Paint peeling from ceiling

[ClaudiaDark]

I'm in the process of selling my late father's bungalow and just found paint peeling from the ceiling on to the floor in two rooms. It's flaking very badly.

I'm not a home owner myself so I'm very ignorant about such things. What sort of tradesman do I need to investigate?

If basic emulsion is peeling off, it could be because the plaster is damp. Does the ceiling feel cold or have any sign of mould. What is above that area of the ceiling? Bath? Shower? Loft?

If the loft, can you go up into the loft and check for any water staining in that area. It might be you have a minor roof leak or the loft is insufficiently ventilated in winter which is causing some condensation.

If the ceiling plaster feels dry, you could clean the surface with a dry nailbrush and then repaint and see whether it peels again. It might be an historical issue.

Thanks so much for replying, appreciate it. When I touch the ceiling, the paint flakes and my fingers are covered in white paint. It feels cold but not wet. Above is the loft. The rooms affected are both bedrooms, one at the front and one at the back. I feel very stressed about it. I will go up in the loft and contact a building specialist.

Its quite easy to fix peeling paint.

1. Scrap it all off as best you can with a wallpaper scaper
2. use Zinsser Peel Stop
3. once dried use Tupret fine filler with a putty knife
4. once thats dried sand with a medium sanding block
5. dust off any duest
6. prime
7. paint with a water based emulsion

It sounds like a lot of steps but its not very hard, I have done it in 4 room over the last month.

I would keep the area ventilated to reduce condensation build up, if its a bathroom maybe look to fit or update and extractor fan. Sometimes paint is just old, peels due to other factors (like where tape has been) or often is just loose because it wasn't applied well originally.

How old is the property?
I wouldn’t call in an “expert” yet. These people mostly are selling their trade and aren’t necessary best places to advice from an independent perspective.
to seller I’m quite confident you can sort this yourself without lots of expense.

I would guess there is a leak/leaks in the roof. If you are there when it's raining you can pop up into the loft and check. If not then ask local people for a recommendation for a roofer. Or sell as is and take money off for roof repairs.

Has the house been heated and ventilated properly? If it’s been empty for a while it may have some slight damp. If there’s nothing obviously leaking in the loft then a decorator will be able to deal with the flaking paint.

One other suggestion OP, before you spend money calling in an expert.

Go outside and check the roof slates or tiles in that area. Use a step ladder to get as good a view as possible. Take photos with your phone and then enlarge them. You are looking for a slipped or cracked slate, or possibly a broken tile.

Finally, check that the gutters in that area aren't full of leaf mould and rubbish.

You say it is a bungalow so it should be easy to check, and comparatively cheap to repair.

Thank you all for your advice - do appreciate it.