# Flat paint cracking



## nogg (Aug 23, 2007)

I just had some oddly coincidental bad luck!Two different jobs,two different topcoats same poor results..small checking or cracking in the new top coat.Both took two coats and they both had a day to dry in between.Oddly and coincidently also is the existing paint they both went over was a dark red/burgundy eggshell.I know what product one of them was because I put it on a few years ago.The other I do not know.Just wondering what I did to piss off the paint gods.I am thinking I might prime with bin or cover stain then another couple coats over the top.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

How cold did the rooms get over night? Almost sounds like the paint may have froze or got really cold and didn't cure correctly.


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

It's probably going on too heavy.


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

lilpaintchic said:


> It's probably going on too heavy.


Yep. That was my first thought. For the OP, might check your thickness next time with a mill gauge to see if you're applying within spec. If it's cracking, it's usually due to being applied too thick.


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## nogg (Aug 23, 2007)

Possibly too thick for those particular existing finishes but other eggshell surfaces were painted on both jobs without any issues.On one job the kitchen had what appeared to be the same existing paint and we had no issues there just in the dining room.The temperature remained stable for sure.


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## Oden (Feb 8, 2012)

Mill cracks, mill cracking. Is what I call it. If it is that u put it on too heavy. Too heavy really means 'way too heavy' for to get mill cracking though, in my experience. Did you spray it? Just that is usually how it happens. If by hand tool? You musta known when you did it, it would have been a puddle, way too heavy does that.


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

I'm guessing you may have been laying it on heavier over the red to get it to cover? I dunno....I've had it happen though. I was trying to save time and it ended up costing me time instead...


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

Mud cracking typically only occurs in specific areas where the paint was applied too thick. Was this cracking occurring uniformly on the wall ? If so, there may be something causing high surface tension on the existing paint surface.

Was the new coat sprayed or rolled?


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## nogg (Aug 23, 2007)

The walls were rolled on both jobs everywhere. both jobs we rolled the same paint on other eggshell and flat walls without cracking.Its a headscratcher to me.Now I am just trying to figure out the system to fix it.I think I am going to start with cover stain


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

nogg said:


> The walls were rolled on both jobs everywhere. both jobs we rolled the same paint on other eggshell and flat walls without cracking.Its a headscratcher to me.Now I am just trying to figure out the system to fix it.I think I am going to start with cover stain


Yea. Typically the damage has been done and is over. Anything you put over it now will stick and hide the surface defects. But I still can't imagine that you could have possibly rolled on paint that thick to cause cracking on a vertical surface, without having runs or sags be a precursor to that failure.


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

Just out of curiosity, did this happen on exterior walls only? I've seen this happen around here on the exterior walls of really, really old brick buildings with poor insulation.


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

Primer won't fix it. Its just another layer of paint. Gotta do the crack repairs (spackle or whatever...) and go from there. Pics?


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## jacob33 (Jun 2, 2009)

I have seen flat paint do that over caulking.


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## Stretch67 (Oct 7, 2013)

jacob33 said:


> I have seen flat paint do that over caulking.












Like my front entry door frame? Im pretty sure I gave the caulk about 10 minutes to dry b4 I slapped the paint to it.


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## nogg (Aug 23, 2007)

Wildbill it was not on exterior only walls. The paint was not applied extraordinarily heavy we used half inch cover and it was applied same as the other walls we painted on both jobs.In hind sight it may have been too heavy for the existing coating to handle though.Maybe we should have used quarter inch cover but who knew


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## Seth The Painter (Jun 24, 2015)

Don't really matter what caused it. You mentioned you wanted to fix it by putting coverstain? That would be another mistake. You need to tape the Crack now and spackle it up.


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## I paint paint (May 4, 2014)

lilpaintchic said:


> Primer won't fix it. Its just another layer of paint. Gotta do the crack repairs (*spackle* or whatever...) and go from there. Pics?





Seth The Painter said:


> Don't really matter what caused it. You mentioned you wanted to fix it by putting coverstain? That would be another mistake. You need to *tape the Crack now and* *spackle* it up.


I know we don't have pics of what these actual cracks look like, nor do we know if they are isolated spots or everywhere on the entire wall.

But would anyone consider filling the cracks with caulk and a sponge instead of spackle and a knife?


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## SemiproJohn (Jul 29, 2013)

I paint paint said:


> I know we don't have pics of what these actual cracks look like, nor do we know if they are isolated spots or everywhere on the entire wall.
> 
> But would anyone consider filling the cracks with caulk and a sponge instead of spackle and a knife?


I wish pictures were provided as well. I'm visualizing "alligatoring" or something of that nature...extensive and pretty much everywhere. I have never had to deal with this. I was thinking more along the lines of a skim coat with joint compound rather than spackle or caulk.


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## I paint paint (May 4, 2014)

SemiproJohn said:


> I wish pictures were provided as well. I'm visualizing "alligatoring" or something of that nature...extensive and pretty much everywhere. I have never had to deal with this. I was thinking more along the lines of a skim coat with joint compound rather than spackle or caulk.


Yeah, if it were rugged alligatoring everywhere I could easily see JC skim.

If it were fine alligatoring I might be inclined to sand and roll on a thick coat of Peel Stop maybe.

What ever will bridge and lock down the cracks the easiest while giving the level of finish needed.


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

I paint paint said:


> Yeah, if it were rugged alligatoring everywhere I could easily see JC skim.
> 
> If it were fine alligatoring I might be inclined to sand and roll on a thick coat of Peel Stop maybe.
> 
> What ever will bridge and lock down the cracks the easiest while giving the level of finish needed.


I going long here but my guess is that the cut was especially heavy and that's where most of the checking would be. I thought about caulk too, but he sounds pretty green (no offense intended) and spackle will provide a more sure fire fix for him I think ...he can finger it in or knife it. He'll figure it out...hard to say given the info provided.


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

I paint paint said:


> I know we don't have pics of what these actual cracks look like, nor do we know if they are isolated spots or everywhere on the entire wall.
> 
> *But would anyone consider filling the cracks with caulk and a sponge instead of spackle and a knife*?


I wouldn't try to fix it with caulk, since the caulk would likely flash through the top-coat in the form of an inconsistent sheen or texture. JC is so much easier to block than caulking. Results could vary I guess, depending upon sheen of top-coat, as well as what texture is currently on walls.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

Sounds to me, after everyone has pretty much covered the obvious and most likely culprit, that the actual paint was a little bereft of resins. Or, the resins weren't "up to spec."
See it quite often lately.

But i won't mention the brands because if i do i have some kind of "chip" on my shoulder or whatever.


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## nogg (Aug 23, 2007)

Well I wish I had got pics of it also.I did a coat of coverstain let it dry over night.Couldnt see any cracking through that so put on one coat of flat this morning.It looked good when I left and have fingers crossed.


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