Noticed a pattern with paint fisheyes in humid weather.

They keep popping up on my jobs when it's muggy outside. Is there a trick to stop this?

4 comments

4 Comments

Humid weather turns paint into a fisheye festival, doesn't it? Moisture in the air gets trapped under the paint and causes those craters. You need to fight the humidity before you even open the can. Run a dehumidifier in the work area for a few hours to dry things out. Wipe all surfaces with a wax and grease remover, because even sweat from your hands can cause issues. If you skip these steps, you're just asking for more craters than the moon.

aaronroberts1mo ago

Exactly what @waderamirez said. Fighting humidity is key, and I learned the hard way that rushing leads to bad results. Run that dehumidifier longer than you think, maybe overnight, to really dry out the air. Clean everything with solvent wipes, not just water, because oils cause fisheyes too. If you still get craters, sand them out and repaint with a fresh mix. It's extra work, but it beats having a messed-up finish.

lily_henderson1mo ago

Ugh, my friend totally learned that lesson last month. He got impatient and painted his cabinet doors on a damp day, skipped the dehumidifier like @aaronroberts warned about. The finish looked like orange peel with tiny craters everywhere. He spent the whole weekend sanding it all back down.

jenny421mo ago

Yeah, and it's the same with a lot of stuff. People want to skip the boring prep because it feels like you're not making progress. But like waderamirez pointed out, if the base is wrong, the whole thing fails. You see it with cooking, you rush and don't let the pan get hot, your food sticks. You see it with fixing a car, you don't clean the bolt threads, it strips. Skipping the boring step always costs you more time later fixing the mess.