Interior Paint Wrinkling - Causes & Solutions

Interior paint wrinkling is when a bubbling, wrinkling skin of paint occurs on a surface. Wrinkling paint causes range from surface issues to climate. One cause of interior paint wrinkling is either too thick a coat of paint or contamination of the painting surface. It also occurs when painting during weather that is too hot, too cold or too humid; however, there are solutions to this problem.
 

Causes

Sometimes when coats of paint are too thick, interior paint wrinkling occurs. It tends to dry in wrinkles and bumps. Also, if a prior layer of cracked paint covers the surface, wrinkling can also occur. Other surface contamination includes dirty or dusty areas, waxy areas or the inclusion of other foreign materials. Any surface that is not clean and smooth can result in wrinkling.

When painting during weather that is too hot or too cold, interior paint wrinkling can occur. This happens because the top layer of paint dries and films before the bottom layer, which then results in wrinkling. Also painting in humid weather may result in wrinkling.
 

Solutions

There are several solutions to interior paint wrinkling. First of all, scrape and sand down the wrinkled paint thoroughly to present a smooth surface. It is important to make sure the surface is clean of any lingering paint flakes and dust before it is repainted. If applying a primer, it must dry completely before you paint the wall. Apply each coat of paint, and let it dry completely before another coat is added. It is also important to paint in mild weather to avoid extremes in temperature and humidity. Avoid painting in hot direct sunlight or when the temperature is below 50º F. Finally, make sure that you use a top quality paint for application to avoid future interior paint wrinkling. It is important to remove the flawed coats, and replace them with a quality paint to prevent future problems.

Primers and Finishes

Priming is essential for better adhesion, sheen uniformity, mildew control and durability.
Select a top quality interior paint in the color and sheen of your choice.

Substrates, Primers

Substrate: Various
Primer: Usually None
Finish Coats: 550 Super Latex Interior Flat Wall Paint
1610 Sat-N-Sheen Int. Low Sheen Finish
1650 Acry-Plex Interior Latex Semi-Gloss
1685 Dura-Poxy + Int./Ext. Semi-Gloss Acrylic En.
1680 Dura-Poxy + Int./Ext. Gloss Acrylic En.