling is toward the front (where the chipping is occurring) and the chipping is happening in that region, as opposed to around the stove.

I guess I'm to assume that the "colder" part of the ceiling would be more prone to damage (if I understand HIS logic).

-Soupy1957

 

[semipro]

Contractor states that the "coldest part of the ceiling is toward the front (where the chipping is occurring)

That does make it sound more like a moisture issue.

 

[Corey]

Corey:

Like you, I'm thinking that there might be a moisture problem behind the sheetrock. Without checking the building code, I believe that vapor barriers are required in Connecticut. If there is not a vapor barrier, or, as you suggest, if the insulation has been disturbed, then moisture can condense on the cold side of the sheetrock. This moisture will cause the paint to crack and peel. Also, sealing all the ceiling penetrations - light fixtures, etc. - could help the situation.

The only way to really determine what's going on is to have some young buck get up in that ceiling and have a look-see. Given that there is a problem, I would use at least semi-gloss paint on that ceiling. But still, the only sure way to make the paint stick is to have and maintain a dry surface.

Vapor barrier is always a good idea, though it is more to stop moisture getting into the insulation. The paint peeling is more of a surface issue with the drywall, so may or may not be dependent on the vapor barrier. One could almost argue the vapor barrier could make paint peeling worse as the moisture would be 'trapped' at the drywall whereas with no vapor barrier, at least moisture could diffuse through the drywall and out the other side...better for the drywall, but worse for the insulation.

A look up top would certainly tell a lot, though some probing with a moisture meter and/or scan with an IR camera may reveal a lot, too - if those tools happen to be available.

If the peeling is happening away from the wood stove, that may lend more weight to a cold / condensing moisture issue, but would also mean the woodstove isn't necessarily causing the issue - may actually be helping prevent it - at least above the stove where the ceiling can be warm and dry.

 

[basod]

Had a more disastrous situation when I was in college working for a GC.
We had remodeled an old summer cottage and insulated/heated it for winter use around the holidays.
Homeowner called my employer saying sheets of paint were peeling through certain rooms.
It was a mess but not the cause of the new paint, two layers behind it failed determined to be from heating the house quickly when it had never been heated before.

See if you can inspect a chip or the edge for different coloring, if it's just one layer then my guess would be the ceiling wasn't prepped/cleaned properly

 

[eclecticcottage]

Do you have any pics?

 

[begreen]

It sounds like there may be a condensation issue due to the difference between the cold area and the heated house space. You might want to cut out a sample area of the sheetrock there. Those conditions can also breed mold on the backside of the sheetrock. Black mold is very unhealthy stuff to have around. Hopefully there will be none, but it would be good to check. If none, I'd get that area insulated and stop the chill.

 

[soupy1957]

I haven't taken any Pics, but I can I suppose.

Sometimes, when the wood stove gets crankin and the wife starts complaining, I open two narrow windows in the same room, for ventilation (someone told me long ago............"don't turn down the woodstove, open a window or two." (the premise being that you promote more creosote buildup with a cooler fire, than a hot burn).

I wonder if the shock to the room structure (ceiling plasterboard and paint in this case) between the cold from the window and the hot from the stove, is the culprit?

-Soupy1957

 

[begreen]

Maybe, but unlikely. Air leakage in the joist cavity letting in cold air in that space would be what I would look for. You're looking for a large temperature differential. Enough to make the ceiling sweat. Do you have a moisture meter? Maybe try it on the ceiling in a few spots.

 

[soupy1957]

Maybe, but unlikely. Air leakage in the joist cavity letting in cold air in that space would be what I would look for. You're looking for a large temperature differential. Enough to make the ceiling sweat. Do you have a moisture meter? Maybe try it on the ceiling in a few spots.

Interesting idea! Yes, I have a moisture meter just a few feet away from where I'm sitting, in the very room where the problem is occurring. I got the moisture meter (battery seems low, so I'll have to change it out to confirm my findings), and took readings in four locations in the room. Two in the front by the front wall, about 6 feet apart, and two back near the wood stove, approximately the same distance apart, where the problem is NOT occurring.

All readings say "Low," but I could not get the meter to show me a digital number, probably due to the low battery.

-soupy1957

 

[wantstoburnwood]

Try peeling back as much peeling as possible. Pick up a product named "Peel Stop" by zinnsser . apply a couple of coats of this product in the affected areas and repaint. You might want to feather the edges before applying. Paint the ceiling and that should be the end of story.