# Fresh paint cracking. HELP!



## jmon (Nov 5, 2012)

Welcome to the forums random.

I would of prime first anyway, or use a paint that has a primer in it, but that's me. 

What kind of paint are you using? what are you covering?

Please post some pics of your project so the painters can give you better advice. I have responded to your post so you should be able to post pics now. Thank you.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Normally when fresh paint cracks it's either because it dried too fast or there was a contaminant on the wall. Are you sure the cracking is in your fresh paint and not in the old paint? Sometimes fresh clean paint will highlight things you didn't notice previously.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Post some pics so we can better direct you. Also, more info would be beneficial such as what sheen was on the wall before you painted it, what sheen you are using now, paint brand, etc. The only time I see "cracking" on a wall is when someone uses flat paint in a humid bathroom. It's very rare for a fresh coat of paint to "crack."


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

jmon said:


> Welcome to the forums random.
> 
> I would of prime first anyway, or use a paint that has a primer in it, but that's me.
> 
> ...




LOL , good luck with that as there is no such thing


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## czizzi (May 28, 2018)

Normally see paint cracking and not adhering when some substance was on the wall that was on the greasy side. There are bathroom caulks that are not "paintable" if you try to paint over them, they will crack. Something tells me that there was something on the walls that, short of priming with a oil based universal primer, is causing it to not adhere.


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## Randomred (May 28, 2018)

Sorry for the delay get back. Thanks for all the replies! Attached are some pics of said cracking.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

The only times I recall cracking that bad was either with real old paint jobs or when latex paint had froze before it dried. Not sure what your cause is but the first thing I'd do would be to scrape off what I could ..... then evaluate where you are at.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

chrisn said:


> LOL , good luck with that as there is no such thing


I got some snake oil for sale. Anyone want some?


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

Behr? SW? Something good and cheap i bet.


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## Randomred (May 28, 2018)

klaatu said:


> Behr? SW? Something good and cheap i bet.


Glidden. I hate Behr!


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## siffleur (Aug 19, 2013)

Randomred said:


> Sorry for the delay get back. Thanks for all the replies! Attached are some pics of said cracking.


The top photo looks like the ceiling over my bathtub. I have been watching the cracks prgress over many years, so I am guessing that moisture has something to do with it, even though I turn a floor fan on in the doorway to air the bathroom out every time someone takes a shower.

I am curious if any of this paint is peeling. If so, you might want to scrape as much off as is reasonably possible before proceeding any further.

Perhaps someone here can recommend a highbuild primer that will fill the cracks. I have no experience with high build primers myself. If someone does have a recommendation, I would try it on one problem wall and see how it works out efore doing everything.

Another possible solution might be as follows:

Apply a sealer called Gardz over the cracked paint areas, then skim coat it with USG All Purpose joint compound (green lid), let dry, sand, then check to see if the cracks are still visible. If they are, you might want to apply another skim coat of All Purpose, let dry, then sand. I would then apply another coat of Gardz. I say Gardz instead of a white primer because Gardz soaks in and helps to glue everything down, both before and after skim coating.

You might pick one problem wall and do the foregoing to see how well it works. 

If you have some sort of moisture problem, then you might want to take care of that before doing anything as moisture can destroy the best of finishing systems. I would expect even pool paint would peel off a moist surface. That is why pools are painted when dry.

siffleur


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

What sheen? Did you use a flat over an oil-based semi-gloss? It's either a moisture issue or what's underneath is hard and glossy causing separation of the layer on top. Glidden is perhaps even a step below Behr in quality yet even some of the cheapest of paints DO NOT crack like that unless something unusual is going on.


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## siffleur (Aug 19, 2013)

*Cracks in photos*



Randomred said:


> Sorry for the delay get back. Thanks for all the replies! Attached are some pics of said cracking.


I am looking again at these photos and trying to understand what is going on. The paint above my bathtub is very old and thin, but you say that you have just recently painted your walls?

What Glidden paint exactly did you use? (a photo of the can maybe?) 

How heavy did you apply this paint? 

Is the cracking everywhere or just near the edges where you cut in with a brush?

siffleur


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## Geneahrens (Jun 8, 2018)

One of my aunt want that oil. I will surely contact you after I talk with her.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Geneahrens said:


> One of my aunt want that oil. I will surely contact you after I talk with her.


Huh???


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## woodco (Jun 11, 2017)

That just looks like garbage flat paint to me. If not a contaminant, it may have been applied WAY too thick. Garbage flat will crack out in thick spots. If it doesnt scrape off, I would put a coat of Gardz on it to toughen it up, then try again with some quality paint.Try the smallest wall first as a test area. It might work. Worse case scenario, scrape what you can, Gardz it, skim coat, prime, paint.

Where did you buy this Glidden? There is three grades of it. The lowest is sold at Walmart, 2nd lowest at box stores, but there are paint stores that sell a higher grade of it.


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## cocomonkeynuts (Jan 12, 2018)

woodco said:


> That just looks like garbage flat paint to me. If not a contaminant, it may have been applied WAY too thick. Garbage flat will crack out in thick spots. If it doesnt scrape off, I would put a coat of Gardz on it to toughen it up, then try again with some quality paint.Try the smallest wall first as a test area. It might work. Worse case scenario, scrape what you can, Gardz it, skim coat, prime, paint.
> 
> Where did you buy this Glidden? There is three grades of it. The lowest is sold at Walmart, 2nd lowest at box stores, but there are paint stores that sell a higher grade of it.



Even 'quality' flat paints will mud crack if applied at too many mils, flat paints are mainly pigment, filler and very little resin.


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## woodco (Jun 11, 2017)

cocomonkeynuts said:


> Even 'quality' flat paints will mud crack if applied at too many mils, flat paints are mainly pigment, filler and very little resin.


Im gonna disagree. I know for a fact, that Pure Performance and Manor Hall flat doesnt crack like contractor grade flats. I assume Regal and Aura are similar, but I dont know for sure cuz I dont use them very much.


I give you the empty bucket challenge: If you leave a painted bucket out to dry with any paint with a sheen, it doesnt crack, and you can pull the skin out of the bucket with ease, leaving you a clean bucket. Do the same with flat paint, it will crack out, and you cant pull the skin out of the bucket because its too brittle. you can either chip it away, or fill it with water to soften the paint. A high quality flat paint acts like just a sheen paint. It doesnt crack out, and you can pull the inside out of a bucket when its dry. Its still somewhat rubbery


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