Alligatoring is often caused by the inability of the topcoat to bond smoothly to a glossy coat beneath it. A glossy finish is too hard to provide a good bond. In the reverse, application of an extremely hard coating over a soft primer can result in alligatoring.

Further causes of alligatoring are not allowing sufficient time for the undercoat to dry before re-coating, the application of excessive coats of paint and weathering.

SOLUTION: Remove old paint completely by scraping and sanding. Removal of large areas can be done quickly by power washing or with the use of a heat gun. Prime with either a high quality latex or oil primer, and paint with either oil or acrylic latex house paint.