I think the drywall was not primed......

[oldvic]

Hope some professionals can help me out here..... I've got some paint that is very poorly adhered to the drywall.  Even the blue tape "for delicate surfaces" peels it right off.  This is in an area remodeled by previous owners ..... could they have painted their new drywall without priming it first???  If so, what can I do to remedy?  There are lots of areas where it is flaking off.... and I can just lift it right off in sheets with a putty knife.  Trying to get down to bare drywall everywhere would be hell.  This is a finished attic with 12-ft high ceilings at a 12:12 pitch, and one-foot kneewalls, and low-headroom dormers.....

[BrushJockey]

You understand that something on top of something that isn't sticking is still going to have problems, right?  It's always easier to do it right the first time.
 That said, I would scrape off of important ( lower, corners, high impact areas) the best you can, and the only thing that might penetrate the rest enough to help would be a clear thin primer called Gardz.
 If the paint that is on there is a flat, that actually might help, the Gards can penetrate that a little bit more than a sheened paint. You will probably have to mud your edges after , sand and reprime. Then you should be about as good as it's going to get.

Good luck!

[Lynjowoman]

The new low Voc paints do not tolerate any dust on the walls. That sounds like the problem. Even the new primers will not adhere to walls with dust from sanding, etc. Good advice from BJ.

Lynjo

[UUjohn]

perhaps there's a temperature/humidity problem in that finished attic space..

hot to cold temp changes may be creating moisture on the walls and in the drywall.. as it attempts to evaporate it'll contribute to the peeling...

to be sure pick up a surface and probe moisture meter and test several areas...

it's just a thought...............

[oldvic]

Thank you all for your replies.  I guess the bottom line is that the surface was just not prepped properly, period.  Whether it wasn't primed, or whether it was primed but all the dust was not removed, we will never know.   There are sparkles, kind of like a fine glitter, on the underside of the paint chips that peel off, though.  That could be a clue. 

I think this remodeling job occurred in the mid-eighties so low-VOC paint isn't the problem.  I was also thinking that the paint failure could be due to moisture/heat issues due to the fact that the walls/ceiling are almost entirely just the underside of the roof.  The other half of the attic was finished similarly in an earlier period, though, and doesn't have similar problems. But maybe it was insulated differently, or something.

ANYWAY, I think this is a job for a skilled professional.  Even without this issue, the idea of painting the high, sloping walls and peaked ceiling balanced on a tall ladder is too much to contemplate... and I have an abundance of more satisfying projects I'd rather do.... so now I have a different problem..... trying to FIND that skilled professional....

I will also get some GARDZ and try it out on a limited area.  If it seems like it works, my professionals, whoever they may be, may want to try it.  I've read the Zinnser product info, it's an intriguing product.  Thank you, BrushJockey, for your suggestions.