A patch of peeling paint on the ceiling looks worse than almost any other home flaw, because your eyes go straight to it every time you walk in. When mine started flaking above the shower, I assumed I would have to repaint the whole ceiling. Turns out a spot fix can blend right in.

Find out why it is peeling first

Peeling on a bathroom ceiling usually means moisture pushing through the paint. If you just paint over it, the new coat peels too. Fix the moisture source, which is usually a ventilation problem, before you bother repairing the paint. In a dry room, peeling often comes from painting over a dirty or glossy surface, and scraping down to a sound layer fixes it.

Scrape away the loose paint

Put down a drop cloth, then use a putty knife or paint scraper to remove everything that is flaking. Scrape until the edges stop lifting. Feather the edges with sandpaper so there is no sharp ridge where old paint meets bare ceiling. Wipe the area with a damp cloth to remove dust, and let it dry completely.

Prime, then spot paint

Apply a thin coat of stain blocking primer to the scraped area, extending a couple of inches past the repair. Primer seals the edges so the old paint cannot lift again. Once it is dry, paint the spot with ceiling paint, feathering the edges. If your ceiling has a slight texture, use a roller with a similar nap so the patch does not stand out.

My ceiling repair kit list

• Putty knife or paint scraper
• Sandpaper, medium then fine
• Stain blocking primer
• Matching ceiling paint and a small roller

If the repair area is bigger than a dinner plate or the ceiling is bubbling in several places, that is a sign of a bigger moisture problem, and I would call someone before painting. For the common single patch, though, scrape, prime, and spot paint beats a full ceiling repaint every time. My patch dried flat and I honestly forget where it was.