Bubbling Paint Will Ruin Your Walls—Here's How Experts Prevent It

Painting is one of those home improvement tasks that people either love or despise. It’s the easiest (and most affordable) way to make a space look brand new, making it the perfect winter remodeling project as you put away some of your budget for gifts. However, as with all DIY projects, it's not always as easy as it seems, and some problems may not appear until after the paint has dried. Bubbling paint is one of them, and it's a perfectionist's nightmare.

Bubbling paint, or blistering, is one of those pesky, unforeseen issues that can, ahem, pop up a few hours after you put down your brush or even years later, depending on the cause. The fix might be as simple as scraping the blister off, patching the area, sanding it smooth, and repainting. Most likely, though, you'll need to do some investigating to figure out what happened and ensure there isn't a bigger problem lurking, like water damage or a faulty foundation.

“Paint bubbling is usually caused by moisture, bad prep, or cheap paint,” says Erica Anenberg, general contractor and CEO of Girl Flip, a Los Angeles–based construction and remodeling company. “In my experience, moisture's the biggest culprit.” Excess moisture causes paint to lose its adhesion, pull away from the drywall, and create uneven air pockets. That's why bubbling paint is most commonly seen in kitchens and bathrooms, where condensation builds up rapidly. If you see it in another room, it could be an indicator of a leak coming from the plumbing, air-conditioning system, or the roof. “You'd be surprised how many people don't realize they've got a leak somewhere,” Anenberg says.

Prepping your walls inadequately or using the wrong paint or primer can cause cosmetic paint bubbling too—this usually looks like a crop of smaller bubbles.

You need to address the root cause of bubbling paint to prevent further damage to your home. Once you've done that, it's usually pretty easy to patch up your wall and make the paint look smooth again. Below, we'll walk you through various scenarios and solutions for solving unsightly bubbles in your paintwork—and explain how to prevent them next time.

Bubbling Paint Causes

From insufficient prep work to poor conditions, there are a few common reasons why you might have paint bubbles on your home's interior or exterior walls.

The Walls Are (or Were) Damp

The most common reason for bubbling paint, as mentioned above, is too much moisture exposure, resulting in a loss of adhesion. When moisture gets trapped in between paint layers, air pockets form where the paint releases from the wall. Moisture could be coming from humidity in the room, through poorly constructed drywall, from a leak, or through an external crack in the wall. You need to fix any leaks or moisture issues before you start, advises Anenberg. “It's worth the extra effort.”

You Painted When It Was Too Hot

Temperatures over 85 degrees Fahrenheit can cause paint to dry unevenly, and that can lead to bubbling paint. It's ideal to paint when it's between 50 and 85 degrees.

You Didn't Clean the Walls First

If you didn't wipe down the walls properly before painting, grease and dirt could be the cause of bubbling. Paint can't fully adhere to a wall that's greasy, resulting in a bubbled appearance.

You Didn't Prime the Walls

Primer is important whether you're starting with new walls or covering existing paint. It ensures the paint can grip the surface evenly and consistently.

You Used the Wrong Kind of Paint

Bubbling paint can happen when you use a different type of paint than what's already on the wall. Oil- and latex-based paints can't go on top of each other; the compounds don't bind, which means you'll get air bubbles in the top layer of paint.