Painting and decorating problems

Paint is lifting away from the wall in sheets or flakes, often taking the coat underneath with it.

Raised bubbles or blisters have appeared in the paint film, sometimes while it was still wet.

You have painted a wall or ceiling and a brown, yellow or grey mark has come back through the fresh coat.

A dark, cold or spreading patch has come up on a wall you have just had painted or papered.

Bubbles or blisters have appeared across freshly hung wallpaper, or in paper that has been up for years.

The joins between lengths of wallpaper are curling open, or a gap has appeared where two lengths meet.

Black or grey speckling has spread across a painted ceiling or the top of a wall, usually in a bathroom or bedroom.

The finished wall is uneven — visible roller lines, darker patches, or a frame of different sheen round the edges.

Woodwork painted days ago is still sticky to the touch, or white gloss has gone cream or yellow.

Masonry paint, render coating or paint on window frames and fascias is flaking away outside.