Why did my paint peel?

CoconutPete

House is from 1930
Plaster walls
God knows how many layers of paint.

I tore out some built-ins since we are hanging a TV on that wall. Had to do a little "exploratory drilling" since the studs aren't exactly where they are supposed to be, so I patched that and patched the little gouges from where the shelves were. I used drywall joint compound frankly because it's all I had and I've used it on plaster walls in my house without incident before.

Sanded it, primed it twice and painted it with the old can of paint the P.O. left us, this is just until we change the color of the wall.

I come down in the morning and the paint is flaking off in certain places, but only some. I'd say 75% of it looks great, just 25% is cracked and peeling.

Could it be because the paint is too old, or did I do something wrong here?

Thanks

ToolSeeker

Sounds like you did most things right. A couple questions could the drywall compound not be completely dry. May feel dry and even sand lightly but not be totally dry all the way thru? Same question for the primer could they have not been completely dry, like maybe the 1st coat wasn't dry when you applied the 2nd.

CoconutPete

Hmm, didn't think of that. I think I waited 24 hrs in between everything I did and I have not had a problem with these materials before. Some of the holes were deep so I suppose that could have something to do with it.

ToolSeeker

24 hours should have been enough maybe some else will have a better answer.

Gymschu

I could see a possibility of the mud not being dry after 24 hours tool seeker & Pete. Plaster, although somewhat porous, gets harder as the years go by, alot like concrete. The mud may dry near the surface yet still be soft underneath. Is the peeling occurring on the fringes of your patches or on the patches themselves, i.e. the actual joint compound? It's possible the mud was not completely dry, you primed over the patches and sealed the moisture in and now it's trying to escape thru the primer film. Just my 2 cents. On the other hand, who knows what the homeowner did with the paint you used. They could have let it freeze and thaw for years in a garage or basement. They could have thinned it down with water, or, it quite possibly is passed it's shelf life. Again, just a theory.

chrisn

All the above and or just bad old paint. Just for future reference, when dealing with old plaster, moisten the edges well with water before applying JC.

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