Peeling exterior paint: what to check before repainting

Locate the peeling first

A close-up photograph shows loose paint but hides the surrounding context. Include a view of the whole facade and another showing the defect’s position: near ground level, below a window, beside a gutter or over an earlier repair. Give each view a simple name so you can return to the same location.

Note when you first noticed the problem and what has changed since. Keep any older photographs. You do not need to identify the paint composition or pull material away before making an enquiry. The assessment should distinguish the coating that has detached from the condition of the layer remaining on the wall.

If staining is also present, use the checklist for damp walls before painting to organise your observations for assessment.

Practical example

Prepare a surface with peeling paint

The scraper lifts flakes of paint, revealing an uneven surface beneath. This detail helps explain why removing loose material and assessing the substrate come before choosing the finish.

How to approach this situation

1. Locate the affected areas and ask how long they have been changing, using overall views and close-ups taken from matching positions.
2. Have adhesion, render condition and signs of moisture assessed. If the cause remains unclear, allow for further diagnosis before specifying the finish.
3. Separate removal of unsound material, compatible repairs and the paint system selected after preparation in the quotation.

What determines the decision

The deciding question is whether the surface is ready to receive paint or an active cause needs to be corrected first.

What to check at the end

Check junctions and keep comparable photographs. An even appearance at handover does not, on its own, prove that the moisture problem has gone.

Explore the service : Exterior painting Technical documentation (PT) — Sika — Fachadas

What the assessment should cover

Ask the proposal to explain preparation for both damaged areas and surfaces that appear sound. “Facade painting” is not enough detail where removal, making good or preliminary treatment is needed. Ask how the boundaries of a repair are established and how visible patches will be avoided.

The documentation for a repair and levelling mortar such as SikaRep-111 separates substrate repairs from the later painting stage. This helps explain why two quotations specifying the same paint may include different work. Suitability for your property still needs assessment. Sika — SikaRep-111, Portuguese documentation.

Prepare useful information for the visit

• Identify the elevation and floor where paint is coming away.
• Photograph an affected area and a nearby area that appears sound.
• Mention recent repainting or repairs at that location.
• Record visible water, recurring stains or changes after rain.
• Explain whether the defect is isolated or occurs on several elevations.

These records help you ask better questions; a photograph is not an adhesion test. The contractor should clarify what can be established during the visit and what needs further investigation before a final price is agreed.

Compare preparation as well as colour

Ask for three clearly stated parts of the quotation: preparation work, the painting system and exclusions. Check whether removing poorly bonded material has been quantified or remains provisional. If the true extent becomes clear only during preparation, agree how additional work will be authorised.

For a house in Vagos or Ílhavo, distinguish the house walls from boundary walls and outbuildings: they may have different maintenance histories. The same paint colour does not mean that peeling has the same cause on every surface.

When to postpone the finish decision

If there is water ingress, loose material at height or changing cracks, first ask a suitably competent professional to assess the situation. A coating described as durable cannot replace that assessment. See the facade repainting preparation guide to organise the complete sequence.

To prepare an assessment of your property, consult facade painting in the Aveiro region and specify the location and the purpose of the work.