Why Is My Trim Paint Peeling? 5 Causes and Fixes

A beautiful trim can be the difference between a lovely home and one that looks like it needs some TLC. Unfortunately, interior and exterior trim paint can be tricky, especially if you are wondering: Why is my trim paint peeling?

Your trim paint is peeling because of water damage or too much moisture in the air. While moisture damage is the number one cause of paint peeling, it could also be down to a poor paint job, lousy quality paint, or too much direct sunlight. Knowing the reason is the first step to fixing the problem.

So why is this happening, and what can you do about it?

The rest of this article will focus on the causes of trim paint peeling and what you can do to fix it. By the end, you’ll be able to discern the problem and how you can prevent it in the future. We’ll also briefly discuss some repainting tips.

1. Your Paint Has Suffered Water Damage

Moisture is the most likely problem if your trim paint is peeling. Water and high moisture content in the air can destroy a perfect paint job.

High humidity levels can cause the bonds within the paint to break, leading to peeling and cracked paint.

The difficulty with this issue is that you might not even be able to see the damage. In some cases, the damage might be challenging to detect, so you may have to use a device such as a hygrometer to measure the humidity levels in your home.

This method will only work if you’re dealing with interior trim paint. 

If you’re dealing with exterior trim paint, think about the area where you live. Does it rain a lot? Does it get very humid during the summer? You may want to consider preventative measures to protect your exterior paint job.

How To Fix

If you think high moisture is responsible for your damaged interior trim paint, the best thing to do is check the house for leaks.

If there are leaks around the trim or in the walls, you’ll need to seal the leaks and repair them before you fix your peeling trim paint. 

It would be best if you also consider the following tips when fixing moisture damage:

• If the trim is near (or inside) a bathroom, you may need to practice preventative measures to avoid the same problem. Regular maintenance and cleaning can help to protect the paint job.

• If you locate your peeling trim paint outside, you can maintain them by keeping plants and soil away from the bottom of the trim. 
• Ensure that you fix any peeling places when you notice them and don’t leave the trim peeling for an extended period; otherwise, you’ll have to redo the paint job. 

Exterior trim is vulnerable to the elements, so preventative maintenance measures are more critical than interior trim. 

2. Incorrect Materials, Methods, and Materials in Trim Painting

All of these problems can lead to your trim paint peeling over time. If you did not paint the trim correctly, you’d likely find that the finished result won’t last long, and the quality will degrade over time.

Let’s go into each one of these below:

Overpainting

If many coats of paint have been applied without additional prep work and without removing previous layers of paint, it can cause your trim paint to peel. 

This problem is primarily due to gravity—the heavier the paint on the trim, the more likely it is to peel off. 

Dirty Trim

If the trim was dirty before painting and the dirt wasn’t sufficiently removed, this can cause the paint to peel off.

This reaction is because the paint will ultimately find it much harder to adhere to the trim’s surface because of the remnants of dirt between the wood and the paint – making it more likely to peel off. 

Poor Quality Paint Products

If the paint used on the trim was cheap and of bad quality, it will inevitably be much more likely to peel off. Using good quality paint products, including good quality primer and the paint itself, is essential to create a good paint job that will stand the test of time.

Your Trim Paint Has Insufficient Drying Time

If you did not give each layer of paint on the trim sufficient time to dry thoroughly, the paint would be more likely to peel.

This reaction is because the drying time allows the paint to adhere to the surface of the wood properly. Skipping this part means leaving the paint with a much more difficult job of staying put.

How To Fix

Fixing any of the above four problems will require a repaint. You’ll need to remove all the paint from the trim and clean the surface thoroughly to decrease the chance of peeling.

Additionally, using good quality paint products such as water-based, acrylic, or glossy paint will increase the chance of your paint job standing the test of time. 

Don’t be afraid to spend more money on paint. Very often, the best paints have a slightly higher price tag. Try to find paint with a suitable binder and pigments such as titanium dioxide.

3. Your Trim Has Too Much Direct Sunlight

Direct sunlight can wreak havoc on your paint job, whether the trim is inside or outside your home. Additionally, ultraviolet rays can cause paint to fade before its time—no matter how expensive and good quality your paint is.

Over time, intense sunlight can make your trim paint peel. If you live in a hot climate and your exterior paint is peeling, there might not be much you can do about it but repaint.

However, maintaining the paint job is essential to a long-lasting and beautiful trim. 

How To Fix

If your trim paint is peeling, you will need to repaint it. If it’s not too bad, you can touch up the paint—but if it’s peeling a lot, repainting it is your best option. 

However, you should ensure that the paint you choose is suitable for the job by following these tips:

• When choosing a paint, pick one with protective properties against ultraviolet rays. 
• You can also opt to purchase a protective glaze to cover the paint to keep the sun from damaging the trim. 
• Elastomeric paints are one of the best paint options if your trim gets a lot of direct sunlight. These paints are excellent for protecting your trim from cracking over time, although they won’t prevent it entirely. It’s a much better choice than most regular paints and will keep your trim looking good for years to come. 

4. Your Trim Is Poorly Maintained

Painting your trim shouldn’t be the last thing you do. You also need to keep up with regular maintenance to keep it looking good as new.

Your trim is the same as any other fixture in your house: you need to keep it clean and well-maintained to enjoy it for a long time. 

How To Fix

There are several ways to ensure your trim won’t lose its finish, and most of them are easily preventable with a bit of care and maintenance.

Here are some excellent tips for keeping your trims in good shape:

• If your interior trim is affected by water moisture or humidity, get a humidifier to balance the air around the room. This tool will remove moisture from the air and help to prevent your trim from peeling.
• Regularly cleaning your trim is essential for good upkeep. You can use a soft sponge and warm, soapy water to clean the board.
• If you aren’t into DIY, you can always pay a professional to come and maintain your trim. This option means you won’t have to worry about getting anything wrong and destroying an excellent paint job.

5. The Trim Wood is Brand New

Brand new wood doesn’t allow the paint to hold onto it well—even if you leave it for over four hours to dry.

This lack of adhesion is because the oils in the wood can stop the paint from bonding correctly to its surface, leaving it prone to peeling and cracking over time.

How To Fix

If you choose a new wood trim, you will need to wait a bit before attempting to repaint it. In the meantime, if it doesn’t look good without a lick of paint, you can use some alternatives, such as false moldings.

False moldings are a form of sticky paper that can adhere to the surface of the wood. The front of these moldings is often glossy to prevent moisture from getting through to the wood.

You can trim down the moldings and stick them onto your trim until you think the wood is ready for painting. 

This option is a relatively inexpensive way to decorate your home and keep the design fresh. It’s also an excellent alternative because you can remove the molding anytime and replace it with a different color. 

Do I Need to Use a Primer Before Painting? 

If you’re not a painting aficionado, you may not know that some paints and surfaces require a primer before any paint is applied. 

You will need to use a primer before painting, especially if your trim is wood based. Oil-based primer for wood is essential to allow the paint to properly adhere to the surface, making it less likely to peel and crack over time. 

Some projects do not require any primer, but since the trim is typically wood-based, you will likely need to purchase some good-quality primer for your trim painting job.

How Do I Remove Peeling Paint From Trim?

You can remove peeling paint from your exterior trim by carefully sanding off the paint. Since it is peeling already, you shouldn’t have too much difficulty removing the paint at this point. 

Scraping paint from your house can be quite a job, but there are a few steps  that can help you in the process, such as:

1. Soak the surface with a bit of water to soften the paint, and then try to scrape it off with the knife
2. If any stubborn bits of paint are clinging to the trim, you can use a putty knife to remove most of it.
3. Once you scrape all the paint off the trim, you can use a wet rag to wipe down any remnants of paint. 
4. Make sure you use a dry rag to dry it and then leave it for a few hours to make sure it is thoroughly dry, especially if you’re planning to repaint the surface. 

Can You Remove Peeling Paint Without Sanding?

You can remove peeling paint without sanding, as long as you’ve got some rubbing alcohol on hand. Just spritz a little bit of the alcohol onto a wire sponge (or equivalent) and scrub the surface until you remove all the paint.

If the paintwork is particularly old and stubborn, you might need to put some elbow grease into the work to get all the little flecks of paint off.

Ensure that if you wet the surface, you thoroughly dry it before putting any primer or other product onto the wood.

Can I Paint Over Peeling Paint?

You shouldn’t paint over peeling paint unless the damage is very minimal. If lots of the paint has cracked or peeled, painting over it is like putting a band-aid over a gunshot wound. You’ll find that your problem will worsen, and gravity may also make the new layer of paint peel.

However, if it is only peeling slightly in one or two places, you can scrape it off and use a primer before you paint over the area. This action should be fine as long as the peeling is not down to water damage. 

Remember that you should remove paint that is badly peeling before you do anything else to the trim. 

Final Thoughts

The most likely reason your trim paint is peeling is moisture damage. However, it could also be down to a poor paint job, bad quality paint, damage from UV rays, or a poorly-maintained trim.

Following through with the necessary steps, such as using a primer and allowing layers of paint to dry individually, is essential to preventing your paintwork from peeling.

These steps will enable your trim to look as good as new for many years, and you won’t need to worry about the paint cracking.