Paint With Confidence
Exterior Common Issues & Solutions
Text & image courtesy of the Rohm & Haas Paint Quality Institute
Mud Cracking
Deep, irregular cracks resembling dried mud, in dry paint film.
Possible Cause
- Paint is applied too thickly, usually over a porous surface. Can occur with inexperienced use of airless spray.
- Paint is applied too thickly, to improve inherent poor hiding (coverage) of a lower quality paint.
- Paint is allowed to build up in corners upon application.
Solution
Remove excess coating by scraping and sanding. Prime and repaint. Mud-cracked areas can also be repaired by sanding the surface smooth before repainting with a top quality latex paint. This type of paint is less likely to exhibit mud cracking, because it is relatively more flexible than alkyd paint, oil-based paint and highly pigmented latex paint. Quality paints have a higher solids content, which reduces the tendency to mud crack. They have good application and hiding properties, which minimize the tendency to apply too thick a coat of paint.
