Have you ever remodeled your bathroom and painted it a beautiful color? Then later that night after you have showered you realize it looks like the paint is running or that you have grease on the wall. What is happening to your paint and why is it doing this? L.W. Winslow Painting, Inc. wants to go over why this happens and what it is.
What is Surfactant Leaching?
Surfactants are compounds added to your paint pigmentation dispersion. This helps the paint to have stability and be able to spread over the surface evenly. Surfactants will dry off as paint cures or are sealed into the paint. When your paint is trying to dry in cold, steamy, or damp conditions the compounds rise to the surface of the paint causing an uneven paint job and making it look greasy.
What Causes Surfactant Leaching?
There are a few things that can cause surfactant leaching. First, if your paint comes in contact with humidity such as a hot shower or a dryer in the laundry room before it actually dries. Second, having too low of a temperature. Anything below 50° can cause the paint to not bind to the surface. Third, if you have poor circulation this can make it not dry properly. And last, dark colors can have a harder time because there are more surfactants in the paint.
How to Fix Surfactant Leaching
If you take a shower too soon after you have painted the bathroom and surfactant leaching happens, how do you fix it? You don’t want to live with it forever. First, you can try some soap and water. After the paint has set, use warm water and soap with a cloth and wash off the leaching. You can try to repaint the surface. Although a fresh coat of paint cannot solve the whole issue. You should try a new coat of paint after removing the surfactant leaching. Last you can try having it run its course, it could take a few months to wear away but it can be cured by natural weather.
How to Avoid Surfactant Leaching
The great thing is that you can avoid surfactant leaching. If you follow these few suggestions, it will minimize the amount of leaching happening.
-Use high-quality paint and follow manufacturer instructions.
– Make sure the temperature is between 50 and 90° even at night.
– Wait several days before you take a shower, use the dryer, and cook with steam or any other type of humidity.
– If you need to use fans and dehumidifiers.
Interior & Exterior Painting & More in Amagansett, Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Hampton Bays, Montauk, North Haven, North Sea, Noyack, Shelter Island, Sag Harbor, Shinnecock Hills, Southampton, Springs, Water Mill, Westhampton & Westhampton Beach, New York
After you are done painting a big project the last thing you want to happen is have that paint get ruined. Following these few tips can help you avoid having surfactant leaching happen. A great thing that you can also do is hire a professional such as L.W. Winslow Painting, Inc . We can help make your home beautiful with the paint and not have problems such as leaching happen.