What causes small cracks on a recently painted wall?
The problem of cracks is called commonly “alligatoring”. The most common cause of alligatoring is the application of a paint film with relative high thickness. The surface of the paint film dries first, while the rest of the film requires more time to dry. Once all the paint film has already dried, this one contracts and shrinks. This problem can be prevented applying the paint at the recommended film thickness and dilution rate established by the manufacturer. Conversely, alligatoring phenomenon can be generated, in smaller proportion, by the application of the paint in a surface contaminated by greasy materials, silicone, greasy bodies, etc., which can be prevented by prior surface cleaning before painting.
