Gas Bubbles in Paint on Wooden Floors

Oil-based Paints

• Bubbles occur more frequently when using oil-based paints than latex or water-based paints, especially if using paint designed to be waterproof. The barrier that prevents water from reaching the wood floor also prevents water in the wood from escaping. That means any moisture trapped under the wood causes the paint to bubble when the water evaporates. This moisture could have been located in the wood before you began painting or may be coming from another source.

Humidity

• Most paints are designed to be painted when the humidity is at or below 50 percent. When the humidity is higher than this level, the paint has a difficult time drying. It is not just the humidity level at the time you painted the floor that you need to worry about. High humidity also can cause bubbling in newly painted latex floors. Avoid painting whenever rain is forecast, and make sure to ventilate thoroughly whenever you use showers, washing machines or cook in recently painted rooms for several days to give the paint time to cure.

Wicking

• Although the painted area of the wood floor may be protected from water, other parts of it are not. If these areas are exposed to moisture, wicking can occur. Wicking is when water travels from the exposed areas to the painted area, where it expands and causes bubbles. This often occurs on wood porches where rain runoff may soak unprotected areas of the wood. To prevent this problem, make sure you paint the entire surface of the wood, not just the visible areas.

Weather

• The weather can cause blistering not only through high humidity but by heat and sunlight. If the temperature is too high or the wood floor is in direct sunlight, the surface of the paint dries too quickly and traps moisture underneath. A wood floor in the sun also can get too hot. In that case, hot air rather than moisture causes the bubbles. The best way to avoid this problem is not to paint when the temperature is above 85 degrees Fahrenheit or when the floor is in direct sunlight.