Fix Peeling or Cracking Paint

Painting over flaking paint just buries the problem. The fix is removing what's loose and sealing the edge.

Difficulty: Easy Time: 1–2 hours Cost: $15

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1

Scrape off everything loose

Hold the scraper at a low angle and push under the flaking paint. Keep going until you only have firmly-stuck edges.
2

Feather the edge

Sand the transition between bare surface and remaining paint so it's a smooth ramp instead of a hard edge.
3

Skim with spackle

If the scraped area is deeper than a coat of paint, skim a thin layer of spackle, dry, sand smooth.
4

Prime, then paint

Use a stain-blocking primer over the patched area — flat house paint alone won't adhere well to bare drywall or wood.