Common Surface Coating Defects

Bittiness - where a coating, once applied, appears gritty or filmy.  Caused by inadequate surface preparation or dirty equipment.

Blooming - a reduction in the gloss finish of varnish and oil based gloss.  Caused by draughts, a damp surface of high humidity.

Discolouration - a change in the pigment colour, usually resulting in a pale or faded coating.  Caused by exposure to strong sunlight or a reaction with chemicals on the surface or in the atmosphere.

Fat Edges - a heavy edge of paint, normally seen around door edges where a surface receives a double coating of paint and a ridge is formed.  Caused by poor brush work.

Flashing - where painted sections of a large surface dry off and leave a mark as the next application of paint is applied next to it. Caused by painting sections of a surface at different times.

Grinning - where the undercoat or first coat can be seen through the top coat.  Caused by over-brushing, using thin paint and using the wrong colour undercoat.

Lyting - where a coating is applied before the underlying coating has properly dried.  Lyting can also happen if the solvent in the coat applied softens the surface of the paint below it.

Misses - simply where a coating has been applied but missed some areas of the surface.  Caused by careless application, the undercoat being similar in colour to the finished colour and poor lighting.

Orange Peel - can occur when paint is roller - or spray - applied and is so called because the finish resembles orange peel.  Caused by applying the paint too thickly, holding the gun too close to the surface and incorrect gun pressure.

Rain Spotting or Cratering - a wet coating that has been damaged by rain or condensation.

Please note, all photos and text are used for training and educational purposes only.  

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.