Can you repair paint with clear caulk?

[iaprogressive]

Not sure what forum this would go in, I thought real estate, but it looks like pretty much all sales etc.

I live in a house that was built in 1870, and the house naturally flexes with the seasons. We are starting to get a few cracks here and there on newer paint, but the one thing that bothers me is that in the bathroom where there has been a split (above the shower) the paint is starting to peel away from the wall.

I'm pretty sure that it is because of the humidity in the room, and would like to get that seal back on the wall. While repainting would probably be the best option, I am looking to find a quick easy repair.

My idea tonight was to take a tube of clear caulking, and after pushing the paint against the wall (it's flexible) putting a line of caulk along the crack, and using a trowel to smooth a nice even layer across the crack.

Would this work?

[ericjeeper]

You will have to use LATEX caulking.. It can not be silicone.(won't take paint)
There might be a more permanent fix. Is it the Paint or the wall paper peeling off? One way to fix a crack in a plastered house is to remove any loose coverings and take a church key and using the point drag it along the crack to make a vee. Then you can patch it with drywall joint compound.Good luck

[Joshie]

Calk will be a temporary fix at best.

[Katey]

Don't use caulk. It won't last, and will be a pain in the tuckus to remove when you have time to do the repair right.

[Rocky Fields]

Hey.

They make a siliconized latex caulk that is paintable.

RF

[iaprogressive]

Thank you for your answers! I'll see what I can figure out.

[stirfamily]

They sell stuff that you can use that will stop paint from peeling, it's called Peel Stop I think. I've never used it indoors but have used it quite a bit outside and it works like a dream. It's like a clear primer, so you have to remove the old paint, use the peel stop and repaint. As for caulking, I tried that once and it doesn't work that well and like Katey said it is a pain to remove.
karen in NE Indiana
aka grandma chicken

[NostalgicGranny]

My SIL recommended it a while back, and I had really good luck with it. just make sure all loose debris is brushed away and the area you are going to caulk is clean. Sand it smooth after it has dried and cured. You can even use it to repair textured spots.

[||Downhome||]

from the way I read the post the paint has peeled away but is still there?
and all you want to do is get it to stick back to the wall?
I would just use a little more paint behind it to stick it back.
the best fix would be scrape all the loose paint sand the edges maybe spackle if its quite a few coats of paint that where removed and repaint that spot. if its got any sheen to it (satin,eggshell,semigloss) and Im going to assume its a semigloss corner to corner on the affected wall and you should never see it and you wont have to repaint the whole bathroom.

[Wolf mom]

Along with repairing it, I'd think about the cause....

Moisture? Humidity as you said.
In bathrooms that's usually the cause of peeling paint, not the flexing/settling. The flexing will cause cracks.

That needs fixing too, otherwise this'll happen again.

[Joshie]

Originally Posted by Wolf mom

Along with repairing it, I'd think about the cause....

Moisture? Humidity as you said.
In bathrooms that's usually the cause of peeling paint, not the flexing/settling. The flexing will cause cracks.

That needs fixing too, otherwise this'll happen again.

I was thinking the same thing. Does this bathroom have an exhaust fan?

[foxtrapper]

If you're trying to get the old paint to stop splitting and peeling, no caulk won't fix that.

But, if you've got a joint you're trying to span, and be able to paint, yes, caulk can fix that.

While paints can stick to the right caulk, it will still crack as the caulk flexes. It won't come down though. You'll simply have some fracture lines on the caulk.