What is the cause of the powdery substance under the peeling paint and the yellowing on the back side of the wood?
Asked by Claro Nascimento 
5 months ago
Last Updated: June 21, 2024
Hey, have you noticed that all of our woodwork is peeling like this? What’s that powdery stuff under the paint? It shows up right when we start scraping the paint off. And have you seen the back side of the paint is really yellow? Do you think that’s just from removing the orange stain from the wood?
You’ll have to remove the surface layer of the clear coat from the door that was stained, strip off all paint, sand it down, and then repaint.
It appears to be dust to me. It seems like they did not use an acrylic urethane bonding primer before painting. When paint peels off in sheets like that, it indicates a bonding issue. Make sure to clear away the dust and prime the surface. Also, it seems heavily latex-based, so it is possible that semi-gloss wall paint was used for the trim, which would explain the visible brush strokes.
Hey, do you happen to know when this was last painted?
Those aren’t brush strokes, they’re actually the grain of the wood that was painted over.
Our best guess is that it was painted around January of 2021, just before it was listed. Any suggestions for a primer, ?
If you can manage to find it, , it’s really the top choice
Hey, thanks !
It’s likely that latex was applied over stained wood but didn’t bond properly due to inadequate preparation and using the wrong paint.
That must have hurt! My guess is that latex paint was used without primer.
I recently dealt with a situation where the old urethane was baked on and stuck to the paint instead of the wood.
Take the doors and sand them down, then wipe with a damp cloth and let dry before applying primer and paint. I recently worked on some doors using this method a few months ago and they turned out great.
You should consider using oil-based primer.
Check out this awesome Behr paint and primer combo. Remember, sand and prime well before painting over a stained door. Consider redoing everything that was previously stained to avoid peeling in the future!
The key is not the Behr paint and primer itself, as it’s actually good when used correctly. It all comes down to properly preparing the surface with the appropriate products. It’s just another case of someone attempting a DIY project without the necessary knowledge or care because they’re looking to sell.
Haha okay! After being a professional painter for almost 30 years and trying every paint brand out there, I can confirm Behr is great. You’re right about the importance of proper prep work. The issue with Behr paint is that people mistakenly believe it eliminates the need for primer. When dealing with a raw surface, it’s crucial to prime it correctly before applying any paint, especially Behr.
Before painting, did you rough it up a bit? It’s best to prime it first, rather than using a paint and primer mix.
It’s clear that the paint bond was broken. Probably because the wood wasn’t sealed or primed before painting.
It seems like the wood was not adequately primed before painting.
Gently remove sand dust, wipe it down with denatured alcohol, and then apply a coat of Zinsser BIN primer.
It was not sanded and was instead primed twice initially.
Wood must be sanded down to get rid of the shiny surface layer. Then, apply the correct bonding primer properly, twice, before painting. If not done correctly, you’ll end up with the same mess you’re dealing with now. The powdery residue may be due to incomplete wiping after a light sanding before the first coat of paint/primer. The yellow tint is probably the leftover poly coat or stain that wasn’t completely sanded off the wood.