7 Essential Reasons for Wall Putty Chalking and How to Prevent It

Wall putty chalking will make the wall surface look unsmooth and rough to the touch, easily stained with dust, affecting the overall decorative effect. In addition, wall putty chalking will lead to weakening of the adhesion between the putty layer and the wall substrate, which is prone to fall off, thus affecting the flatness and overall quality of the wall surface. This phenomenon is mainly caused by seven key reasons: quality of filler, imbalance of formula ratio, lack of necessary additives, improper treatment of grass-roots level, construction environment, too thick or too thin putty layer and improper storage of products.

1. Quality of filler

Fillers in wall putty such as calcium carbonate, talcum powder, etc., if their fineness is not enough, purity is not high or contain too many impurities, will affect the overall performance of the wall putty, resulting in the combination between the particles is not close, so that the phenomenon of wall putty chalking.

2. Imbalance of formula ratio

The proportion of each ingredient in wall putty needs to be reasonably matched, if the proportion of adhesive powder, filler, additives, etc. in the formula is inappropriate, for example, too much filler, the adhesive powder is not enough to wrap and bond these filler particles, which will reduce the adhesive strength of wall putty, resulting in wall putty chalking.

3. Lack of necessary additives

Some additives such as water retention agent, thickener, etc. also have an important effect on the performance of wall putty. Water retention agent can slow down the drying speed of wall putty, so that the putty has enough time to play the role of bonding; thickening agent can improve the consistency of putty and construction performance. If the formula lacks these necessary additives, or the amount of additives is not appropriate, it may also lead to wall putty chalking.

4. Improper treatment of grass-roots level

If the surface of the base is uneven, with oil, dust, loose layer, etc., it will affect the bonding effect between wall putty and the base. Oil and dust will hinder the direct contact between wall putty and grass-roots level, reducing the bonding force; loose layer will make the wall putty can not be firmly adhered to, which will lead to wall putty chalking.

5. Construction environment

The temperature and humidity of the construction environment have great influence on the drying and curing process of wall putty. If the construction environment temperature is too low or humidity is too large, the drying speed of wall putty will become slower, and the curing of adhesive powder will also be affected, thus reducing the bonding strength and leading to powder removal.

6. Too thick or too thin putty layer

Too thick will lead to uneven drying inside the putty layer, the surface is prone to cracking, chalking and other problems; too thin may not be able to effectively cover the grass-roots level, and wall putty in the powder and other ingredients can not form an effective bonding film, also prone to chalking.

7. Improper storage of products

Wall putty in the storage process, if moisture, will make the glue powder and other components of the failure, reduce the bonding properties, resulting in powder. Therefore, wall putty should be stored in a dry, ventilated environment to avoid moisture.

How to prevent and control wall putty chalking?

Optimise the proportion of formula

• • According to the use requirements and performance characteristics of wall putty, precisely adjust the proportion of each component.
• • Add the right amount of additives, such as water-retaining agent, thickening agent, mould inhibitor, etc., in order to improve the performance of wall

Choose high-quality raw materials

Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose is a high performance wall putty additive. It can significantly improve the construction performance of wall putty, enhance the water retention and bonding strength of wall putty. The unique film-forming properties of JINJI HPMC can form a flexible and tough connecting interface on the surface of the putty, which can effectively resist the destruction of the putty layer by the external environment, thus avoiding the occurrence of putty chalking.

Control the construction environment

Choose a suitable construction environment, the temperature should be controlled between 5℃-35℃, humidity below 80%.

If the construction is carried out in low temperature or high humidity environment, corresponding protective measures should be taken, such as using heater to increase the indoor temperature, strengthening ventilation to reduce humidity, etc.

Standardised construction operation

• • Wall putty should be fully stirred as per the manual before use to ensure uniform mixing of ingredients. Use it up within the stipulated time after mixing to prevent performance degradation due to prolonged standing.
• • Employ appropriate tools like scrapers and trowels to evenly apply the wall puttyon the base surface, avoiding uneven thickness and missed spots. Keep the putty layer thickness within 3-5 mm generally. For multiple applications, wait until the previous layer is dry before proceeding. Also, don't make each layer too thick to guarantee proper drying and curing.

Proper storage methods

• • Wall putty should be stored in a dry, well-ventilated warehouse to avoid moisture.
• • Pay attention to the sealing of the warehouse to prevent rain and moisture from entering the warehouse.

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