7 Common Paint Problems That Require Professional Help

Painting your home is one way to bring a huge change, without breaking the bank. Unfortunately, as the years pass there are common paint problems that emerge.

No matter how well you applied the paint in your latest renovation, you’re now finding that there are issues springing up with it. There’s nothing more annoying than finding problems with the paintwork, ruining the look of the room.

Here are some of the most common paint problems that you may be experiencing, how you can avoid them, and what you can do about them.

What Causes Paint Problems?

Most issues with your paintwork will come about because of poor surface preparation, in one way or another. Whether you’re painting interior walls or outdoor woodwork, you need to be sure that you’ve prepared the surface properly.

Anything from damp surfaces, mold, or grease can affect the paint. You’ll also need to ensure that you prepare a surface properly by cleaning and preparing it ready for the paint. How you do this will depend on what you’re painting, and what style of paint you’re using. Always be sure to read the instructions carefully, before you start painting.

1. Cracking

Cracks in your paint indicate that the paint was over thinned, or that it dried in a cool environment where it dried too fast. If you’re seeing cracks in your paint, there are two ways it can be fixed.

• If the cracks don’t go all the way to the surface, then the cracked paint can be scrubbed away with a wire brush. Sand down the paint, and reapply a layer of paint to fix the issue.
• If the cracks do go all the way down, then the only option will be to repaint the surface. You’ll need to reapply the paint properly, so that requires removing the paint, sanding down, and priming the surface properly.

Remember, if you try to paint over cracks, the effect won’t be the same. The color will vary on the surface, as the different depths will affect it. The texture will also not be the same, so the best option is to call in a professional to fix the cracks.

2. Fading

Fading is a common problem in areas that get a good amount of sunlight. If your outdoor paint is fading, it could well be due to ultraviolet light breaking down the pigment in the paint. When you find this happening, you’ll need to remove any chalking that has occurred and repaint the area.

Remember, use a good quality primer and paint to ensure you reduce fading. If you use a good painting service to handle this, they’ll ensure that they use the best quality paint possible.

3. Flaking/Peeling

Flaking or peeling are common paint problems that you most often find outdoors, although it can happen with interior paint too. If it is happening indoors, then that can be a sign of dampness or mold. You’ll need to address this issue before you look into repainting the wall.

Outdoors, peeling and flaking can be due to rust, dampness, or mold. All of these push the paint off the surface, causing it to peel away. If this is only happening in small areas, then you can carefully sand them away, treat any rust or mold that you find, and then repaint to solve the problem.

If the peeling is on a larger scale, you’ll need to remove the paint entirely and treat the issue beneath. Once the issue has been solved, you can then repaint the area.

4. Blistering

This is another problem that is caused by moisture. If you’re seeing bubbles or blisters form in the paint, then water has got in behind it and is causing these paint problems.

The best way to solve this is by using a heat gun to strip away the paint to reveal the problem beneath. Again, you want to ensure that there is no moisture on the walls before you go about repainting. That could mean:

• Getting your home treated for damp and mold
• Finding where the moisture is coming from

It could be anything from poor weather conditions to a poorly ventilated attic, so be sure that you have solved the issue before patching up the paint.

5. Runs

If too much paint has been applied to your surface, then you’ll see that the paint has started to run, which looks unsightly. This isn’t too hard to solve, however.

• If the paint is still wet, you can just brush the runs out to get a smooth surface.
• If the paint has started drying though, don’t do this. Instead, let it totally dry, and then rub it down with fine sandpaper until it’s smooth.

Once this has been done, clean it with a damp rag and then apply a new, fine top coat. A professional painter will be able to fix paint runs quickly.

6. Stains

You’ll see stains come up in your paint work if there is an impurity beneath the surface. For example, if there’s an area that has been rubbed with wire wool you’ll get rust stains, or there could be stains from mold or dampness that are showing up in the paint.

To prevent this from happening in the first place, you’ll need to use a high quality primer, to seal the surface and stop anything from rising through into your paintwork. When you hire professionals, they’ll know which primer to use, and will ensure that you won’t get stains on your paintwork.

7. Gritty Paint Surface

These paint problems happen when dirt has got into the paint or your paintbrush, resulting in an uneven surface. This more commonly happens when you paint a surface yourself, but you can prevent it.

Use a paint strainer to strain paint and make it smooth. Use a paint guard or piece of card to protect your paintbrush. If you have gritty paint, let it dry totally, and then sand it down until smooth and repaint to fix the issue.

Common Questions About Painting