Stop Paint Peeling On Your Home with Paint Binders & Peel Stop Primers

Peeling paint is one of the most common house painting problems we come across. Whether it's due to inadequate surface preparation, moisture infiltration, or using the wrong products that cause paint to peel, failing paint can quickly become an eyesore and worse yet can result in permanent damage to your home. 

If you've ever wished for a solution to stop paint from peeling , you're in luck! Paint binders and Peel Stop primers are specially designed to seal down peeling edges, improve adhesion and extend the life of your paint job. While they aren't a substitute for proper prep work, they can be a game-changer in preventing peeling paint. Keep reading to learn more about using these products and preventing peeling paint with proper preparation. 

My Paint Is Peeling.  What Do I Do?

Let's be clear, in most cases normal surface preparation will remedy the paint peeling issues and get your surface ready for new coatings.  I would say that 9 times out of 10 when we encounter peeling paint on exterior siding we will begin by pressure washing the home, which cleans the surface and also removes the majority of the loose paint.  

After we give it time to dry thoroughly, we'll come back with scraping tools and work on any remaining edges that aren't well-adhered.  If everything appears to be good, you can then feather-sand all of those edges to smooth the transition and help to minimize future peeling.

Ok, so you've followed these steps but your paint is still peeling.  What now?

Using Paint Binders for Peeling Exterior Paint

I was working on an exterior repaint project on wood lap siding a few years back and no matter what we did the paint would NOT stop peeling.  The more we scraped, the more it continued to peel.

In the past, the only option would have been to do a complete paint removal down to the bare substrate with either heat, abrasive blasting, or chemical stripping. We were willing to go this route, but it was not included in the bid scope of work and the cost to the homeowner was out of their budget. Luckily, thanks to modern chemistry we had an alternative solution to try instead.

We decided to try a specialty binding primer made by Zinsser, called Peel Stop.  Peel Stop claims to “glue-down” loose edges and stop further peeling so you can paint over the affected surfaces. And while I would never recommend this type of product as a replacement for proper surface prep, we were at a point where it was either employ this as a solution or strip the paint off of the house, so the homeowner was willing to give it a shot.  

This primer doesn't require any special applicators or techniques.  It's simply applied the same way that other primers are applied -- using a brush and roller, or an airless sprayer.

Fortunately, in this case, it worked and has held up nicely for the homeowner so far.

Are All "Peel-Stopping" Primers The Same?

The short answer is No.  The primer that we used successfully was a binding primer that is designed to glue-down loose edges, seal cracked surfaces, and bind chalky surfaces.  There are a few other primers that are somewhat misunderstood to be the type of product that will do what Peel Stop does.

One such popular product is XIM brand Peel Bond High Build Bonding Primer/Sealer.  Peel Bond is a great bonding primer that can be used when you need to apply a topcoat over a surface that you are concerned it may not stick to.  It will even penetrate bare wood and masonry to promote better adhesion, as well as bridge hairline cracks in existing surfaces.  What it won't do is seal-down loose edges.

Another product we see used often is PrimeRx Peel Bonding Primer by Sherwin-Williams.  It is very similar to the XIM Peel Bond with what it does, but again, it is not intended to be used to tie-down loose edges.

Maybe the best use for these types of primers is for use as a barrier coat over previously painted surfaces that are lightly cracked or alligatoring to keep you from having to do so much scraping and sanding in order to make your topcoat look good -- but they are not designed for stopping the peeling of existing coatings.

One of the Best Paint Binders for Flaking Paint 

Recently Zinsser came out with a new version of their Peel Stop product called Peel Stop Triple Thick which combines the benefits of the original Peel Stop binding primer with primers like Peel Bond and PrimeRx, so it also works well from smoothing over those marginal surfaces prior to painting.

How to Apply Peel Stop Primer Effectively 

Step #1: Clean the surface 

As with any other paint job, coatings should only be applied to a clean, sound surface. Pressure wash, with bleach and cleaners as necessary, to remove dirt, dust, mildew and other organic growth, and loose paint.

Step #2: Scrape loose paint

Peel Stop is mean to reduce “undercutting” of latex topcoats and other general lifting of edges of old paint after scraping. It is not meant to go over lifted edges to reattach them. For a peel stopping product to work, it is essential to get the surface as tight as possible.  The better you do on prep, the more chance the product has to work.

Step #3: Apply the Peel Stop (or other competitive peel stopping product)

Peel stop may be brush or roller applied, or it may be applied by airless sprayer. Airless application is faster and does a superior job at applying an even film thickness, however it does not set paint into a surface and will not force paint into cavities. If applying with an airless sprayer, we recommend back-brushing with a quality synthetic 4” paint brush to work the product into the pores, cracks, and cavities to ensure a sealed surface and better bond.

Do Peel Stop Primers Mark the End of Scraping & Sanding?

Are these primers a cure-all that will eliminate the need for scraping and sanding?  Absolutely not.

Unfortunately there is no substitute for manual labor surface prep to get a house ready for paint.  However there are certainly times that these niche products can be used in lieu of extensive or complete removal of problem coatings.  It would be a big mistake to ever reach for a peel stopping primer right away in hopes that it will cut down on prep time.  Even if you were able to slap some primer on your walls.. and even if that would make it look good enough for paint, the chances are that you'd just be covering up a problem that will soon reemerge.

If you would like some assistance with your house painting project please give us a call at (724)898-2446, visit our Contact Us page, or click on the button below to request your free, no-obligation consultation and quote. We’ve been serving the Pittsburgh area for nearly 20 years!