# Paint Not Drying- Applied 8 mos ago



## boblenzen (Dec 5, 2007)

I painted some exterior doors of a school a year ago with latex SW Solo paint. The doors were properly prepped, primed and painted per architects specifications. The paint was dry at that time and no issues were brought to anyones attention. 8 months have now passed and about two months ago the school added new weather stripping to the doors. The paint is now tacky and gooey and is making the doors stick when opening. The paint is actually coming off on the weather stripping. I feel that an oil base paint would have been better. However the school district insists on this product. They now want me to sand them down reprime, and repaint all of the doors eight months later as a warranty issue. Has anyone experienced this before? Could there be an interaction with weather stripping or something that is used in the installation process. Regardless I am going to have to resolve the problem, but your feedback would be appreciated.


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## Steve Richards (Dec 31, 2010)

I once painted some dh sash windows on an old house (oil), and put the storm windows back on the same day.

I painted the house again about 10 years later. That paint was still tacky.

I know that doesn't help you out...but it gave me a chance to tell another odd-but-true story.


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

Get your SW rep out there asap.


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## CliffK (Dec 21, 2010)

This sounds like something to do with product/"environment". Possibly adding the weather stripping has changed the "enviroment" in some way & created some sort of humidity problem(although I see your in Vegas-do they even have humidity there... lol). I absolutely agree with Pro Wall-you've got to get your rep involved with this one.

Years ago I painted a wood floor in a living room & dining room(oak) that had been painted previously with an oil base floor enamel. We scuff sanded the entire floor, cleaned & tacked it. Applied a fresh coat of BM oil base floor enamel. It came out mint and dried over night. Unbeknown to me, under the floor was a crawl space type basement about 3 feet high. The customer calls me a week later and says the paint is wet and coming off on her shoes????? Long story short- the paint that seeped between the cracks/spaces in the oak flooring was being pushed up from humidity below. It was crazy. It looked like the mound of dirt you see when a worm comes out of the ground-hundreds of them all over the floor coming out of the spaces between the boards & they would stay wet for days, but the flat surface of the floor was completely dry & hard as glass.

I had to wipe the floor with paint thinner once a week for *5 weeks* before it finally stopped happening! I just couldn't imagine how it could keep coming back, I mean how much paint could there even be in those very tight cracks??? We rolled it with a very tight nap roller and laid it off with a brush a few sections at a time. There was no excess. I have never seen it happen before or since. Moral of the story... crazy sh!t happens to the painter-just read Coby's thread of yesterday where he almost burnt down his shed with a dust extractor!!! 

Best of luck boblenzen-let us know what comes of it...


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## jacob33 (Jun 2, 2009)

The chemical that keeps some weather stripping soft is what is actually a solvent for many acrylic finishes. You need a paint that has good blocking. It will keep happening with solo. I had it happen as well when new weather stripping was added almost a year later and was melted into the solo. I recoated all the doors with a oil paint to stop it.


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## jacob33 (Jun 2, 2009)

Also Its really not a warrenty issue since they speced the paint and the installed the weather stripping. Its the butyl in the weather stripping that is doing this. I would make it very clear to them that this is their fault and that going back with solo will not resolve the issue it will only continue to happen.


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## CliffK (Dec 21, 2010)

jacob33 said:


> The chemical that keeps some weather stripping soft is what is actually a solvent for many acrylic finishes. You need a paint that has good blocking. It will keep happening with solo. I had it happen as well when new weather stripping was added almost a year later and was melted into the solo. I recoated all the doors with a oil paint to stop it.


 I have never encountered this problem, but then I have never used solo. Makes a lot of sense jacob...putting this in my memory bank:thumbsup:


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## painterman (Jun 2, 2007)

Try dusting the weather strip with baby powder...it may have to be done a couple of times to get it to stop but it will stop the problem


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## jacob33 (Jun 2, 2009)

CliffK said:


> I have never encountered this problem, but then I have never used solo. Makes a lot of sense jacob...putting this in my memory bank:thumbsup:


Yeah it can cause problems even when installed after the paint is cured. Your basically putting the door in contact with the stripping and solvent for hours at a time while its shut. 

They do make acrylics that are non-blocking but the viynl bulb weather stripping when new will emulsify many acylic paints. From what I have read after the stripping is a year old or so it stops leaching the solvent (butyl).


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## boblenzen (Dec 5, 2007)

Thanks so very much for your response. I have already revisited the project with the general contractor, two paint reps and the architect. We suggested that the doors be repainted in oil and the architect has stated that it can only be done with solo because of it having to be low VOC. They all insisted that this was my fault and that I am responsible for the repairs. I have requested the spec for the weather stripping so that I can determine what chemical is causing the interaction. It makes perfect sense because there was no issue with the paint for eight until the weather stripping was installed. Some of the paint had even come off and melted into the weather stripping.

Bob Lenzen


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## painterman (Jun 2, 2007)

just how is this your fault...tell them to pound salt


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## jacob33 (Jun 2, 2009)

boblenzen said:


> Thanks so very much for your response. I have already revisited the project with the general contractor, two paint reps and the architect. We suggested that the doors be repainted in oil and the architect has stated that it can only be done with solo because of it having to be low VOC. They all insisted that this was my fault and that I am responsible for the repairs. I have requested the spec for the weather stripping so that I can determine what chemical is causing the interaction. It makes perfect sense because there was no issue with the paint for eight until the weather stripping was installed. Some of the paint had even come off and melted into the weather stripping.
> 
> Bob Lenzen


 
There are low voc paints that are non-blocking which basically means this will not happen. Solo is not one of them. I would insist on them getting a non-blocking acrylic if they want low voc. I most likely would not warrenty it but I do not know your situation with them. I would get it in writing if they want solo that you will not take any future liability. After a while the weather stripping will begin to dry out and stop leaching the solvent so it will not be an issue.


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## mcradice (Mar 19, 2011)

Try painting with a hybrid. It's got the durability of an oil, and most are very low voc. At the Comex Group, we sell one call Monamel, but BM and SW have theirs, too.


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

Painting oil over latex!:blink::no:


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## Andyman (Feb 21, 2009)

Let the architect spec the new product since they did so well the first time. No way is this the painters fault.


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## Andyman (Feb 21, 2009)

Let the architect spec the new product since they did so well the first time. No way is this the painters problem.


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## Oden (Feb 8, 2012)

I'd go with Jacob 33 and put oil on it now. If anybody asks, I used what was specked. Nobody is going to investigate what finish is on a door that isn't failing.


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## briancreary (Oct 12, 2010)

Ask the school district if they would sue the manufacturer of their car if someone put deisel in their gasoline engine: in other words, they are only going after you because it's easier for them rather than tracking down the actual problem. 

What could have possibly gone wrong here? Step 1) open can of paint, step 2) apply paint, step 3) watch paint dry. Come on, they are trying to scare you into a freebie; whether they like it or not, going after the painter because you believe the paint was defective is wrong on their part. Even if they did sue they would lose and be told to go after the manufacturer of the product (if in fact the product is defective). Furthermore, you are not responsible for their lack of due diligence on finding out if the weatherstripping would react with the latex paint.


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