DEFECTS IN PAINTS

• Blistering and Peeling: They occur due to trapping of oil/grease and water beneath any of the paint layers,
this can be mitigated by making sure the dissolved air particles in the paint do not attain super-saturation,
by making use of porous paints like emulsion which allow two way passage of these gases rather than
trapping their vapors and forming bubbles.
• Blistering: Oil and grease vapors get trapped between the layers of paints and form air bubbles, since they
don’t evaporate, the bubbles stay intact causing a deformation in the normally flat surface, causing blisters.
• Peeling: A defect which is similar to blistering, but the air bubbles formed here are water based, and since
they are water based, the bubbles evaporate making the deformations unable to stay intact and
disintegrate, causing the paints to undergo breakage (the instantaneous bubble deformation causes peeling.)

BLISTERING
Fading:

• Fading is the discoloration of the paint surface. This is mainly due to atmospheric agencies such as sunlight,
moisture, etc.
• Yellow, orange, and red are the paint colors most susceptible to fading.
• Chromophores are the part of the pigment molecule that causes its specific color to be seen.
• Sunlight attacks the chromophores causing a change to their structure and making the pigment lose its color.
• Some pigments react with chemicals in the environment (oxygen, nitric acid, ozone) to cause fading.
• To prevent fading or discoloration, weathering resistant pigments should be used in the paint.

FADING OF PAINTS
Wrinkling:

• The Coating is too Thick: If paint is applied too thickly, the surface of the paint can dry, while the paint under this dry skin
remains wet. As the dried layer expands and contracts it develops a web of wrinkles. This is more likely when using oil-
based coatings as they can easily be applied too thickly.
• First Coat has not Dried :Wrinkling can also occur when a second coat is applied too quickly, without allowing the
necessary drying time for the first coat. The upper coat becomes a dried film preventing the lower coat from drying
properly. This is also true where a topcoat has been applied before a prepcoat has dried sufficiently. 
High Humidity / Ambient Moisture During or Shortly After Drying :Exposing a water-based paint film to dew, high-
humidity or rain shortly after the paint has dried can also cause wrinkling and failure of the paint system. When the paint
is touch dry, there is still a significant amount of solvent yet to be evaporated before total curing is achieved. At this stage,
ambient moisture can return into the coating and cause it to wrinkle. This is generally only an issue with water-based
paints as oil-based paint solvents are not as susceptible to moisture.
• The Substrate was not Cleaned and Prepared properly: Wrinkling can also be a result of painting over contaminated
surfaces that contain dirt, oils and waxes. These contaminants can cause the coating to react and deform in areas where the
contaminants are present. 
Prevention:

• Ensure the paint is applied according to the manufacturer's spreading rate, and the sufficient drying time is allowed
for each prepcoat and topcoat layer. 
• Do not paint in high temperatures, or very low humidity. 
• Do not paint in high humidity or during rain or when rain is forecast. 
• Make sure the freshly applied coating is not exposed to dew, rain or high-humidity shortly after it has dried.
• Ensure the substrate is cleaned and prepared according to the manufacturers instructions

WRINKLING
Saponification:

• Paint saponification is the process of a hydrolytic breakdown of ester bonds within a paint due to alkaline conditions
and moisture. It is a type of paint failure and results in weakness and uncovering of the paint, exposing the
underlying material.
• Paint saponification renders the paint mixture soft and water-soluble. Paints are particularly prone to saponification
when covering certain metal surfaces such as zinc, magnesium, copper, lead and tin, which can generate alkaline
conditions from corrosion.
• Generally paint saponification occurs when the pH is higher than 10.
• Because paints are used to protect metal materials from environmental dangers such as corrosion, the risk of failure
due to paint saponification should be considered.
• Corrosion products of certain metal surfaces such as zinc (galvanized) surfaces increase the amount of reactive
hydroxide ions that can react in saponification. Paint saponification can thus be associated with corrosion. Paint
failure can also lead to further corrosion by exposing the metal surface.
• As there is no reversal to the paint saponification process, the entire painted surface needs to be prepared, cleaned
and dried, after which a new paint with alkali-resistant properties can be applied.

SAPONIFICATION
Alligatoring:

• Alligatoring can occur for a variety of reasons: 

ALLIGATORING
MILDEW:

• Mildew is a form of fungus which grows well in warm, moist and dark places. It grows rapidly and develops the grey
colored patches on the painted surface. It also affects the bond between paint coats.
• Many people assume that a new coat of paint will solve mildew and mold problems, it won’t. That’s because paint
cannot kill mold spores or prevent them from spreading.
• It can be prevented by keeping the surface dry and clean before applying paint. If there is any trace of mildew growth,
then wash the surface with the solution of bleach.

MILDEW
BLOOMING:

•  In paint blooming, topcoat of a painted surface dries out and develops haziness.

Prevention:
• Don’t paint when the paint remains in a state of cure and is exposed to cold damp conditions. Follow the instructions
given by paint manufacturers.
• Be aware of weather conditions that may occur later in the day or during the early evening.
• Use the correct paint application to avoid blushing and blooming paint.
• Always apply the paint under the controlled environment conditions.
Repair:
• The paint blooming and blushing can be easily removed with warm soapy water.
• To repair blushing and blooming paint, sand the defective surface and re coat the top coat of paint which has been
affected by moisture.
• Remove paint blooming with clean cloth or suitable solvent If necessary, apply undercoat or topcoat by following
manufacturer’s instructions.

BLOOMING
Grinning:
In the grinning process, the material's surface that was coated with a paint film or coating is still visible.
This happens when the coating or paint has an inadequate hiding capacity due to an ineffective application
or the formation of bubbles between coating layers and the bubbles have burst, exposing the inner surface to
the atmosphere.
The probable causes of grinning are:
• The coating layer is too thin on the surface of the material.
• Volume of coating used is low (attempting to cover the area with an insufficient amount of coating).
• Poor opacity and low covering power of the top coat.
• The use of a strong color for the primer or undercoats.
• Low experience in applying coatings.
The grinning process can be prevented by:
• Applying an adequate amount of coating between individual coats of the primer and color.
• Using coatings with good opacity.

GRINNING
Chalking:

Chalking is the formation of fine powder on the surface of the paint film during weathering, which can cause color
fading. Although some degree of chalking is a normal, and is the expected way for a paint film to wear, excessive film
erosion can result in heavy chalking which is never a good look.

Solution:
To eliminate the effect completely, the entire surface will need to be pressure washed and/or scrubbed with a non-
metallic scouring pad to remove all surface contaminants and chalking prior to repainting.

Prevention:
The use of a water based 100% acrylic latex topcoat provide superior exterior durability and gloss retention relative to
many alternative coatings systems, especially oil based enamels.

CHALKING
Running:

When a thin layer of paint is coating on a glossy and smooth surface the paint may run back and sometimes leaves
small areas of surface uncovered. This defect is called running

Prevention:
Adapt material, spray gun and spraying technique to application conditions in the workshop. If necessary, clean
spray gun and use a smaller nozzle.

Repair:
When the paint is completely dry, remove the run with a sanding block, carbon block or wet sanding paper. The
finer the paper, the less damage to the paint and the easier to polish. Polish with a fine polishing compound and
finish with any standard high-gloss polish.

RUNNING
Sagging:

Causes:
• A thick coat of paint is applied at a time. A thick coat of paint becomes heavy and do not affix with the
wall and as a result leave marks over the walls.
• Painting in humid or cold temperatures. If you are planning to have a paint job, do not go for humid cold
weather.  It may lead to sagging or running paint.
• Uneven application of paint is also one of the reasons that may lead to sagging.
•  If one applies a paint layer to the semi-dry painted region, chances are that it may form sags over the walls.

Prevention:
• Even application of paint. Paint must be evenly applied and one must make sure that the paint is rolled up
at a full height so that it will not lead to joints thus creating sagging or running
• If the wall is already damaged due to sagging, one must wait for the paint coat to dry completely and then
cover the area with a fresh even coating

SAGGING