Does old flaking paint bleed? If so, what can I do about it?

Question

When I bought my house, I inherited an ugly makeshift shed that, while well-constructed in terms of the framing and roof, was poorly finished using leftover materials and paint from other construction and fix-it jobs.

Rather than using wood planks or plywood on the exterior of the shed, the builder used chip or flake board. He then slapped on some weird colored reddish paint that looks half paint half stain. This paint was also used on the roof edges -- the wood under the roof shingles.

Figuring I would get rid of the shed sooner or later, I did not bother doing anything to it. Over the last few years I noticed flaking of the paint, and the paint and chip board. Recently, after a few days of heavy heavy rain, I noticed that the patio stones in front of the shed are showing red blotches, as if paint was dripped on them. All I can figure is that the flaking paint is being washed off the shed wall, deposited on the stones, and then the extreme damp is causing the flakes to liquify.

However, also, it seems that the roof, under the shingles, were also painted with this half-paint half-stain, and now, with the heavy rains, it seems the paint is bleeding out and hitting the ground.

I am concerned because this is not good for the environment and my garden soil, but also because my shed is very close to my property line and my neighbor's driveway, exactly where he parks his car. I do not need to have to pay for paint repairs because of a previous owners stupidity and my indifference. So, my questions are:

Is this really happening, and why? And, what can I do about it with winter approaching?

Remember, this is chipboard painted over, with both the paint and the chipboard now flaking. Also, I can afford neither the money nor time to replace this shed or do a major reconstruct. On top of this, the shed is right on the property line, and while I can probably keep it where it is because of a grandfather clause in the bylaw, once i tear that shed down, I would have to relocate it.

Wolf Harper · Accepted Answer

ok when was it built or painted?  Lead paint and heavy-metal pigments went away in the 70s. Other than that, paint is pretty nontoxic after it dries.   To date the construction, look at the chip board, literally, it might have dates on it.  But more to the point, it's chip board, and that didn't become popular until after toxic paint was long gone.

It's probably a cheap interior latex paint that is failing due to rain, sun and lack of primer.

Your more pressing problem is the weather is going to tear apart that chip board, it's probably already coming delaminated (unglued).

Cheap people use $10 paint.  Cheap AND lazy people use $100 paint, and never have to paint it again!

That said, in order of least to most:

1.  Take a solid afternoon and go completely bananas with a (hand) wire brush and orbital sander, removing any paint or wood that is flaking.   Then a) Kilz oil primer, 2 coats, and b) a respectable alkyd enamel (oil paint).  Avoid reds and yellows, the pigments fade.

2.   #1, but with a  2-PART epoxy primer intended for brush/roller application on wood.  This is a little hard to come by and expensive, but penetrates deep into the wood and cures solid there, resulting in a durability no other paint can match.  It's all I use. Probably pearls before swine in this case though.

3.  Prep lazy, Kilz or epoxy primer, and then,  aluminum siding.  Vinyl, steel, whatever. Also the stuff intended for roof edges.  This removes the unsightly "trailer trash" look of the chip-board.

eldots53 · Answer

Honestly, it's not clear to me what you want to have happen. You don't seem to like or want the shed, and you don't seem to want to spend any time or money on it - or you would have repainted it a long time ago. Tear it down and be done with it. If you want a new shed, build it where it is supposed to be, build it right, and give your poor neighbor a break from that ugly encroachment. You yourself said you figured you'd take it down sooner or later. Consider it sooner or later, and get rid of it.

To answer your question, no, old flaking paint does not bleed. The chips are probably very small and getting into the pores of the pavers.

To answer your question,  no, old flaking paint does not bleed.  The chips are probably very small and getting into the pores of the pavers.

flossie · Answer

When in doubt, chuck it out.

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Does old flaking paint bleed? If so, what can I do about it?

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