Common Reasons Your Paint is Cracking
You’ve put on a fresh coat of paint, and you’re dismayed to find it cracking over time. What can you do, and what did you do wrong? There are a handful of common reasons why your paint is cracking, and you can learn some tips that Orlando painters adhere to.
Common Reasons Your Paint is Cracking
You Didn’t Get the Proper Start
Paint coats a surface by sticking to it. Thus, it stands to reason that if you don’t give the paint a good surface, it won’t stick as well as it should. You might think your walls are clean, but you should always wipe down your walls (or any other surface) to remove any dust and debris before you start painting.
These little granules might not even be visible, but they do prevent paint from properly adhering to the surface. As a result, the paint stops sticking in places where debris was, resulting in a cracked or peeling look.
Heat and Humidity
When you paint, it’s best to do so on a cool, dry surface. This can be difficult to manage in warm, humid climates, but it can help prevent cracking paint. Paint won’t stick to a damp surface very well, and it can’t dry properly if the air around it is too humid.
You might see bubbling at first, but this will quickly turn into a cracking layer of paint. If you need to, use a dehumidifier and fan to prepare the environment you’re painting in.
The Wrong Products
We all love saving some money wherever we can, but sometimes it can cause you more problems than the benefits it brings you. It’s true that you’ll pay more for a high quality paint, but it’s also true that that is money well spent.
Cheaper paints often don’t have the same ‘lasting’ power as those that might cost you a few bucks more per can. That’s not to say that price is everything, but if a deal seems too good to be true, it just might be. Make sure you look into the paint you want to use if you encounter a ‘too good to be true’ type of deal.
It Just Happens
Here’s the thing with paint: it’s like any other material. No matter how much you spend, how well you use it, or how well you care for it, it does undergo an aging process. If you’ve had the same paint for quite some time, cracking might not be your fault.
Some paints will last longer than others, but no paint lasts forever. If you’ve had the same paint job for it’s expected lifespan, the cracking simply means it’s time to start over, take it off, and put on some new paint.
You’re Not An Expert
Unfortunately, DIY jobs don’t always go smoothly. This can happen when you paint on your own. Even seemingly small things like accidently putting paint on too thickly can cause cracking more quickly than you’d expect.
Likewise, premature cracking can happen if you didn’t allow layers of paint to fully dry before applying the next layer. Our advice is to err on the side of caution and apply thin layers of paint, and give them plenty of time to dry before you move to the next layer.
Conclusion
These are the most common reasons that paint is cracking. If you’re disappointed in how your paint job has turned out, it’s time to consult a professional that can point you in the right direction.