What is Patchiness Defect in Paint?

Painting is the easiest way to freshen up your house. A fresh coat of paint adds value to your home and makes it more attractive. Most painting jobs are completed without any problems but occasionally things go wrong and there might be several paint defects appeared because of circumstances beyond the control of the painter or the paint manufacturer. Several paint defects like chalking, patchiness, flaking, bleeding, etc. are observed during or after the paint application. Among them, patchiness defect is the most commonly observed during the paint application.

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The uneven finish or scratch like thing appearing on the putty-applied surfaces is called patchiness. It is caused due to the highly absorbent nature of the surface and presence of foreign matters in the putty leads to this paint defect.

Newly constructed walls may have more problems of patchiness as they usually have high alkalinity on the surface. The unskilled person may apply the thick coat of putty on the newly constructed wall to level up; however, this process is more prone to patchiness defect.

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There are various reasons why patchiness defect occurred, i.e.

• Due to highly absorbent nature of the surface
• Application of finish coat over spot puttied surfaces
• High alkalinity of the surface (especially visible on new walls)
• Incomplete drying of filler or putty
• Application of thick coat of putty, which gives patchiness on subsequent drying
• Variations in surface gloss can cause paint to appear patchy

Therefore, you should apply the paint carefully after reading the manufacturer’s instructions. Understanding the causes of patchiness defect can make your paint job easier. It will give your painted surface defect free life.

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