fix aligatoring - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

shayter · 05-25-2008, 04:43 PM

need to fix aligatoring on a new build with primer on drywall, with two topcoats. The topcoat aligatored in various places. How do I go about doing this without hurting the primer coat?

mjay · 05-25-2008, 08:21 PM

Determine cause: oil? wax? incompatible paints? old paint? substrate wet? paint thinned too much? contaminated paint? Best to avoid repeating this error!
I'd try an oil based primer, followed by skim coat of suitable mud, apply quality latex primer and finish paint.

Good luck, take pics and keep us informed.

shayter · 05-25-2008, 10:21 PM

how do you determine weather the primer coat, and top coat were incompatible causing the aligatoring, or if it was something else?

TooledUp · 05-26-2008, 12:23 PM

I would telll the HO to get the 'professional' guy who did it to repair it http://www.contractortalk.com/f8/help-paint-problems-39799/

If the primer was a fire retardant then it's going to seal the board pretty well - The finish coats would probably need a lot longer to dry between coats than the guy allowed... Possibly overnight.

capital city · 05-26-2008, 06:40 PM

It might just need sanded, alot of drywallers will go a little excessive in spots and bur up the paper part around the mud. Good Luck

**slickshift** · 05-27-2008, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shayter

need to fix aligatoring on a new build with primer on drywall, with two topcoats. The topcoat aligatored in various places. How do I go about doing this without hurting the primer coat?

Doesn't matter about "hurting" the primer coat
You're gonna want to prime again anyway

Sand, sand, sand....if you go into the primer, so be it
Re-prime
Paint

Depending on why it's alligatored, you might want to use a special or specific primer
I'd want to figure out why it alligatored

mjay · 05-27-2008, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shayter

how do you determine weather the primer coat, and top coat were incompatible causing the aligatoring, or if it was something else?

If the alligatoring is sporadic, isolated, then more likely not allowing primer to dry, wet on wet finish coats, oil/wax, etc.
You want to experiment, repeat the process and eliminate each possible cause.

shayter · 05-27-2008, 05:14 PM

it cracked sporadicaly, but the primer was no wet. It had several days to dry.