Dry paint sometimes cracks or flakes through at least one coat due to aging, which ultimately will lead to complete failure of the paint. In its early stages, the problem appears as hairline cracks; in its later stages, flaking occurs.

What Causes It?Cracking and flaking can be caused by the following:

• Using a lower-quality paint that has inadequate adhesion and flexibility.
• Overthinning or overspreading the paint when applying it.
• Inadequately preparing the surface, or applying the paint to bare wood without first applying a primer.
• Excessive alkyd paint hardens and becomes brittle as the paint job ages.

How to Solve It
To solve cracking and flaking, first remove all loose and flaking paint with a scraper or wire brush. Then, sand the surface and feather the edges.

If the flaking occurs in multiple layers of paint, you may need to use a filler.

Prime bare wood areas before repainting. Using a top-quality primer and topcoat should prevent a recurrence of this problem.

Note: Images provided by The Rohm & Hass Paint Quality Institute.