How Rhino Shield Solves Cracking and Peeling Problems on Painted Surfaces

Painting your home's exterior is an essential aspect of its maintenance and aesthetic appeal. However, if you’re a homeowner, you’ll always face the frustrating problem of cracking and peeling paint, which not only affects the appearance of your property but can also indicate potential underlying issues. At Rhino Shield, we constantly get the questions, “Why does my paint peel and crack?” and “How do I prevent my paint from cracking and peeling?”

We want to give you clear answers to both questions. Below, we’ve dedicated a section to answering the why and a section to answering the how. By the end, you should have a clear understanding of everything to do with cracking and peeling paint.

Why Does Paint Crack and Peel?

Peeling, also known as disbonding, occurs when the paint on a surface loses its adhesion, separating from the substrate beneath. It's a common issue with painted surfaces, and addressing it effectively requires a combination of factors.

Application Errors and Preparation Work: Short-term peeling often results from application mistakes or inadequate surface preparation. Failure to prep the surface correctly, painting on a dirty or wet surface, or using the wrong primer for the substrate can all lead to peeling. Our Rhino Shield contractors use different primers depending on the type of substrate to ensure optimal adhesion.

Weather-Related Factors: Not accounting for the weather during the preparation and application process can lead to serious issues.

• Your contractor shouldn’t paint during rainy days. Nor should they paint on days that are too hot because the surface temperature of the house could burn the coating. This is especially the case when coating over metal.
• On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you put on a coating in the afternoon and it gets below freezing at night, the water in the product will crystallize and ruin the paint film. So, there are certain times or days that an installer would need to call for a postponement of the coating.
• If too much air or moisture is beneath the coating, the trapped elements will continue to rise to the surface. This creates blisters that push the coating off.
• You might also have cases where moisture trapped in wood vapes out when the sun warms it up. This will also cause it to rise against the paint and induce peeling.

Age and Paint Efficacy: One of the primary reasons for paint peeling, or disbonding, is the natural aging process. All paints have a limited lifespan, and as they age, they lose their effectiveness and begin to deteriorate. Rhino Shield understands the importance of longevity, which is why we offer a 25-year, transferrable, non-prorated warranty for our coatings.

Structural Issues: Long-term peeling can be a symptom of more extensive problems within your home, such as water leakage or wood rot. These issues need to be addressed promptly to prevent further damage.

Patching Cracks: It’s imperative to seal all the preexisting cracks to help alleviate further deterioration of the material, which will eventually show up on the exterior paint job. If you just try to paint over all the face cracks, they might be covered initially, but they’ll eventually grow to be visible again.

How We Prevent Cracking and Peeling Paint

Breathability: Medium-term peeling caused by air and moisture pressure is alleviated with Rhino Shield's breathable elastomeric coating. This property prevents the buildup of pressure behind the paint, reducing the risk of peeling.

Crack Sealing: Unlike many painters, Rhino Shield installers seal every preexisting crack before applying the paint, no matter how minor. By doing so, we prevent cracks from enlarging and becoming visible through the coating, preserving the exterior's appearance.

Elongation and Tensile Strength: Rhino Shield's formula boasts good elongation and tensile strength. This means that as your house settles and cracks develop, the paint can bridge those cracks without them manifesting on your home’s exterior.

Climate-Region-Specific Formulas: Rhino Shield offers climate-specific formulas to ensure that the coating remains pliable even in extreme temperatures. One of our coatings retains its pliability in temperatures as low as -26 degrees Celsius. This flexibility retention prevents the paint from becoming brittle and cracking.

Exceptional Adhesion: Rhino Shield's adhesion strength is remarkable, as demonstrated by tests that showed it to be stronger than the internal integrity of concrete. When we used a machine to try and pull our product off the substrate, it ripped apart the concrete with the coating still intact. This exceptional adhesion ensures that the coating remains securely attached to the substrate.

Professional Expertise: At Rhino Shield, we emphasize the importance of hiring trained and certified professionals for exterior painting. These experts can identify the right primer, perform the correct prep work, and choose the appropriate coating system tailored to your environment.

A Reminder of What We Covered:

• Failure to prep the surface correctly, painting on a damp or contaminated surface, or using a sub-optimal primer for a particular substrate may all lead to peeling. Rhino Sheld always makes sure to use the correct primer for the specific material.
• Moisture and air can easily get trapped behind paint. This may eventually cause the paint to peel because of built-up pressure. Rhino Shield’s elastomeric coating offers breathability that allows these elements to pass through.
• Harsh weather conditions will greatly impact a coating system not tailored to that environment. This is why Rhino Shield has various coatings specifically designed for certain climates.
• No coating will last forever. Eventually, a paint’s age will necessitate re-application. Rhino Shield is built to last longer than most paints. We offer a 25-year warranty to attest to this longevity.
• The deterioration of paint can be a symptom of a much larger issue with your entire home. Rhino Shield dealers will conduct an inspection and inform you if this is the case.
• Patching every face crack greatly reduces the likelihood that they will grow and appear on your coating. We take special care at Rhino Shield to caulk and seal them.
• Adhesion strength is a big player in determining if your paint will peel. Through third-party testing, Rhino Shield’s adhesion has been proven to be stronger than the structural integrity of concrete.

To get more information on Rhino Shield's benefits, check out our article here.

If you’re interested in hiring professionals to ensure the proper installation of your home’s exterior coating, scroll down for a free, no-obligation quote.