Paint blocking issue

[Martha]

I painted our front porch yesterday. To prep, several days before I scraped and any bare wood was primed with an outdoor oil based primer. I washed everything as well.

I used latex porch enamel for the porch. Yesterday when I painted the humidity was 45% and it was in the 70s, though later in the day it got up to the low 80s, the hottest day of the year.

The paint is still tacky. Poking around on the internet I see that this can occur with latex enamel paint and is called blocking. My current plan is to wait and see if it drys, but there is some indication that it might never fully cure. If that is the case, what do I do? I can't find a solution and I am irritated because Home Depot said this Behr latex porch paint was the best around.

 

[FIREd]

I am not 100% sure about this, but I thought that you had to use oil primer + oil paint or latex primer + latex paint. I would have personally avoided mixing an oil primer with a latex paint, but I may be wrong about that...

 

[Martha]

Both the primer and paint were recommended by home depot.

 

[Texas Proud]

I am not 100% sure about this, but I thought that you had to use oil primer + oil paint or latex primer + latex paint. I would have personally avoided mixing an oil primer with a latex paint, but I may be wrong about that...

I also had been told not to mix...

 

[Martha]

The can for the primer says it can be topcoated with latex.

 

[Buckeye]

Any temp and/or humidity recommendations on the can of latex?

 

[Bestwifeever]

We painted latex enamel over latex semi-gloss (didn't put latex over oil-based) on the woodwork in one room of our house and it remained tacky for years, sorry to say.

 

[Martha]

Any temp and/or humidity recommendations on the can of latex?

Yes, I was well within the recommendations. (over 72 degrees) I was waiting for a day where the temp would be high enough.

 

[Martha]

I really don't think the blocking/tackiness would have anything to do with painting over an alkyd primer.

The blocking seems to be a characteristic of some latex paints. I am still hoping it goes away but worried that it might not and if not, what is the solution.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Well, after several years we sanded it lightly and repainted it with latex semi-gloss whatever and it is fine.

I did a google search for tacky latex paint problem and it looks like it will take care of itself in the cooler winter months (you have those up there in Minnesota, right? )

 

[FIREd]

When I painted the bookshelves inside our house with latex paint a few summers ago, the semi-gloss latex paint I used seemed to remain somewhat sticky for months (not sticky to the touch, but if I placed something on the shelves, it would stick). Then winter came, the house got very dry and the paint finally cured. I figured the stickiness was probably caused by high humidity inside the house during the summer month here in the deep south (50%+).

 

[Martha]

Well, after several years we sanded it lightly and repainted it with latex semi-gloss whatever and it is fine.

I did a google search for tacky latex paint problem and it looks like it will take care of itself in the cooler winter months (you have those up there in Minnesota, right? )

Thanks! I didn't find that in my quickie search. Yes, winters are so dry they suck all the moisture out of your body.

 

[ERD50]

The can for the primer says it can be topcoated with latex.

Always consider the advice of the mfg over the guy/gal at the counter.

I had a paint issue a few years back, I emailed the paint company and got a very detailed and helpful response a few days later. Unfortunately, they told me something that the counter person is instructed to tell me, but didn't. It was also on the can, but in rather "soft" language, like "should" or "recommend" and it needed to be "must" (at least in my case).

So, try contacting the mfg.

-ERD50

 

[REWahoo]

... though later in the day it got up to the low 80s, the hottest day of the year.

You never pass up an opportunity to rub it in, eh?

 

[ERD50]

You never pass up an opportunity to rub it in, eh?

It's just payback for all those "I'm at the beach today" comments we get in January....


-ERD50

 

[ziggy29]

It's just payback for all those "I'm at the beach today" comments we get in January....

That would be in south Florida, I believe. Where I live, the average January low is 32.

 

[W2R]

That would be in south Florida, I believe. Where I live, the average January low is 32.

Balmy and summery compared with Minnesota Januaries, I would expect! A Minnesotan would probably wear cutoffs and flipflops on a day that warm.

 

[TromboneAl]

This thread is as boring as watching paint dry.

 

[REWahoo]

This thread is as boring as watching paint dry.

Maybe so, but it's priced at your pain threshold - free!

 

[youbet]

Just checked the long range weather forecast for northern Minn as we're leaving to chase walleyes around next week. Forecasted temps? Highs in the upper 60's and lows in the upper 40's! Love it! My kinda August weather!

 

[riskadverse]

I've found that you can use a latex primer with an oil based finish coat, but not the reverse. In California they are now labeling oil based paints for use on "metal" in order to try and limit the use of oil based paints on anything other than metal. They have also lowered the VOC's.

 

[Martha]

Just checked the long range weather forecast for northern Minn as we're leaving to chase walleyes around next week. Forecasted temps? Highs in the upper 60's and lows in the upper 40's! Love it! My kinda August weather!

Youbetcha, my kind of weather too!

 

[NW-Bound]

Being a pessimistic person that I am, I cringed when I saw the thread headline.

I thought I read "Pain blocking"!

 

[Martha]

OK, now a day and a half has past and it seems a bit less tacky. Maybe it will actually dry.

I'll go stand outside and watch.

 

[TromboneAl]

Do you have a video camera?