# Paint rubs off.



## epson (Jul 28, 2010)

It doesn’t matter what brand paint you buy, flat paint is not washable.


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## WinstonK (Jul 7, 2012)

I've lived in places with flat paint before. Yes, you can scrub just about any flat paint off, but I'm talking about wiping with a damp cloth. That's unusually bad IMO


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

If it is washing off that easily, it was not prepped right to begin with, maybe latex over oil?


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

epson said:


> It doesn’t matter what brand paint you buy, flat paint is not washable.





not true:no:


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

chrisn said:


> not true:no:


Benjamin Moore's Aura flat actually seems to be more washable than the higher gloss finishes from what some clients have said.

I have never used the bottom of the barrel Benjamin Moore third world contractor grade paints and have never seen anybody purchase them so I cannot answer your question of whether they are problematical. I used their Ultra Spec contractor grade a lot and never had complaints. Most clients, unless preparing a home for sale, realized I was the major expense I wanted the higher end paints. The one exception were my gallery clients that painted between exhibitions. Ultra Spec was fine for them.

As suggested, It sounds like the prep is the culprit and not the paint. Or the paint is only one coat and not the recommended two coats thick. If the surface underneath was oil or even latex/acrylic semi-gloss and not prepared or primed to provide adhesion for the finish coat, nothing could stick to it. 

To answer your question as to how to keep it from happening again? If you can, I would take the failing layer of paint off and fix the adhesion problem under it. If not, I would remove all loose and peeling spots. Skip coat if you need too, prime with a bonding primer and apply two nice finish coats. Hope for the best. Unfortunately, you cannot fix adhesion of layers underneath paint from the top surface. The person who invents such a product could make a fortune. I saw the problem a lot and often following up on obvious DIY paint jobs.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

I've had this sort of thing happen when applying any type of paint OVER a cheap builders flat. You may have to investigate to see what was used originally.


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## Will22 (Feb 1, 2011)

Washable flat correspond to the premium lines, which have better durability than contractor products. The proper cleaning for these finishes is a cellulose sponge and water, after 30 days of curing. No abrasives.


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