What Causes Interior Paint to Bubble, Chip, Peel or Crack on Drywall in Mission City, CA

At one point or another we’ve all looked around our house, craved a little change, and thought to ourselves, it’s time for a face-lift. Naively we drive to the nearest home improvement store and set our sights upon what we feel is the perfect shade of paint for the job. Excitedly we head back home to begin our little project only to realize it wasn’t as easy as we had planned for it to be. You end up with paint in places you didn’t even know existed and it probably took you a lot longer than originally expected but you’re happy with the turn out. A few days or weeks pass by and you notice the paint is bubbling or cracking. “How did that happen?” we ask ourselves.

What Causes Paint to Bubble, Chip or Crack?

So what went wrong? Let’s start by understanding what causes paint to bubble, chip, or crack over time. These issues are caused by a number of factors but we’ll name just a few for now. Weather can have a huge impact on how painting projects turn out. Painting when it is either too hot or too cold out can cause the paint to not bind together properly causing bubbling or chipping. Next is moisture. Oil based and some alkyd based paints are impermeable and will not allow moisture to pass through freely to the surface. However many times, these avoidable issues are caused simply by the lack of proper preparation to the painting surface.

Surface Preparation for Painting

Start by prepping the surface that is going to be painted by scraping any old, chipping, or bubbling paint off of the surface area you intend to work on, or repair, by using a putty knife, or wire brush. (Warning, if paint happens to be older, like 1970’s or before it could be a lead based paint and will require the assistance of a contractor who is LBP certified to remove or remediate the paint safely and correctly.) Next, any nail or pin holes will need to be patched up with spackle or putty. Tiny pinholes can be dented in a bit with the end of a spackling knife to create a dip in which the putty will evenly apply. Then comes the sanding. This can be a very tedious, long process that requires lots of clean up but is necessary because you need a smooth even surface to work with.

Primer & Paint

Lastly, you’ll want to choose the same brand of paint and primer for the best quality and compatibility. You also have the option of choosing a tinted primer which will save you time and money for darker shades of paint. After the primer has been allowed to fully dry, you’ll then apply a good quality paint to your walls as directed on the can. Applying too little paint will leave transparent areas or streaks, and too much paint will likely crack over time.

Interior & Exterior Painting Services & More in Ventura, Ojai, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills & Santa Barbara California

If this sounded at all like I just gave you a laundry list of to-do’s, you’d be correct. Painting can be a lengthy, tiring process. So leaving your painting needs to a professional is a win-win, because they already know the ins and outs of the business and will finish in a fraction of the time. Hiring a professional is affordable and will offer peace of mind when you know the job has been done correctly and efficiently. McKays Painting offers exceptional painting and other related services. Contact us today!