Painting - Paint not adhering to the walls

I am painting a half bathroom and in some places on the walls, the paint is not adhering properly. The walls did have wallpaper on them, we stripped and cleaned the walls. I put Zinsser primer on the walls and the primer itself did not adhere to the walls in all spots. I thought it was just the primer and put on a coat of Behr eggshell enamel on and it did the same thing.

There are some spots where the paint just does not want to adhere and is very blotchy.

1) Need to know why.
2) How can I fix it.
3) How do I smooth over the blotchy parts?

Thanks much.

There are some spots where the paint just does not want to adhere and is very blotchy.

1) Need to know why.

First test the paint that was on the walls and make find out if it was oil or latex
Try this:
http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=230633

If it was latex, then your problem was insufficant prep
This could be:
Not cleaning well enough
Not sanding
Not removing the dust from sanding

If it was oil, then, well, post back here if it is, but basically the same things apply

*Why did you prime and what primer did you use?


2) How can I fix it.
3) How do I smooth over the blotchy parts?

Scrape and sand
Remove any and all paint/primer that is not adhering
Sand down any uneven spots, skim coat some joint compound over any spots that aren't level if needed
Sand them smooth

Clean the walls (I prefer a swiffer)

Prime with this:
<img src="http://www.zinsser.com/images/GARDZ_GAL.jpg">
Paint with a good quality Kitchen and Bath paint from a Paint Store
I'd recommend Zinsser's Perma-White if it's a white, pastel, or light color, (Ben) Moore's K&B if you need a deeper color

I don't know what type of paint the base is, but I painted all of the other walls in the house and did not have this problem. I primered the walls first because they had not been painted for 15 years (were wall papered). The type of primer used was Zinseer interior latex (I think).
I thought I did buy high quality paint (Behr satin enamel). Behr was rated highest by Consumer Reports for the last 3 years.

15 years...Hmmm...you better do the oil/latex test in the sticky before proceding


I thought I did buy high quality paint (Behr satin enamel). Behr was rated highest by Consumer Reports for the last 3 years.
Some interesting reading on the subject:
http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=245918&highlight=Consumer+Reports

Don't believe everything you read in Consumer Reports. Get some paint at a real paint store where you can also get good advice on your project.

I gave up on CR when they criticized the Miata for handling like a sports car. DUH! It is a sports car!!

I probably should post my CR reply from the link
I think it's a good one regarding CR and paint
CR, which I respect, support, and subscribe to, does not use pro painters or pro painting criteria for their tests

They may use repeatable Scientific Methods (note caps), but not on what makes good paint

They may even address common DIYer concerns, such as "does it last 15 years?", "Does it look like the chip when I open the cap?", or "Does it dry fast"

Making the paint look like the chip when wet and in the can, or making the paint dry faster or last an unreasonably long time, does not make the paint a better paint
In fact, making the paint do those things makes it fall short in other critical areas

No offense to CR or anyone else, but there are other factors that weigh much heavier when actually applying paint
How it dries, how it adheres, how it covers...the list goes on
Those things that make a good paint are not touched by the CR reports

If their were pro painters or pro painting criteria used for the tests the results would be very different