BERNAL, PRINCESS GRACE E.

BS ChE 4 5-6 TThS P200

TYPES OF PAINT FAILURES

Alligatoring: [very common failure] cracked paint which resembles alligator

skin. This is due to application of paint in too many layers. The inner paint
layers have lost elasticity. As temperatures change and the building surfaces
expand and contract, the old, brittle paint cracks. Alligatoring might also be
caused by poor adhesion to a glossy surface, painting over an inadequately-
dried first coat, or from weather exposure. Painting over an "alligatored"
surface is futile. The older under-paint will continue to crack, causing
failure of the new coating. Stripping off of the old paint down to bare wood
is what's needed.

Paint Bleeding: this is a surface discoloration from water/water soluble dyes

located in or on the painted surface, or on hardboard siding from wax in the
siding. We often see this cosmetic defect when paint is applied over cedar
siding as well.

Paint Blistering: this very common failure is caused by moisture getting behind paint, or by
painting over wet or damp surfaces. Moisture blisters in paint usually occur when moisture
evaporates to form a vapor bubble under an impermeable layer of paint,
especially on new thin coatings or oil paint coatings.

Thermal blistering, or "temperature blistering" occurs when painting in sun, or if paint is

applied to hot surfaces; the blister may be from moisture or solvents in the paint
itself, when its outer skin dries before its inner layers, and the inner layer is heated. Both
causes may occur together. Thermal blistering or paint solvent blisters look very different in the paint film
from moisture-caused blistering.
The microphotograph shown here at 120x, taken in our laboratory, shows the edge of a microscopic paint
blister, possibly solvent or thermal blistering.

Paint Blooming - (blushing) - this is moisture getting into varnish, shellac,

lacquer. This coating failure leaves a milky opaque (usually-white) cloud on
(or actually within) the coated surface.
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BS ChE 4 5-6 TThS P200

Paint Chalking - [common condition] weathered powdery exterior painted surfaces, may be normal, or may be
premature if paint was excessively thinned or inadequately primed. Painting over a chalky surface means that the
new paint will not adhere to the surface itself - since the oxidized "chalky" paint particles of the older coating
interfere.

Paint Cracking, Checking, Flaking, or Crazing - paint loses its elasticity,

crazes, then cracks, especially where paint is thick or multi-layered. Also see
"alligatoring" above. Cracks occur when paint is applied too thickly on the
surface, or possibly when multiple layers of paint are present. Often the inner
(older) layers of paint have lost elasticity and have already cracked, or form
cracks which telegraph through the newer outer layer. Painting over such
surfaces is likely to lead to failure as moisture invades the surface at cracks.
This means that moisture gets behind the paint on the surface, thus eventually
leading to paint failure. The distinction we make between "alligatoring" and
"cracking" is this: "cracking" produces long, variegated and usually fairly thin
openings in a painted surface. Cracking may occur even in a thinly painted
surface.

Paint Chipping: paint breaks away from the surface due to poor surface
preparation or possibly due to mechanical damage; painting over chalked
surfaces can also cause this defect. If the failure is due to painting over a
chalked surface the paint chips will expose an older painted surface below. If
the failure is due to mechanical damage (such as a lawn-mower kicked-up
stone), usually the chip exposes bare wood below.

Paint Dirt pick-up: dirt adheres abnormally to painted surfaces. Excluding dirt
that collects on upper portions of exterior siding, e.g. from road and traffic dust
[where roof eaves prevent rain from washing off this dirt] or from rain splash-
up at ground level, paint may be tacky from improper solvents, paint
incompatibility, or if the surface is indoors, inadequate drying ventilation.

Efflorescence and mottling. Efflorescence is a white or yellowish [usually mineral] salt formed on masonry or
plaster due to moisture migrating through the surface, evaporating, leaving mineral crystals behind. Efflorescence
is hygroscopic, and by attracting more moisture, will continue to accumulate. For some detailed photos of
efflorescence (sometimes mistaken for "mold") see Efflorescence & white or brown deposits

Paint Fading - this is natural paint

weathering due to the ultraviolet light (in sunlight); interior paints used on
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BS ChE 4 5-6 TThS P200

exterior surfaces may fade quickly [and are probably less weather resistant in general]. Often fading is
accompanied by chalking.

Paint Frosting - I associate this defect with a matte finish on paint that is
supposed to give a smooth surface, possibly from chemical incompatibility with
the existing coating on the surface.

Galvanized metal paint failure - poor adhesion to galvanized metal- paint

peels or pits when painted on galvanized steel. This is a problem that occurs
when painting over new galvanized metal or on rusty galvanized metal that has
not been cleaned.

Paint Ghosting - this is caused by improper surface-priming, perhaps by too-

thin application of the primer: walls are not absorbing paint uniformly.

Paint Hatbanding or "Lapping"- is caused by thick paint applied at multiple

layers where cutting in `(usually) of interior walls, ceilings , and corners, or use
of excessively long roller naps. We see this quite often where a ceiling or wall
corner is cut-in to the rest of the painted field using a brush, and then the field
of the painted area is covered using a roller. It is a cosmetic defect.

Mildew [Mold]: dark or colored spots or shading in paint caused by

mold growth, particularly in damp or shaded areas. Molds which are
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BS ChE 4 5-6 TThS P200

misnamed as "mildews" in this case are growing on nutrients in paint, varnish, or on organic debris on the coated
surface.

Nail head rusting - occurs where nails on a surface are painted over, usually
with a water-based paint, which rusts the nail head. It can be prevented by
setting and puttying over old rusty nails, by sealing nail heads with a lacquer-
primer before painting the surface, or by using stainless or galvanized nails in
the first place.

Paint incompatibility - may be a cause of peeling, blistering, wrinkling, or other failures. Be sure to read the
manufacturer's label and to either determine what paint is already on a surface to be re-painted, or review your
choices with a paint expert. Also see THINNER SOLVENT PAINT FAILURES - don't use the wrong type of
thinner in your paint.

Paint Peeling - strips or sections of paint peel loose from the surface, usually
due to moisture and/or inadequate surface preparation. Some inspectors mix
descriptions of "blistering" and "peeling" but since the causes and remedy differ
the distinction can be important.

Paint Rheologogical Failures - paint rheology is the science of the flow of paints and coatings on or onto
surfaces. Paint that drips, sags or cracks when it should not, all other application considerations being blameless,
has suffered, in my opinion, a rheological failure.

Paint Resin Failure - paint resins separate out from the paint mixture, perhaps
due to improper paint formulation, improper paint mixing, combining
incompatible paints, or exposure to high temperatures during drying.