A free tool, built on our defects encyclopaedia
What is wrong
with my paint?
Take one close photo of the problem. You get the most likely defect, what usually causes it, how urgent it is and the order to put it right.
It reads the photo against the same nineteen defects we describe in the encyclopaedia, so every answer links to the full entry.
One photo
Show us
what has gone wrong.
Get close enough to see the texture, in daylight if you can. A coin in the frame helps with scale.
Photos are sent to an AI model for an initial suggestion, not a survey. Keep people, documents and identifying details out of the frame. A photo cannot confirm lead, asbestos, concealed damp or structural safety. Do not sand, scrape or open a coating based on this result.
Before you upload
About
the diagnosis.
- How accurate is a diagnosis from one photo?
- Good for the common defects like flaking, blistering, tannin bleed and mould, which have a recognisable look. Less sure about anything that depends on what is behind the surface, such as damp or rot. It will tell you how confident it is and what to check.
- What happens to my photo?
- It is resized on your device, sent to an AI model to read, and the answer comes back to you. We do not save the photo or attach it to your name.
- It says call a professional. Do I have to use you?
- No. It says that when the likely cause is water getting in, rotten timber, possible lead or anything structural. Those are worth a proper look from anyone qualified. We are happy to be that someone if you are near St Andrews.
Rather a person looked
Send it to us
instead.
If the answer worries you, or you simply want a second opinion from someone who has scraped a lot of Fife paint, send the photo with your enquiry and we will reply.
One repair tip in every letter, from real jobs.