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Paint over skim coat (C) Daniel Friedman Painting Shortcuts or Painting Over Moisture Lead to Paint Failure on buildings

Why rushed paint jobs and paint job shortcuts cause paint failures on buildings. This page describes that family of painting mistakes.

Our page top photo shows a thick skim coat of crack filler that a painter used to try to smooth the to-be-painted surface as a shortcut instead of removing loose and alligatored paint. The result was a rapid failure of the paint job and an ugly lawsuit.

This article explains two common causes of painting failure: taking shortcuts in the paint job and painting over moisture. We include photos and explanation of clues that can indicate that the paint job failed due to certain "short cuts" or due to painting over surfaces that were not sufficiently clean and dry.

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Painting Shortcut Errors

Parker Av Pok paint by D Friedman A Cady © D Friedman at InspectApedia.com

Painting Over Improper Surface Moisture or Painting Under Other Improper Weather Conditions

Painting on High pH Surfaces such as New Stucco

Painting too soon over new stucco exteriors or on a building where stucco was not properly mixed, applied, or cured can lead to early paint failure and efflorescence.

See PAINT on STUCCO, FAILURES for details.

This article series reviews common building exterior & interior painting mistakes, describes how to diagnose paint failures on buildings, and outlines a procedure for diagnostic field inspection & lab testing of failed painted surfaces.

We include photographs of paint failures on buildings and more photos of forensic paint laboratory examination of samples of failed paint useful to assist in diagnosing the probable cause of each type of paint failure.

Our page top photo shows another painter's shortcut: skim-coating with crack filler was applied over the entire building as a substitute for removing old and loose paint. The new paint job cracked and failed in just a few months.

 

Paint Job Shortcut Mistakes & Paint Failure Research

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Question: paint additives for painting in moist areas

(May 22, 2011) Anonymous said:
Please my area is water land hence any time I paint after one year the paint peel off what chemical can add to paint to prevent this .

Reply:

(May 23, 2011) (mod) said:

I don't know of an additive that makes paint more water tolerant, though alcohol will sometimes pick up and help carry water off of a surface. If the surface to be painted is damp or wet the paint job will probably fail rather quickly.

But here are some things to do for better results when painting wood surfaces in a wet environment

- properly clean, prep, and prime the surface

- don't paint over wet surfaces, typically moisture must be under 18%

- use latex paint that may be more moisture tolerant than alkyds in your conditions

- consult with the experts you will find at a paint supply store

In sum, surface preparation and painting only when the surface is DRY are most critical


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PAINTING SHORTCUT ERRORS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to PAINTS & STAINS & FAILURES

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