What Causes Air Bubbles to Form on a Newly Painted Wall?

Moisture

• Air bubbles, also known as blisters, are sometimes caused by excess moisture on the wall prior it is painted. This may be due to wiping the wall down with a damp cloth before beginning to paint and not allowing enough time for it thoroughly dry. The moisture pushes against the paint, causing bubbles to form. Air bubbles caused by excess moisture is fairly rare, but that is a possible source of the problem.

Contamination

• Contamination of the painted surface is a common cause of air bubbles appearing on newly painted walls. Contamination can come from a number of sources, such as the soap used to clean the walls prior to applying the paint. Soap or other cleaning products can adversely react with certain paints if not properly cleaned off the wall before beginning work.

Heat and Ventilation

• Bubbles can be caused by applying paint to a wall that's too hot. This can occur, for instance, if you are painting on a sunny day and the sun is shining directly on the wall. Inadequate ventilation is another significant factor in the formation of air bubbles. Steam from showers and cooking can adversely affect a newly painted wall and cause bubbles to form.

Solutions

• You can eliminate air bubbles by lightly sanding the affected areas and feathering the edges of the paint bubbles. Applying a quality universal primer and adding spackling paste can also help reduce the appearance of air bubbles. The spackling paste can then be reprimed before you paint over the bubbled areas. This should eliminate the air bubbles altogether. Paint will need to be stripped and redone if there is a large number of air bubbles.