Facing Problems with Bubbling Paint on a Door | Southwest Florida Painting

Q:I used acrylic and Sherwin primer and paint on a door painting project and got bubbles after a while. After a few years, I sanded the bubble areas, spot primed with Zinser Bullseye 123, and used Sherwin Williams Resilience gloss acrylic as the top coat. Now, more bubbling has appeared. (The door is in the sun most of the day.)

Should I strip down the door, prime it and repaint? I’m thinking since bubbling is scattered but affects half of the door it may be the old stain causing the problem, even though it was primed. Most of the bubbling is on the part of the door that’s in the sun (the top of the door in the shade seems to be unaffected). Thoughts?

A: Strip down the door, wash off the residue with vinegar, then rinse with clean water. Prime the door using Glidden Gripper which can be bought at Home Depot, then paint with a top coat of Resilience. I am assuming the door is painted a dark color and when the sun hits it, it holds the heat from the sun. Try painting the door a lighter color.

I am also thinking you did not use a bonding primer over the gel stain. Gel stains are oil based and you can't put am acrylic over an oil unless you sand and put oil-based bonding primer on first like Cover Stain. Then you could have painted it with Resilience.

It’s always good to consult with a Southwest Florida painting expert before tackling a painting project, especially if you’ve had problems with bubbling.

Customer Response: Ron, thank you so much for the solution! I believe the issue is the primer I used over the gel. I'm sure it was not oil based. I can peel through the paint and primer down to the gel layer with my fingernail. So on to the project! Thanks again, it’s always good to talk to someone who knows what is up!

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