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Alligatoring
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What Causes It?
The condition known as "alligatoring" may be caused by applying an extremely hard, rigid coating,
like an alkyd enamel, over a more flexible coating, like a
latex
primer. Applying the topcoat before the undercoat is dry may also cause alligatoring.
Most commonly, the natural aging of oil-based paints causes the film elasticity to diminish, so as temperatures
fluctuate and cause constant expansion and contraction, the paint film eventually cracks.
How to Fix It
To remedy the problem of alligatoring, the existing oil paint must be completely removed by scraping and sanding the surface. You can use a heat gun
to speed up work on large surfaces, but take care to avoid igniting
the paint or the substrate. The surface should then be primed with a high-quality latex or oil-based
primer, then painted with a top-quality exterior latex paint.
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