# Tiny Bubbles



## gabchoud (Jan 29, 2008)

So, I'm in the middle of trimming out a rental house and realize that i don't have enought trim paint. Crack open the new can of behr interior trim paint box the two together and mix it up some with a little squirrel cage mixer on a drill. When I start back painting I see a bazillion tiny bubbles in the finish. 

I realize after doing a bunch of reading on here the general opinion is that behr sucks. Honestly I've never had a problem with it until now.

Did I mix it too vigorously?
Is it because it's crappy paint?
Could it possibly be caused by using old brushes? Doesn't make much sense to me. But on that question how do you tell when it's time to get new brushes? I use Purdy Nylox 3" almost exclusively. Dad said it's the best brush on the market and there's no reason to try any other garbage out there. As I said in my previous post the old man, I have learned, is full of dung.

I had actually started using SW paints before I found this site so please don't give too hard a time about the paint choice. I was just trying to finish off what I had. I'm tired of dealing with the customer no service from the "paint department" at HD.

More questions to come.

Matt


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## Rich (Apr 26, 2007)

let's see here


gabchoud said:


> > Did I mix it too vigorously?
> 
> 
> I doubt you could mix latex paint too fast to actually cause a problem while applying
> ...


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## gabchoud (Jan 29, 2008)

Don't get me wrong about my old man. He's a good guy, and I appreiate that he tought me. He's just very opinionated, and it was his way or the highway... ON EVERYTHING.


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## Mopaint (Oct 17, 2007)

I had a problem like that back in 99. I had a semi- retired paint chemist working for me at the time. He explained that it was because some companys will use calcium carbonate instead of titanium dioxide for white pigment. Remember in high school chemistry what happens when you add baking soda to water? you get bubbles. I am convinced that this is the problem. Try letting it sit overnight or strain it through a panty hose. Also try a propeller type mixer the squirel cage is putting to much air into the product. Good luck, MOPAINT


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## Mopaint (Oct 17, 2007)

could be the surface you are going over is high in calcium carbonate and it's bing reactivated. Experiment with sealing the substrate with bin or kilz first that will tell you if its surface contamination or your paint. It's not the brush. Mike


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

I have seen this with some paints - I 'chalked' - LOL - it up to too much surfactant in the paint - and not enough of a defoamer chemical to make the bubbles come back down. I've heard an old school trick was to put in a 'shot' of mineral spirits - but you basically can no longer store the leftovers - you either use it all or throw the remainder away.


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## gabchoud (Jan 29, 2008)

Plainpainter, think I'll try that one too

Matt


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## HomeGuardPaints (Jan 17, 2008)

I get consumer reports mag at the office and behr was ranked the best buy over all brands this month. How much do you think they paid for that?


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## Rich (Apr 26, 2007)

Behr=HAHA

Painting=a fun thing to do

Painting with Behr=not a fun thing to do on any level

Painting with good quality paint according to contractors and not a magazine=priceless


**we've been down the behr road so many times in here...it is always agreed upon that behr sucks (on a contractor level) by pretty much every contractor in here


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## Tmrrptr (May 4, 2007)

Sounds like you got plenty entrained air!

I never used those squirrel-cage type mixers...

Probably need to let that bear set a bit... mix slowly... lite sand your bubbled surfaces and recoat?

Good luck!


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## Chameleon (Jan 26, 2008)

HomeGuardPaints said:


> I get consumer reports mag at the office and behr was ranked the best buy over all brands this month. How much do you think they paid for that?


Behr is huge just because the DIY people going to home Depot !!!! The paint sucks....but I will have to admit the P.V.A. sealer is some good stuff.


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## Rich (Apr 26, 2007)

yeah...there are definitely good primers at any store you go into...it's those darn finishes that usually are crud


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## Humble Abode (Apr 11, 2007)

weird double post...


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## Humble Abode (Apr 11, 2007)

plainpainter said:


> I have seen this with some paints - I 'chalked' - LOL - it up to too much surfactant in the paint - and not enough of a defoamer chemical to make the bubbles come back down. I've heard an old school trick was to put in a 'shot' of mineral spirits - but you basically can no longer store the leftovers - you either use it all or throw the remainder away.


 
I would agree with the defoaming agent they add to the paint. Another possibility is that the surface was washed with a detergent and not rinsed properly. I have heard that that can cause tiny bubbles to appear.

This happened to me last year with a high quality low-sheen wall paint, so I don't think you can blame the Behr.

I had to sand the walls with 200 grit and add another coat free of charge...


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## jodon (Jan 27, 2008)

Tiny air bubbles most likly caused by small particles of dust made by the sanding of joint compound left on the walls. Although the surface looks dust free to the eye it may not be. I had this before.
Joe


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

I use a line of paint that always makes those bubbles no matter what you do. Those bubbles are a result of the paint chemistry of the paint you are using. This one paint I use - will even make those bubbles when cutting. The only time it doesn't make the bubbles is when I am going over a bone dry builders' flat paint that is 20+ years old - and then it just soaks in and makes no bubbles. Just an aggressive 'wetting' surfactant agent with a lack of defoamer. Like I said - try a shot of mineral spirits.


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## jackrabbit5 (Oct 1, 2007)

plainpainter said:


> I use a line of paint that always makes those bubbles no matter what you do.


Perhaps a good reason to stop using that line of paint :whistling2:


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

I have run across this with K&Bs, of which I mainly use Moore's and Zinsser's (Perma-White)
I also have run across it with C2
Not all the time, mind you...but enough that I can say that it's not a drywall dust or cleaner residue issue
(In some cases it was over a fresh primer coat)


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## Paul_R (Apr 19, 2007)

Blinding me with science, where is Wolverine?:blink: 
Happy painting, Paul.


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## Rich (Apr 26, 2007)

jackrabbit5 said:


> Perhaps a good reason to stop using that line of paint :whistling2:


haha...just what I was about to say!


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

Paul_R said:


> ...where is Wolverine?:blink:


...at the Home For Deranged Scientists






A Suitable Case for Treatment


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## timhag (Sep 30, 2007)

It's poetry in motion, wow slick, this video takes me back to the early 80's. Thanks for the post.....4 got about this song.


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## Paul_R (Apr 19, 2007)

Rock On Slickshift! Hope he enjoys his stay!
:rockon:
Happy painting, Paul.


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

As to that line of paint - I hardly use it for residential anymore. As far as how it applies in all other fashions and how well it sticks - it beats everything on the market.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

As to that line of paint - I hardly use it for residential anymore. As far as how it applies in all other fashions and how well it sticks - it beats everything on the market.

Got a name?


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