I've got a problem with the drywall in my house that I suspect might be delaminating. We bought our home three years ago, and it was heavily smoked in for 40 years, which has left us with some concerns. A painting company did a $20k job on our 2300 sq foot house, but now the paint is cracking in a strange alligator skin pattern, especially on the ceilings of our bedroom and den (see image link). We had a Sherwin Williams rep check for moisture, and he said there wasn't any. The attic is above the bedroom, but the den is on the lowest floor, away from any bathrooms. The painting company isn't taking responsibility for the issues. Any advice on what I should do next?
1 Answer
It looks like the drywall might be the culprit here. Did the painting company apply a primer before painting? I’ve seen cases where they skipped this step, leading to serious adhesion issues. You mentioned something about a glue-like pattern where the paint has chipped; that’s definitely a red flag for poor prep work, possibly indicating delamination.
Yeah, that does sound like a bad sign. If they didn't clean the surfaces properly before priming, the paint was bound to fail. Good luck getting them to take responsibility, though.