Bubbly Paint On Walls

[Kazal]

Some years ago we had a new kitchen fitted. The wall and floor units were a bit smaller than the ones they replaced. We decorated the kitchen and a couple of years later the paint started to bubble and crack in the areas where the previous cupboards, floor units and tiles had been. My husband then sanded the areas down to the plaster, painted with pva and then re-painted the walls. However this bubbling has appeared again, my husband has since passed and I am unsure what to do next.

[theshedman]

There is a chance that it is the PVA that has caused it. Sand it back or scrape the peeling paint off to bare plaster then give it 1 or 2 coats of watered down emulsion, a mist coat we call it. This will seal the walls and stop the bubbling then give a couple of coats of the finish colour.

[Kazal]

Thanks for this and although I am not in a position to dispute what you say I am pretty sure my late husband did sand the areas after the kitchen was finished as they were very rough where tiles etc had been, but he didn't use pva that time.

[theshedman]

Hi, if you try doing what I said about sanding down and giving a couple of mist coats first that may do it. If when doing it the first time the paint was put on straight from the tin then it may not have adhered properly. A mist coat seals the wall and lets the paint stick to it. If the paint was put on straight from the tin then sometimes it sort of floats on top of the plaster and occasionally it will bubble or peel. You wouldn't always notice this at the time of decorating. But don't use PVA at all as this is known to cause this type of problem and something similar will have beeen in the tile adhesive so make sure it is all gone before repainting. I have had this happen to me when I thought I had got all the tile adhesive off and the bubbling only appeared where this had been and I worked in the trade for many years.

[The Builder]

You don't need my two cents' worth after Shed's post.
I couldn't agree more.

No PVA needed.
"MIST" coat(s) essential.

It is one of the most common mistakes in re-painting emulsion. Using far too thick a coat.
I tend to use mostly "Trade" paints which are much thicker than normal. With these, I even thin down the final coats a little.

Thick coats are most likely the cause of your bubbling.

[Samcotton85]

Did you apply the PVS before or after you plastered it? If it was after then the paint will be affected by it. Sand back to plaster, put some base coat emulsion on then paint the main coat.

Questions
1. Is the wall near the kettle?
2. Is the wall near the hobs?

Reason I ask is that it might be heat or steam causing it.

[Kazal]

Sam the pva was applied after the wall had been sanded down to the plaster. The affected areas are not near to kettles or hobs.

[Samcotton85]

Hi Kazal, if it was after the plastering and before the paint then it's likely that is causing it. Why did you PVA before you painted? Usually you PVA before you plaster as the PVA makes sure the water in the fresh plaster doesn't get sucked out quickly by the existing dry plaster / brick you are PVA'ing