Why does automotive paint wrinkle

These are cracks that sometimes appear in topcoats. Like dulling, this may result from several different causes. The most common reasons this might occur include the following:. Sags are extremely common for do-it-yourself types. These occur when you hold your paint gun too close to the surface, double coat a spot or move it too slowly. It also sometimes happens when you reduce an area too much or trying to paint when it is too cold. To avoid this, hold your paint gun at a perpendicular angle, keep it far enough way from the surface and move it in fast, even strokes.

An orange-peeled surface has the appearance of an orange peel. This is normally a result of using too low of pressure or not reducing the paint enough.

If it is not too severe, you might be able to correct it with wet sanding using grit sand paper followed by buffing or respraying of the surface.

Always thin your paint according to the instructions on the label and do not overcoat your surface. Also known as edge mapping, this paint problem results from solvents in topcoats penetrating through areas of the undercoats. It looks like a wrinkling around an area that has been repaired.

To avoid this, make certain to use a primer surfacer that is water-based, two-component or another sealer to create a good barrier layer. When this problem happens, you will need to either remove the problem area or smooth and sand it. This problem occurs when tiny air bubbles rise to the surface of the paint and pop, leaving craters behind.

To avoid this, make certain that your spray gun is adjusted properly, use the correct air pressure setting and keep your gun an appropriate distance away from the surface.

You can correct this problem by sanding the area with grit sandpaper and then polishing it. These are streaks, lines or marks that appear in your paint film. They are the result of not properly sanding the body or primer, filling in scratches with primer or sanding basecoat or single-stage finishes before you clear them.

You can fix these by letting it cure and then re-sanding the problem area before refinishing it. With this problem, cracks of varying lengths form in your finish. This results when the film of your undercoat or topcoat is too thick. It can also happen when you are painting over a cracked surface or if you use too much hardener.

This requires stripping and refinishing to fix. When you lose adhesion between your paint and its substrate, sections of the color may separate away. To avoid this, make sure that you prepare the surface properly by properly sanding, cleaning and using the correct primer. Pinholes occur when body fillers contain air bubbles that are then exposed while you sand the area, leaving small holes behind in the surface. This results from the improper mixing of your hardener with the filler.

If you use too much of the hardener, pinholing is even likelier to occur. It is important to try to paint in an environment that is as dirt- and dust-free as possible. Wetting down the floor both before you spray your paint and between each coat can help.

You should also make certain that the surface itself is thoroughly cleaned before you begin. This happens when your paint is soft after it is dry, making it susceptible to water spotting and fingerprints for days after your paint job.

Mottling refers to a streaked appearance that might appear in transparent or metallic finishes. It can be caused by many different things, including using a spray pattern that is not balanced, tilting the gun, over-thinning or spraying on your clearcoat before the basecoat has completely dried.

Grit refers to the problem of solid particles of varying sizes being embedded in the surface of your paint. This can happen when the paint or primer is not strained or stirred properly. Identification: Raised or lifted edges in the wet or dry paint film that outline sand-throughs or feather-edges. Cause: Solvent from the new topcoat penetrates a solvent sensitive substrate causing a lifting or wrinkling that outlines the feather-edge.

Prevention: Check questionable finishes by rubbing a small inconspicuous area with a shop towel saturated with lacquer thinner. Finishes susceptible to lifting will soften, wrinkle or shrivel as lacquer thinner is applied. If any of these reactions occur, the following recommendations should be considered:.

Identification: The existing paint film shrivels, wrinkles or swells during new finish application or drying. Wrinkling, often called lifting, is when an existing paint layer shrivels during the application of a new finish or as the new finish dries. This is caused by the solvents in the new finish attacking the old finish.

Causes: Solvents in a newly applied product attack the previous finish causing wrinkling, raising, or puckering of the paint film due to:. Identification: Uneven surface formation, texture like skin of an orange. One of the more common paint problems we run into, and its name is self-explanatory. It looks like an orange peel.

Other causes may well be too fast a thinner or reducer, piling on too many or too heavy coats, or improper spray gun adjustment.

Applying topcoat of paint to insufficiently cured primer or first coat of paint. Painting over contaminated surface such as dirt or wax. Over-thinning paint before applying. Painting over a glossy surface, which does not provide enough of a profile to which the coating can adhere.

Painting over a surface contaminant such as dirt or wax. Do not thin the paint unless recommended on the label. Follow label directions for the appropriate environmental conditions for the paint. Sand glossy surfaces dull to provide a profile so the coating can adhere to it. Excessive brushing or rolling - applying a paint too rapidly - will drive excess air into the film.

Use of a roller cover with wrong nap length. Applying a gloss or semi-gloss paint over a porous or unsealed surface.

High heat during application speeds up drying; bubbles or craters that form will dry before they can break and level out. SOLUTION All paints will foam to some degree during mixing and application; most paints are designed to allow these bubbles to break and flow smooth during drying.

Allow the coating to dry thoroughly, then sand smooth and repaint. Slowly stir partially filled containers to prevent entrapping excess air in the coating. Prime porous surfaces before topcoating. Follow label and data page directions for the appropriate environmental conditions. Allow each coating to dry properly before topcoating.

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