Search engine visitors - click here to access entire "$ensible Home" web site

James Dulley
Paint Troubleshooting Guide

Check out other DIY homeowner guides

Paint troubleshooting guide | Selecting the best paint colors
Tips for painting interiors | Tips for painting exteriors
Click on each common paint problem to see a color picture of the problem, a description of the problem, its probable causes and solutions to fix the problem.

Indoor Paint Problems

Blistering

Blocking

Burnishing

Caulk failure

Cracking

Foaming/Cratering

Lapping

Mildew

Mud cracking

Picture framing

Poor flow/Leveling

Poor hiding

Poor print resistance

Poor scrub resistance

Poor sheen uniformity

Poor stain resistance

Roller marks/stipple

Roller spattering

Sagging

Surfactant leaching

Wrinkling

Yellowing

Exterior Paint Problems

Alligatoring

Blistering

Chalking

Chalk run-down

Cracking/flaking

Dirt pickup

Efflorescence/mottling

Fading

Frosting

Lapping

Mildew

Nailhead rusting

Paint Incompatibility

Peeling

Poor alkali resistance

Poor galvanized
metal adhesion

Poor gloss retention

Surfactant leaching

Tannin staining

Vinyl siding warp

Wax bleeding

Wrinkling