Peeling Paint? How Humidity Could Be the Hidden Cause

MI Digital Solution

August 18th, 2025

Peeling paint is a common type of exterior paint damage. Learn more about how humidity (as well as other factors) causes it and how to fix it.

Exterior Painting

Cracked and peeling paint on a home's exterior

Painting isn’t an easy job. The wrong techniques, paint type, surface preparation, and environmental conditions can cause poor results, premature damage, and what feels like a waste of time and money.

One of the most common types of damage we’ve seen with exterior paint jobs is peeling, which is often caused by improperly managed projects that fail to account for humidity.

How Humidity Causes Peeling Paint

Humidity is by far one of the most challenging factors to contend with in the summer. High humidity slows down the evaporation of water and solvents in paint, which means it takes longer to dry and cure properly, and longer dry times mean an increased risk of surface imperfections from dust, insects, or debris.

High humidity can also cause adhesion problems, leading to a higher chance of peeling, blistering, or flaking.

Other Potential Causes of Peeling Paint

If you work with a professional painting company, you’re less likely to experience peeling paint. The most common reason why paint peels is that the painting job just wasn’t done correctly. Aside from humidity, the following factors can cause peeling paint:

Incorrect Surface Preparation: Adhesion issues can occur when you paint over grease, mildew, or damaged paint.
Moisture Problems: In addition to surface preparation, exterior paint jobs require repairing damaged components, like gutters and caulking. If they aren’t repaired, moisture can get behind the paint film and not only damage the new paint job but also the interior of your property.
Incompatible Paints & Primers: You always have to remove old paint before adding a new coat. Some paint formulas aren’t compatible and won’t adhere correctly, causing both layers to separate. Skipping a primer or using the wrong type of primer can also cause peeling.
Temperature Extremes: When planning a paint job, it’s critical to pay attention to the weather, including both humidity and temperature. If you paint in direct sunlight or when the surfaces are too hot, the paint will dry too quickly while staying wet underneath.
Wrong Paint: An exterior paint should have some level of UV resistance. If you use the wrong paint, the resulting paint film won’t expand and contract with temperature changes and eventually fade from UV exposure.
Thick Application: Applying paint in heavy coats causes the outer layer to skin over while the underneath remains soft, which causes wrinkling and eventual peeling.

Fixing It

A person uses a scraper to take off old, peeling paint

The only way you can fix peeling paint is to remove it and start over again. You can’t paint over loose or peeling paint.

To prevent it, you need to:

Ensure ALL paint is removed.
Sand and clean the surface (and allow it to dry).
Fix any issues, whether related to ventilation, caulking, or gutter damage.
Apply a high-quality primer BEFORE painting.
Look at weather conditions and only apply paint when the temperature and humidity are right.

If you’ve already tried to paint your home yourself and it resulted in peeling layers, save yourself time, stress, and frustration by letting a professional handle the job for you.

Get Professional Help Today

Imperial Painting has been painting homes across Shelby Township, MI, for over 25 years, specializing in both exterior and interior painting. Customers continually rely on us for high-quality results, exceptional communication and collaboration, and service transparency. We handle every aspect of the job, including surface preparation, repairs, priming, painting, and even color selection.

You can visit our website to read more about our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, or contact us today to schedule a free project consultation.