What is Paint Failure?
Wall painting with different colors and designs is in trend not only in Pakistan but all around the world. Wherever there is a painting, there is a risk of paint failure too. Paint failure is a term used to describe a loss of bond strength in a layer of paint. Just like any other substance, paint has a limited lifespan. Once it’s applied somewhere, it gets exposed to a variety of elements that eventually wear it out. After a certain amount of wear and tear, applied paint begins to fall apart. This results in paint chipping off of a surface or forming weird textures on its surface.
Paint Failure Explained
Paint failure (or paint adhesion loss) is a serious problem. It exposes the underneath surface to various elements and increases the chances of corrosion.
Paint failure is unavoidable. However, this does not mean that you cannot control it. If proper wall painting process is followed along with the right type of care and maintenance, you can significantly extend the lifespan of a layer of paint.
In order to prevent paint failure, you need to understand what causes it.
What Causes Paint Failure?
All paints are made by combining a different combination of chemicals. The mixtures serve two purposes:
- Add color onto any applied surface
- Create a protective layer that shields surfaces from corrosion and damage caused by exposure to various elements
Over time, an applied layer of paint gets exposed to all kinds of wear and tear. And this wear and tear gradually weakens the chemical makeup of your paint. As this happens, your paint begins to crack, chip, and fall apart.
Paint problem and failure is most commonly caused by:
- Exposure to direct sunlight
- Weathering
- Poor pre-application preparation
- Moisture and water damage
All of these factors speed up the process of paint failure.
While there are many factors that result in paint failure, the two most common are water damage and improper application. Both of these reduce the lifespan of a layer of paint and lead to failure.
Common Effects of Paint Failure
Paint failure can be spotted by a number of signs, including:
- Bleeding: water soluble dyes in a layer of paint begin oozing out of the paint layer and cause discoloration.
- Blooming: moisture ends up inside a paint layer’s lacquer/varnish and result in the paint falling apart.
- Alligatoring: this happens when paint is applied in very thick layers. Thick layers of paint dry unevenly and lead to cracking that forms alligator skin-like textures.
- Peeling: it means that paint loses its adhesion and begins peeling off of a surface. This is commonly caused by moisture damage.
- Cracking: paint cracks when it loses its elasticity or dries unevenly
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