6 Common Paint Problems
Listed below are 6 common paint problems you may be faced with and the reasons why they appear.
1. Blistering
If you observe bubbles forming from the underlying surface of your wall paint, this is blistering. Blisters are caused by moisture being drawn out from the surface that the paint is applied. It can be caused by painting when humidity is high, applying paint to a damp surface or re-coating too quickly. Insufficient surface preparation also increases the occurrence of blisters.
2. Chalking
Chalking is loosely-based powder forming in painted walls. Low quality paints with high levels of pigment extenders are the culprit in this common paint problem. Other major factors to consider is the age, the color or application of the paint. Some colors that contain a large amount of tint or are very bright can go chalky quite quickly. If the paint is thinned out too much, this could also cause a problem.
3. Cracking/Crazing
Cracking is characterised by splitting of dry paint film through at least one coat. It could also be that the first coat was not completely dry before application of the second coat.
4. Mould/Mildew
Mould/Mildew is a fungus characterized by black, grey, brown, and green spots growing on the surface. Mould/Mildew likes to grow in areas with high moisture, improper ventilation and lack of sunlight. Low-quality paint that contains no/inadequate bacteria shield (Inhibits mould and mildew), increases the chance of growth.
5. Yellowing
While yellowing occurs at places with low- sunlight, it is best to avoid using alkyd or oil-based paint in these areas.
6. Peeling
Peeling is a very common paint problem characterized by peeling-off of an outer paint layer from an earlier paint layer. It can be caused by loss of adhesion between a coating and a substrate, high moisture, or applying paint directly to a dirty or dusty wall.
