# Tape Peeling Paint Masonite Stage



## AAMorgan (Aug 16, 2018)

Hi all,

I'm returning to a venue that I left in 2012. Since coming back, I've been frustrated by the black paint being pulled up from spike or gaff tape when it is removed from the masonite stage. The peel does not go all the way down to the masonite. Previously, I painted the stage with Quik-Tred 710 and did not have this issue. The masonite was laid in 2002 and I used to repaint about every 2 years.

I decided to repaint with PPG Break-Through as suggested here on the boards. The local well-stocked paint shop gave me the PPG plus a gallon of PaintSolutions (PS) Decrasol 3650 Low-Sheen Black Acrylic as a cheaper but recommended alternative to try. My crew gave a brief sanding to two 8' test squares, swept and mopped it, and rolled one coat of each paint on.

I returned after giving it a weekend to cure. The satin PPG was more reflective than the PS which looked flatter. A dust mop glided over both sides. Now to put down some tape. Almost immediately both areas started to peel up. It's hard to tell if I'm pulling up the new stuff I just put down, or more than one layer. Rats.

The next week, I borrowed a custodians' buffer and a medium scratchy pad with water to try to rough up the surface for another coat. I was surprised that much of the PPG came off in globby chunks, as well as some of the PS. Perhaps the buffer was too aggressive a choice.

I decided to flip a sheet of masonite to check the other side. Lo and behold, it was smooth and unpainted. Now I'm considering flipping the masonite and starting anew.

Questions:
Should I continue with the attempted stage repaint or abandon and flip?
Any general advice when flipping and painting fresh masonite?
People have screwed through the masonite into the deck to secure scenery, etc. Should I sand the small raised "mounds" left from the screw pushing through the masonite underneath the original top?
If I use PPG should I prime the masonite first?

Thanks in advance!
AM


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## AAMorgan (Aug 16, 2018)

Here's a picture of a flipped sheet of masonite:


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## Jay Ashworth (Aug 19, 2018)

Wait.

You posted "how should I paint my deck" at 5pm Thu, and 477 people haven't answered you by Sunday morning??



The paint on the right looked flatter to me.

When your tape is peeling your paint, *how far down is it peeling*? All the way to the Maso? Or down to another coat of paint somewhere/when?

If you're peeling to the board, you have a bigger problem (or they redecked it while you were gone), but if you're peeling to an intermediate layer, and there's stlil paint there, then yes, you have a crappy coat in the middle, and the new stuff isn't helping.

Since your board wasn't 6-side primed the first time, I'm surprised you don't have bigger problems with bubbling and such, but I would think, yes, about pulling it all up, and painting all 6 sides (or maybe 5 - the coat that's on there should be good enough for cutting moisture, even if it won't hold tape), and *keeping track of which side has the new coat*, and then relaying it with that side up, with the obligatory nickel-thickness seams, and sufficient screws (deck, not drywall; people seem to like Robertson/square drive screws).

But you gotta make sure the old bad paint gets laid on the down side. 

[ Disclaimer: this is my distillation of everyone else's years of wisdom posted here; I've only been involved in 2 redeckings, myself ]


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## BillConnerFASTC (Aug 19, 2018)

AAMorgan said:


> If I use PPG should I prime the masonite first?



There is no perfect solution (perhaps if you're a nazi and don't let people attach or splatter any paint Erich's epoxy works) but I'll say no to priming for ppg. Just apply three coats.

I like the eggshell. It looks blacker and seems to clean better. But it is an opinion.


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## JD (Aug 19, 2018)

Pealing happens at the weakest bond. In this case, the tape adhesive is stronger than the bond between the original paint and the newer coat of paint. This is not uncommon as often paints are incompatible with each other and will not properly adhere to a different paint. It is why you never want to paint parts that are going to be glued together. No matter how good the glue is, the joint will only be as strong as the paint bond.


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## AAMorgan (Aug 20, 2018)

Jay Ashworth said:


> When your tape is peeling your paint, *how far down is it peeling*? All the way to the Maso? Or down to another coat of paint somewhere/when?]


It peels down to an earlier coat; there is a "bad" layer down in there.

Since I spent the time going over it with the scratcher/buffer and extra-thorough cleaning I'm attempting another 2 coats of PPG on top on a 12' x 12' test area. Last gasp before flipping.


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## Colin (Aug 20, 2018)

What others have said about identifying where exactly the bond is failing, but also latex paints take longer than a weekend to fully cure - 2 weeks or more. We don't often give them that long in our business, but if it is really just that fresh layer of paint pulling up then try leaving it alone for a month and test again. Latex paint cures from the outside in as opposed to inside out like oil based. When the latter feels dry to touch, it really is cured, but when the former feels dry it may still be curing at the point where it bonds to the substrate.


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## Jay Ashworth (Aug 21, 2018)

See I didn't know that, Colin. Thanks.


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