Sunday, January 1, 2012

SOS! Why is my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Chipping???

I really hate to post this, but I seriously need some ASCP help.  Let me start with project 1:

I got the front door of a kitchen sink cabinet and didn't do anything but clean it and then I painted it; well I added a little embellishment so I could play with the colors, distressing and waxing :-). 

I painted 1/2 in the Paloma and the other 1/2 in the Emperors Silk.  Then I painted the Old White all over it.  I was so sad to see it chip.  What the hay? I thought this was never going to happen to me with ASCP.  Ok, maybe I did something wrong.  Let me sand it back and try again.  And, again.  Yep-still doing it on that door.  It mostly chipped on the Emperors Silk side.  Just one tiny spot on the Paloma side.

I googled and googled to see if there was anyone else in the entire ASCP world that had ever had something chip or peel... nope. Not really.  One chick had a chip, but she didn't transport her piece carefully. YAY- I'm still (sadly) hope that I had just made some silly little error somewhere...





Moving on from that project.  I did project #2.  I did the other door 1/2 with the Rustoleum Kit that a client had given me and the other 1/2 I was determined to do with the ASCP.  Painted 1/4 with Duck Egg Blue, 1/4 in Emperors Silk and the other 1/2 in the Rustoleum.  I actually got this one waxed and done with no chipping.  I love this door.  I like to run my hands over both sides.  You can feel where the Rusoleum ends and the ASCP begins.  Love the ASCP side.  I made my husband close his eyes and I ran his hand back and forth... he really likes the ASCP feel too. 
Ok, I was ready to try another project...




Project #3. I redid my sofa side table.  I had spray painted it black a couple of years ago (yes, with spray paint.  Came out pretty nice, actually. No comparison to it now though.) I painted 2 coats of the Paloma, waxed it, and now I LOVE it!!! Its so soft.  I just want to pet it.  My husband loves it.  Which is rare.  We have different style tastes.  Confidence rebuilt....


I didn't want to waste the paint on the inside. Just imagine a curtain across the open front area. Its cute. I'll be posting before and better after pictures in another post. 



Which brings me to project #4.  I decided to paint a buffet table.  Maybe I shouldn't call it that since my birds and their cages sit on it. Cleaned it off, put a little red paint on it (not ASCP, I thought maybe it was the combo of the Emperors Silk with the Old White that made project 1 chip).   I love the way the red comes through the distressing on the door in project 1 (where it isn't chipped).  Ok- painted 1st coat of ASCP after red was dry.  Thin coat.  Could still see the original table and a little of the red.  Applied 2nd coat.  As I was watching it dry I could see it chipping AGAIN!!!  What the hay?-again. 





When I try to sand it, its going all the way back to the red paint I painted on.  Not good.  This is 2 coats in most spots, 3 in others.  I just kept painting it until I felt like it was getting enough coverage.  

Any ideas or suggestions?  I'm thinking that its my Old White.  The Paloma piece came out great.  This is such a shame.  I really wanted the old white to work.



I don't do facebook, but I found this piece during my latest massive google search.  I'm not the only one. 


Report/Mark as Spam
Anamaria Shamoun-Grabowski
So I'm back with another Old White problem/question. I am getting amazing coverage with other colors but not the old white. This is only the second piece I do with it (old white.) I am finding that I'm 4 coats in and still have brush marks and wood showing through. With all the other colors I've tried I'm completely covered at 2 coats. Is this an old white thing. If you rememb my first old white piece was the one where the paint just cracked right off. I'm starting to think old white has a thing against me? Lol. But seriously, is there some old white secret I don't know about?
    • Anamaria Shamoun-Grabowski How would I know if my pot isn't "quite right?"
      8 hours ago
 

34 comments:

fiona anderson said...

Hi Reigna, I'm sorry I can't help, because I've never used it, but you should try paintinmyhair.blogspot.com as she seems to sell it and teach as well .I think you are a follower of hers anyway.
Thanks for visiting and commenting on my blog. All the best for 2012 Fiona

Junky Vagabond said...

Hope you find out the answer! I use my cheap homemade stuff, so I'm of no use to you.

Pentimento Studio said...

Hi Reigna, you need to sand your cabinets back and apply a primer,preferably an oil based primer. Then you can apply your top coat (either oil or latex). Are you sure you want to use ASCP? Sherwin Williams makes a paint that will hold up well called Pro Classic. Use with a little Floetrol additive if you decide to roll it on. It will take a couple of coats for coverage and will be durable and washable with soap and water. Best wishes

LRae said...

I had the same problem with ASCP Old White chipping. I am sooo unhappy! I spent way too much time. I sanded it smooth, spray painted a primer and then spray painted Rustoleum spray paint. Still chipping.....

HFHSBC said...

I wonder if there is something oily underneath on the spots where they are chipping. I'd try a coat of Zissner clear varnish before applying the Old White and see if it still chips.

Unknown said...

Sometimes, the underlying finish can lead to whatever is on top chipping. What you can do is sand down the rough, chippy spots and shellac the cabinets. Let dry for a day and then paint with ASCP over it. This doesn't happen very often, but I have seen it before. Also, before you paint cabinets, clean them really well with either TSP or Crud Cutter.

Unknown said...

I had the same thing happen. It's due to some kind of oil on the surface of my 30 year old cabinets. My solution was to clean them with mineral spirits, apply zisser clear shellac and then ASCP Then wax. They came out perfect!

Unknown said...

I had the same thing happen. It's due to some kind of oil on the surface of my 30 year old cabinets. My solution was to clean them with mineral spirits, apply zisser clear shellac and then ASCP Then wax. They came out perfect!

Ana Grabowski said...

This is Anamaria from your massive "Google search." :) I never did resolve the problem and just gave up on "old white." Truth be told there were others that piped up and were having the same issues and every time we were told it was user error eveneven though the supposed simplicity of ASCP is that its supposed to stick to anything. I then received a "haha Americans use Pledge and that's your problem." I don't use pledge. One of the pieces I painted had been sitting in a garage for over fifteen years. So really, in the end I spent a crap load of time fixing "old white" issues. After all that I was told "maybe you got a bad batch." But no offer to replace it. I just think ASCP should admit their paint doesn't always behave as they claim it does. And that's OK...but don't justify the issues by pulling random user error/accusations (you use pledge...I'm not asking if you do...I'm assuming you do because you're American) to justify the problems. The thing was there were numerous "me too" responses to my original fFacebook post so I wasn't the only one. I will say that all the other colors went on as advertised and had no issues with a matching table (same wood, same condition, same history of treatment) when I painted it in cream. Maybe i did get a bad batch...they should have shipped me a new one. I thought that was crap customer service.

Jenna Cotton said...

Use Shellac, I went to a Annie Sloan class a couple years ago and that one tip has got me through soo many successful projects...It comes in a spray paint and you just spray it on any weird spots...like water spots or rings or if a part looks oily or different - I spray the shellac on it and it seals it so it won't come up through the paint causing the paint to come away from it. To me the whole point of spending the extra $$ on ASCP is to not have to do the typical sanding and prep work, so the shellac really helps to keep prep to a minimum! Hope that helps!

Unknown said...

I tried chalk paint this week for the first time and encountered the same issue, I am so frustrated because none of the dozens of sites and posts I read prior to me "adventure" had said of chalk paint chipping...Lesson learned, I will prime next time! This blog makes me feel so much better now :)

Unknown said...

Hi!
I'm so excited to have found your blog. I also had chipping problems with the white. I saw in one of the last posts where a women had gone to an ASCP class and was told to use Shellac first. The spray on kind. I love hearing this b/c I find these lovely ornate frames that people throw out b/c they are chipping and just ancient. I make reverse molds from the existing designs on the frames, I put paper clay into the molds so the designs are no longer reversed, dry it, glue it (E6000 holds everything!) and apply Chalk paint. Frames look brand new again. I recently made my own chalk paint (Youtube has several how to video's) and I'll need the shellac tip for this too, I'm sure. Thanks for posting! I have to add, I was very sad to hear about that awful customer service from ASCP. That's exactly why I made my own.
Patti

Denise said...

I painted cabinets last year with old white and they worked great. Tried with pure white in my new house and 3 drawers and one cabinet chipped like crazing. So frustrating. Thanks for the advice.

Unknown said...

Having exactly the same problem with pure white. I painted all the bottom kitchen cabinets greek blue and they are perfect. Painted the top white and at 2 coats they looked good but felt like they needed a third. Painted the third and the paint keeps cracking and chipping. I tried sanding and repainting and it didn't fix the problem. Help!

Anonymous said...

Ack! Same problems with pure white on two different pieces of furniture--one old and one new, so I doubt that the finish is the culprit. And no pledge use. I’m very frustrated!!

Unknown said...

I had a similar problem! I researched the heck out of chalk paints and found nothing about chipping. So after paint my dining room chairs and seeing this I didn't know what to do. Next time I'll use the spray-shellac before and heck, maybe even prime. It's more work but... at least it isn't sanding.

AngryASCPuser said...

I am going threw the same problem with old white on one of my cabinets. If it was something that was used on the wood then how come it doesn't do it all over. I have it in 2 different spot. Very upsetting when I was trying to use the best product money could buy. At $40 a quart this is a costly problem!!! Maybe I should have just stuck to making my own chalk paint like I have in the past!!

Unknown said...

Unfortunately, same here. Found the perfect piece for my kitchen. Found the perfect color - ASCP Old White. Used my perfect brush for a perfect paint job only to find the paint chipping in a few spots. This has never happened before! My husband tried to convince me to use another less expensive paint that was supposed to be similar and I laughed in his face because ASCP has done miracles for me in the past. Now he's laughing in my face. Although I do a through job in my projects, I too thought maybe I didn't clean it well enough in some spots. But that doesn't sound like the case. Thanks for the suggestion. I will try the spray shellac (fingers double-crossed) in hopes of salvaging the work I've done so far. Should I spray shellac the other pieces I haven't painted yet to prevent chipping on those pieces too? So disappointed.

Unknown said...

Ughhhh this is happening to me too! I just spent so much money on all the materials to redo my dining room table and the chairs are already chipping! I also used Old White. My husband is never going to let me hear the end of this considering he thinks I spend more on my projects than if I just bought the stuff new. Soooo frustrated.

Linda S. said...

Same thing here, and again with the old white. Within hours of drying, there was crackling in a few places. And the piece had no varnish or anything on it and was clean. I am wondering if there is a problem with the white paint lot??? So frustrated.

Unknown said...

Hi, glad I found this page.

I too am having the same problems with ASCP in Country Grey - could not believe the paint just separated to leave little 'uncovered' spots showing the original wood.

I have done one of the courses and followed instructions exactly - so disappointed.

Thanks for the tip about shellac - will try it out. Probably then move to a cheaper chalk paint as cannot see the advantage of using ASCP if they do not stick to 'any' surface.


Unknown said...

Me too! One of my three drawers will NOT stick! It peels off almost immediately - I can see it bubble as soon as it starts to dry. Super frustrating. Probably will never buy the paint again, especially for the price. Thanks for the tips - I'll be trying shellac! And btw I'm from Canada and don't use Pledge either. Grr.

Unknown said...

Same here. I used old white on a bookcase and it chipped as it was drying. An easy project turned into a real mess. I called the store and was told to sand what was chipping and use shellac.

Unknown said...

Same here. I used old white on a bookcase and it chipped as it was drying. An easy project turned into a real mess. I called the store and was told to sand what was chipping and use shellac.

Unknown said...

Hi. So i found a combo of old white and duck gray for my dining room set, than i came across this site on chipping. My set is too big to get outside by myself so do you think i could get a small can and lightly brush it on those spots as they come up?

Unknown said...

Sorry i meant a small can of the shellac.

Unknown said...

Hi. So i found a combo of old white and duck gray for my dining room set, than i came across this site on chipping. My set is too big to get outside by myself so do you think i could get a small can and lightly brush it on those spots as they come up?

Unknown said...

Hi my name is Dorothy Howard and I am a Stockist. The name of my shop is www.southernvintageredefined.com. I have been teaching classes for three years and have only had one person have this problem.

The reason the paint will chip is if the surface has something on it that the paint does not like. Therefore, as someone suggested if you use a coat of shellac first it will seal the surface and you will not have bleed through or chipping. You can also use an acrylic primer or shellac on kitchen cupboards. The shellac comes in a spray or can. Use the clear. It is like water, easy to use, and dries in about 15 minutes. Do not put it on to heavy, just a light coat. Your brush can only be cleaned with ammonia or denatured alcohol. So I use an old brush and throw it away. You can also use a cloth. It dries fast so keep going do not go back and forth.

If you ever have an area where you have this in one place. Sand the chipping or bleed through, and then brush some shellac on this area and repaint.

Hope this helps. I am sorry to hear that some of you have had these issues. Believe me the paint is marvelous. Find your local stockist and talk to them about this. Or take a class if your can. It is worth it to prep your pieces right before you start painting.
There is a site on Face Book called Annie Sloan Q and A. There are 24,000 members that share information. If you join this site you can ask questions and see all the beautiful pieces they have painted.

Unknown said...

Hi , wondering if anyone has advise . I have an older table chair set that I was redoing in white chalk paint . Lightly sanded the chairs and cleaned them . Did a test chair , let paint dry , did scratch test and it wasn't coming off . So I didn't prime . So I did 2 coats on all the chairs , distressed and top coated . After top coat dried, I did a scratch test - the paint scratched off ! Scratched off on all the chairs except the first test chair! ( which is exactly the same as all the other chairs) . This was sooo much work ! So frustrated 😒. Is there anyway to save what I have done? Or do I have to sand it all , and prime ? I have done many pieces and never had this happen !

Unknown said...

I am experiencing the chipping with the off white ASCP like previous posts using on an old dresser. The four drawers are fine, but not the dresser top and one side. I called the store and they agreed there must be some type of oil - like possibly Pledge on the wood and I need to sand down and spray with shellac. I just bought some at Home Depot so hope it works! Not happy since I thought this was an easy project!

Unknown said...

I'm replying to a comment I made just over a year ago. (My name then was Mocha Mocha). I repainted those dinning room chairs. First I sanded (gasp) then cleaned the surface well. Next I bought some spray shellac and covered the chairs in it per manufacturers instructions. I waited over night then also sprayed on a coat of bonding primer (gasp-primer). A bit extreme - but those chairs chipped horribly over the last year, ruining all the work I had put in to them.

So after the primer dried I applied 2 coats of chalk paint. Thus far there has been no chipping at all. Not in the previous spots, or any new spots. I've applied the wax and I'm very happy with the results.

Unknown said...

Please, please send me an e-mail explaining exactly how yoy did the cabinet with one half painted in Duck egg and Emperor's silk.. we are trying to get the house ready for sale need to redo cabinets Would so much appreciate if you could send me an email telling me exactly how you did it with pictures thank you so much.

Kristy Rogers

getnfroggy36@yahoo.com

Or text to 760-605-0557

My cabinets are painted in regular White paint.

Thank you sooooo much.

Liz said...

I can't seem to finish a chalk painted piece! I cleaned my piece with TSP. Painted the first coat and had lots of bleed through. So then I primed some of the piece. Repainted. Seemed like the paint kept chipping off every time I looked at it. Touched up those parts. Applied Aspire's Final Finish and more paint came off when I lightly sanded before another coat of Final Finish. Then I touched up those parts but now they look like a different colour. So then I repainted the top of this table and now there are blotches and discolourations again. Help! I feel like crying. And this seems to happen with everything I paint. I could keep working on it for years and never get a nice finished piece.

Unknown said...

I lightly sanded, painted with shellac. Allowed each coat to thoroughly dry before recoating. The slightest bump results in massive chips. I painted Old Ochre with an Original wash over. Still to wax, need to fit the chips first.