Blocking is when two painted surfaces, most often a door and its frame or a sash and its runner, stick together under pressure well after the paint should have fully dried. It is more than an annoyance, since forcing a stuck door apart can tear the paint film and undo the finish entirely.
Softer, more flexible coatings, which are often chosen deliberately for their durability on high-use joinery, can take considerably longer to reach full hardness than they take to feel dry to the touch. Closing a door or window before that full cure is complete is the single most common cause of blocking.
A coating can feel completely dry within hours yet still be developing hardness for days or weeks afterwards, depending on the product and conditions. We agree realistic timescales with the client for when doors and windows can go back into normal use, rather than relying on a touch test alone.
Where surfaces have already stuck and been forced apart, we assess the paint damage and whether a light rub-down and localised recoat will resolve it, or whether a fuller repaint of the affected edge is the more durable route.
Longer than most tins suggest for full hardness rather than just surface dryness — we give a specific timescale for the product used on your job rather than a generic figure.
Some systems are formulated with better block resistance for high-use doors, and we can specify one of those where sticking has been a recurring problem.
It is a trade-off we manage by choosing a sensible gap and timing rather than leaving it wide open, balancing airflow against dust.
Tell us which doors or windows are sticking and how soon after painting it started, and we will advise on the fix.
Blocking happens when doors close before the coating has fully cured, not just dried to the touch — timing is the real fix, not a different brush technique.
Speak to a Hampshire commercial decorating contractor that turns up, communicates clearly and delivers a finish that lasts.
