# Paint changes color when wet?



## Cajunmarc (Nov 20, 2009)

I installed a new front porch on someones house and primed and sealed it with a dark green oil based paint. When water puddles on the floor, that spot changes color. After a day of drying, it reverts back to the original color. Can anyone explain why this is happening? I don't know what to tell the homeowner. The sherwin williams manager can't explain it? Help!


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

Cajunmarc said:


> I installed a new front porch on someones house and primed and sealed it with a dark green oil based paint. When water puddles on the floor, that spot changes color. After a day of drying, it reverts back to the original color. Can anyone explain why this is happening? I don't know what to tell the homeowner. The sherwin williams manager can't explain it? Help!


 
If it goes back,why are you worried about it?:blink:


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## WAGGZ (Apr 2, 2009)

Tell them it's a wet weather faux finish and that will cost more.:jester:


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## BMDealer (Jun 2, 2008)

This also happens on interior furniture. Sometimes when you leave a glass on a table it will leave a cloudy ring because of the moisture, then go away once dry. 

I agree with the above, if it goes away there shouldn't be a real issue. I would also think that once the oil has more time to cure the surface will become harder so the problem may go away by itself in time.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

Ya, just moisture. Like the above post said. Moisture get trapped behind causing staining. It will eventually leave a permanent stain if it is continuously getting puddles. It may also begin to pop off, sense oil base is not that breathable and not designed to handle puddleing, not many coatings can handle that. Check the perm rating, should be on the product data sheet. Materials with high Perm levels will allow more moisture or water vapor to pass through than those with lower Perm values. If it were my job I would want to find out too. And it great to see you trying to find out what it is. Many contractors wouldn't give it the time a day. Only to find the problem is getting worse. Moisture is a big cause to many failures. I would jut tell the HO to keep an eye on it and if it looks like its getting worse to call you back. If it were to get worse, the fix would in tale, scraping and sanding the effected areas reprime and recoat. You may want to reconsider using that product for floors that are in the natural elements of the weather and that has a higher perm rating. 
You can read this to learn more about perms. 
http://www.omnova.com/products/wallCovering/perm_test.aspx


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

All of the above: Also if there is pooling water, these spots will stay darker for longer, even after the water dries on the surface. Like above, the wood behind the paint get wet and keeps the back side of the paint wet.Now if this freezes in the winter the paint will pop up.


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## WAGGZ (Apr 2, 2009)

When you say "change color" do you mean it gets darker. I was thinking about this today and my thoughts were everything gets darker when its wet.


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## Connecticut Painters (Nov 24, 2009)

Did you use stain or paint on the porch
Connecticut Painters


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Latex, IMO, has many times become lighter when surface has been wetted. Go test some walls and see if it happens to a number of them. Darker colors are affected the most. 

I don't know if it's the quality of latex or the brand. But I have noticed it less with 100% acrylics. 

One of my painting buddies told a story about painting a house with a darker shade than before. After one of the first rain storms following application, the HO called and said the rain washed the paint off. By the time he got to inspect it, the siding had dried and the color was back to normal.


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## Picky Painter (Oct 7, 2009)

This phenomenon isn't limited to paint work. Take a spray bottle of authentic leather conditioner and spray it all over your leather car seats. As it runs down the vertical surfaces it will leave lighter looking drip lines in the leather finish coating, which is a urethane product. After the excess has been buffed off and everything dries the lines disappear.


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## Outback Painting (Nov 21, 2009)

It could also be because the product hasn't dried well enough to begin with, how's the weather temp where you are? You may need to check out a product that works down to 35 degrees to make sure it will dry, especially if it is going to be exposed to water constantly.


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## tsunamicontract (May 3, 2008)

It is called blushing :icon_redface: 
I have experienced this on not fully cured paints with an oil component. They take longer to dry. But honestly oil paint may not have been the best choice for a porch in the first place. I would make sure it cured a good 2 weeks before getting too much moisture. On a porch I would use a broom or squeegee to remove water after rain.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

tsunamicontract said:


> .


Haven't seen your byline for almost a month, Tsunami. Missed you. Welcome back. Hope your away time was pleasant and profitable :thumbup:


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## tsunamicontract (May 3, 2008)

daArch said:


> Haven't seen your byline for almost a month, Tsunami. Missed you. Welcome back. Hope your away time was pleasant and profitable :thumbup:


Haha Thanks! Quite the opposite tho, I started college. Turns out its very expensive.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

The color change could be due to the reflectivity of the water. Also, temperature differentials of the water may cause color change.

Here's a link that may be interesting, but is not absolute.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

tsunamicontract said:


> Haha Thanks! Quite the opposite tho, I started college. Turns out its very expensive.


good luck to ya. Yah, I just started paying for college this fall. I hear you. Hope you're enjoying it and doing as well as my son.

Which college?


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