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Painting & Decorating

New Paint has cracks appearing over Gyproc Easi-Fill

Anonymous user 03/03/2024 - 2.59 PM

I recently painted two coats on my bathroom ceiling that measure around 2500mm by 2000mm. This is when I had filled an area where an old ceiling rose light had been before I moved in; which left an indentation about 20mm deep. This was filled in using 2 coats of Gyproc Easi-fill, left to dry completely. I fine sanded this in between the coats of Easi fill and over the last coat using an electric light weight sander. I then applied a PVA mixture to the patch and left to dry before I did a paint test on the patch using some previous left over paint of the Dulux Light & Space, and fine sanded using an electric light weight sander. I then applied a first slightly thicker coat of Dulux Light and Space in absolute white on Tuesday evening. I looked at on Wednesday and it looked good apart from a slight faint paint patch around the area that had been filled. I have just done the second today, again slightly thicker than the first coat to try and get the paint around the patch to be even with the thickness of the patch. I came back to see if it had dried and it has cracks in the paint that look like as though it is peeling away where it has been patch with Easi-fill and feathered out. I really don’t want to do a third coat of paint, as I have used one whole 2.5Ltr tub on this one ceiling, where as previously 1 tub of 2.5ltr went on 3 ceilings! I am contemplating of going back to my previous old ideas, before somebody advise me filling in etc, of getting a round mirror tile drilling a round hole big enough for a new light fitting connection to fit into and fixing it all to the ceiling. Trouble with the Easi-fill patch, is that it has been feathered out, and now measures around 40X40sq, so it’s trying to get hold of a mirror tile wide enough. I have also filled in my Kitchen ceiling with the same stuff and applied PVA, test painted and lightly sanded where an area where an old fluorescent fitting had been taken down. This looks fine with the paint. I haven’t started painting the whole ceiling as of yet, as this was going to be my next ceiling to do. Having looked at the bathroom, I’m finding it hard to crack on, as my motivation is slipping away because I can’t seem to get past this ceiling. I have my kitchen, lounge, bedroom and landing and stairs to do also. I really don’t know what to do, although work needs to get done asap. Please can somebody advise.

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3 Answers

Huddersfield Bathrooms

Rating: 5 out of 5

Huddersfield

Difficult to say the exact reason for the failure on the paint without seeing what you did exactly however there is a pretty failsafe way to sort the issue. Going on what you have explained in your description i presume you applied the filler in stages as recomended by the manufacturer. I have a feeling you probably didnt prepare the surface prior to applying the filler which has caused it to shrink and crack slightly, Also the pva prior to painting isnt the way to go. How i would proceed now is to remove any flaking paint as much as possible, if there are any minor cracks within the filler apply fine filler and sand over to provide a smooth surface. Apply Zinnser BIN (Available at b and q if you dont have a merchants close by). Allow to dry , usually an hour tops, then apply your top coats to finish. Obviously without seeing the issue its difficult, but if you use the zinsser i think you should be fine. Hope that helps.

Answered12 April 2013

Anonymous user

Sounds like shriveling, caused to paint applied too thick and shrivels and peels, this would normally occur on an oil based system but can and does happen on water based products. Use a stabilizer rather than PVA take it back to a sound surface and start again. Try and avoid mechanical abrasion as the heat from this can also cause similar effects. Good luck hope this helps Andy Herbert A.M.H.Quality Building

Answered22 July 2013

A. Martin Painters and Decorators

Rating: 5 out of 5

Swindon

You will need to rub it down again, re-fill it, rub down again, coat it with stabilex (personally i would not have used pva to seal it ,I would have used stabilex to stabalise it and seal it.)Then paint over it.

Answered12 April 2013