10 Reasons Why Paint Is Bubbling on Your Walls and How to Fix It Like a Pro Fast

Paint bubbling on the wall can drag down your home’s look, making it look dingy and dirty. While bubbling paint is frustrating on a wall that hasn’t been painted in a while, it’s especially maddening when the wall you just painted begins to bubble and blister. Plus, bubbling paint could even indicate something wrong with your home's environment.

Below, we’ve explained 10 reasons paint may bubble on the walls and offered tips for fixing it and ensuring your paint adheres properly the next time.

Top Reasons for Paint Bubbling on the Wall

Paint bubbles are a result of paint lifting from the surface due to improper adhesion. The cause of the paint's loss of adhesion can vary, but it is often due to environmental changes or improper application.

Here are some common reasons your paint may be bubbling.

Want more home reno project tips and inspiration? Sign up for our free daily newsletter for the latest how-tos, reno guides, and more!

Walls Weren't Cleaned

Whether you're repainting walls or painting brand-new drywall, you have to clean the walls or the paint won't adhere properly.

Dust, dirt, and grime coating the walls act as a barrier separating the paint from the walls. While it may look good immediately after painting, the paint will soon fail and begin to bubble.

Solution: Clean the Walls Before Painting

Clean the walls thoroughly before painting. Vacuum off any dust and dry debris and scrub away any grime with a damp towel or sponge.

Walls Were Wet

Painting wet walls inhibits the paint's ability to adhere to the wall while also compromising the paint during the drying phase.

Solution: Dry the Walls Before Painting

Wet walls won't accept paint, so you must dry them completely. Wipe away any moisture with a dry towel and allow the walls to air dry.

You Used the Wrong Paint

Different types of paint work better on different surfaces. While there is some crossover, the best results come from choosing the right type of paint for your surface.

Solution: Choose the Right Paint for Your Surface

Choose your paint based on the surface you're painting. When in doubt, consult a paint expert when buying your paint for guidance.

You Mixed Paint Types

Repainting your walls? Be sure to choose the right new paint to cover the old paint. Yes, painting over existing paint with a different type of paint can cause the paint to not adhere, leading to bubbling and chipping in the future. For instance, using oil-based or alkyd-based paint on top of latex paint will not work and the paint will fail.

Solution: Prep the Surface Properly

If possible, stick with the same type of paint you're painting over. When transitioning between types of paints, it's generally recommended to prep the surface and apply a bonding primer to increase the quality of the paint's adhesion.

You Stirred the Paint Too Fast

Even something as simple as stirring the paint too fast can result in bubbling paint on the walls. If your wall has small bubbles across the paint, this is likely due to the introduction of too much air during the stirring process.

Solution: Carefully Mix Paint

Mix your paint slowly using a wooden stir stick. It's better to take your time mixing it than to introduce air bubbles by mixing too rapidly.

Excessive Heat

Even a quality paint job can bubble if the walls are exposed to excess heat. This extreme heat can come as the result of an appliance, extremely hot weather, prolonged direct sun exposure, and other sources. Even if you repair and repaint the wall, the paint will eventually bubble again unless you remove the source of the excess heat.

Solution: Prevent Excessive Heat

Keep flames and hot appliances away from painted surfaces. If possible, prevent prolonged direct sun exposure or opt for UV-resistant paint.

Contaminated Surface

Contamination caused by chemicals, grease, and other substances will cause the paint to eventually bubble and blister due to poor adhesion. This is because the paint will stick to the contamination on the wall, but not the wall itself.

Solution: Clean the Surface Prior to Painting

Stuck-on messes from chemicals, grease, and other contaminants will likely require additional chemicals and detergents to successfully remove them.

Things like dish soap, TSP (trisodium phosphate) and other cleaners and degreasers are effective for cleaning contaminated walls before painting.

You Skipped Primer

Some surfaces must be primed before you can paint. For instance, if you're painting raw wood, you should prime the wood with a high-quality primer such as an alkyd-based primer. Skipping priming and painting the bare wood will result in poor adhesion and eventual bubbling.

Solution: Prime the Surface Before Painting

Use a bonding primer to promote better paint adhesion. Many surfaces like bare wood, new drywall, and wall texture should be primed with specific primers to improve the paint's adhesion.

You Painted in the Wrong Conditions

Pick up your paint can and turn it around to locate the manufacturer's application guidelines. Typically, you'll find an ideal temperature and humidity range for painting.

Painting outside of this temperature and humidity range, such as in an environment that's too hot or humid can compromise the paint, leading to bubbling after application.

Solution: Reschedule Your Painting Project

Pay close attention to the correct temperature and humidity window on your paint can. Additionally, it's wise to choose a day with several moderate weather days following it for the best results.

Excess Moisture Exposure Immediately After Painting

Even if you paint within the manufacturer's application guidelines for temperature and humidity, immediately exposing paint to excess moisture and heat before it has ample time to dry can compromise the adhesion.

This can be caused by turning off an AC unit as you leave a building, opening or closing windows after painting, or even a shift in the weather.

Solution: Increase Ventilation

Don't turn off the AC or fans just because you're done painting. Instead, leave them on for several days afterward to allow the paint to fully dry without excess moisture exposure.

Best Tips for How to Prevent Paint Bubbling

Bubbling paint is an eyesore. Luckily, there are several things you can do to prevent it.

• Thoroughly clean the walls. Clean your surfaces before painting to ensure your paint adheres to the surface, not the grime on top of the surface.
• Make sure the walls are as dry as possible. If you wash the walls or they are wet, completely dry them and give them ample time to air dry before painting.
• Use primer on drywall. Always prime new drywall and joint compound with drywall primer.
• Remove excess moisture. Increase ventilation when possible. If your home suffers from high humidity, install dehumidifiers and ventilation fans to get the moisture problem under control.
• Allow the paint to dry properly. Never expose the surface to moisture or excess humidity before the paint has fully dried.

How to Fix Paint Bubbles

Before you strip and repaint your entire wall, you may be able to fix the paint bubbles, depending on the cause of the bubbles. Here are some paint bubble repair tips that may help.

• Repair minor paint bubbling. For minor paint bubbles, remove them using a sharp scraper, then sand until you achieve a smooth surface. Wipe away any dust, then prime and paint the surface.
• Repair major paint bubbling. For paint bubbling that's more severe, simply scraping it and repainting it won't do. You have to remedy the underlying issue, such as the moisture or heat that's causing the paint to fail.