Common Paint Problems (Part I)

Let's face it - Vancouver is wet! Being on the west coast exposes houses here to a particular brand of wet, damp weather that lasts for months on end. In light of this, every spring, building and home owners should do a brief 10-minute walk around their property to assess the condition of the building. A short walk today can catch many problems before they become major expenses.

Here’s a list of some common failures to lookout for:

Let's face it - Vancouver is wet! Being on the west coast exposes houses here to a particular brand of wet, damp weather that lasts for months on end. In light of this, every spring, building and home owners should do a brief 10-minute walk around their property to assess the condition of the building. A short walk today can catch many problems before they become major expenses.

Here’s a list of some common failures to lookout for:

Alligatoring: pattern of cracking that looks like the scaly hide of an alligator.

Possible causes:
Applying the top coat before the undercoat is dry
Excessive coats of paint
Loss of elasticity, normal in the aging process of older types of paint (esp. oil-based coatings)

Blistering: blisters or bubbles in localized areas.

Possible causes:
Excessively hot surface being painted
Damp or wetness that penetrates the surface below the paint and tries to escape through evaporation
Poorly primed surfaces

Cracking: cracks in paint that extend to the surface below

Possible causes:
Applying coatings too thickly
Paint drying at too high a temperature
Use of low quality, inflexible paint
Not using primer before painting

Chalking: powdery pigment residue on the surface of a coating accompanied by a loss of sheen or lightening of the colour.

Possible causes:
Paint spread too thin
Low quality pint with lots of pigment (ex. dark colours)
Indoor paint used on exterior surfaces

Efflorescence: white, crystalline residue on masonry, concrete, brick and stucco.

Caused by migration of water and salts buildup.

Knot bleeding or peeling: hard dense area on wood surfaces where branches used to be

Possible causes:
Bleeding caused by sap residue
Peeling caused because higher wood density sometimes prevents proper adhesion of paint. It also absorbs more heat, which causes it to expand and contract more.

Mildew: black or spotty mold and fungus spores that grow in damp areas. The organisms feed on the organics materials within the paint. Over time paint durability is compromised.

If you’re experiencing a problem with any of these common failures give us a call and we’ll be happy to come out to give you a hand.