Help Please - Problem after applying emulsion

[JLC9779]

So we have started painting the bathroom and ensuite. The house is 25 yrs old and we have painted other rooms, but have a problem with the bathroom today. We have done what we normally done, sand the walls, toupret filler then a mist coat over parts which we have filled. There was some areas over the window sill that had peeled, so we took off the peeled paint, put some peel stop on and then filled and mist coasted.
We then started on our first coast of emulsion today, in 75% of the walls, all was ok. But then in certain random areas the emulsion did not stick and it appears to have potentially brought off the existing paint. This is places were the paint had been fine beforehand and not filled, and was in random places. It looks as though it has bubbled around it too as you can see by the pictures.
This has not happened in any other rooms. I am just wondering if the walls were not mist coated when built or some strange paint is on the walls.
We were today applying Dulux Trade Diamond Matt with a roller.
Just wondering what the options are to fix it. Where the paint did not stick, the surface is lower than where painted and held fine.
Would applying Zinsser bin 123 to the patches help? Do we need to sand it all down back to the plaster (Is that possible easily?)
Any help or suggestions would really help, as we are stuck presently....and feeling very fed up.

 

[Wayners]

Original paint was losing adhesion over time but seemed solid until you made it damp from a fresh coat of emulsion. That was when it bubbled in random places.

 

[JLC9779]

Yes, the paint work looked ok in most places until we rollered the first coat of emulsion and random places seemed to peel.off, presume they did as they were lower than painted surface. Have just sanded it smooth again. Just wondering what to do next.

 

[JLC9779]

ok, so I sanded one of the walls down today using an orbital sander. Then applied a coat of Zinsser Bullseye 123. 80% of it was fine, but again there are certain sections which look as though there has been a reaction, it hasnt coated and its bobbly. See attached.
Really would appreciate some help on what we do next. Do we sand the bobbly areas down, do we paint again with Bullseye 123, or is there anything else we can do? So frustrating as the rest of the house has been fine decorating, just this bathroom seems effected by something in random places. Any help would be really appreciated, as we have wasted a weekend, applying emulsion

on for it to bobble or not cover in places. We have sanded it back and applied Zinsser and that has bobble / reacted too.

 

[sparkwright]

Is the heating on?
Are the walls particularly cold?
Have the paints dried properly - it can take ages at this time of year.

Also, I have noticed, if you do have a difficult surface to paint over, kitchen, bathroom, and Diamond seem to react the worst - IMO.

Also, you COULD try an oil-based Zinsser or undercoat after rubbing down - but even that can fail. You could try a small area first - as the odour of a lot of oil-based zinsser would probably cause a very tedious sleepless night.

Also, emulsioning over small areas of oil-based can leave patches in the emulsion - but these TEND to disappear after a week or two - as it's drying at different rates.

Hopefully someone will have a better solution in a while...

EDIT. I would have done two or three coats of Zinsser 123.

 

[JLC9779]

I would be happy to do a few coats of 123 but when we applied this afternoon it reacted and kind of bubbled straight away. So I would need to repaint it over the bad surface and would that work? I would need to sand it back at some point and worried I would sand back all the work it's done and end up with the same issue. The temp was fine and I sanded the surface down before applying. So hoping I did it OK.

 

[JohnD]

How old is the house?

 

[JLC9779]

Its a fairly recent house. Built approx 25 years ago.

 

[sparkwright]

I would be happy to do a few coats of 123 but when we applied this afternoon it reacted and kind of bubbled straight away. So I would need to repaint it over the bad surface and would that work? I would need to sand it back at some point and worried I would sand back all the work it's done and end up with the same issue. The temp was fine and I sanded the surface down before applying. So hoping I did it OK.

Hmmm, no not much good if the first 123 bubbles up almost immediately.
Maybe try some oil-based undercoat if you have some to spare without buying any?
Be sure to sand the area first, and try a small area first.

 

[michealangelo]

Try zinser cover stain ?

Oil based , apply with brush and foam roller

Get a coat of that on , leave it a few days to harden off

Then try an ordinary coat of slightly tinned emulsion

That after emulsion drying it should be OK but the bubbled or patchy areas will need to be denibbed and coated again with the cover stain

Cover Stain is I find the best primer sealer but some prefer zinser bin red

The zinser bullseye 123 is water based and I just don't think these are up to the job of sealing problem surfaces

PX4 being the exception