I am baffled at an issue I am having with SW paint. We have a living room that is a dark maroon color, dried for 2 weeks or more. When the customer rubs their hands across the wall, it leaves a white chalky streek where you rub. Talked to SW and they recommended a finishing schedule to resolve, (clean walls with Simply Green, prime with their primer, then paint the walls again with Cashmere/same color), and after doing this test, it's still producing a chalky film when rubbed. It looks like it's a pigment problem but I am looking for anyone's advice.

I just painted another area with Dunn Edwards and going to see what happens.

Has anyone had this happen and how to address. Lots of labor to paint the living room and SW seems to be reluctant to address the labor side of the equation.

Can't help you if you don't tell us what kind of paint this is and I'm not able to see the video on my computer for some reason. Sounds like wall latex paint which isn't the domain of most of us here, but in my experience if they used a flat sheen, then smudges of all sorts are just par for the course. That's what flat sheens do. Eggshell not so much.

You are correct that it is a pigment problem.

What is happening is that the pigment is not getting bound properly in the paint resin, and just wipes off as a powder, leaving mostly non-pigmented paint.

(it can also sometimes be the same thing, but calcium carbonate falling out instead).

If you wipe it with various things (I don't honestly remember the right stuff to use), and the color goes back to normal, it's calcium carbonate. Otherwise, it's pigment.

It actually will happen to all paint over time with enough uv exposure, but in your case, probably not it :)

Some guesses, without more data:
1. Over-thinning the paint so that the binder can no longer hold the pigment properly

2. Over-pigmenting the paint by using the wrong tint base for the color you want.

3. #2, but the cause is paint that is not high quality enough to hold together with as much pigment as you use (IE your paint is too cheap).

4. A batch that has gone bad from time

5. A batch that is simply bad but new

6. Theoretically, but not seen it, enough moisture on the walls/etc will cause the same effect as thinning.

Thanks for the responses. I a second test with the same color but using Dunn Edwards Suprema Velvet paint (I think it's DE's top of the line paint) and after the area dried I rubbed the area and the same issue is occurring. I don't know if it's a the red pigment mix or as suggested calcium carbonate. I don't feel it's a paint quality (during both of my tests, I used Dunn Edwards and Sherwin-Williams highest quality paints).

My focus is on custom woodworking and finishing, and this customer wanted me to help find a painter and I subbed in someone.
Big mistake, I have fixed all his prep/painting issues the customer had, but I have a living room that was painted this maroon color and when rubbed, it leaves white streaks.

I am baffled, and without knowing what schedule and paint to use to address this issue. I can't repaint the room Here's the wall with a few tests on it. Has anyone used this dark color paint (a brand you suggest) that is durable and doesn't streek like the picture?

How interesting.

Having it happen with multiple paints is fairly weird.

At this point, I would call up the techs at sherwin and dunn and get them pictures and see what they say.

You are beyond the meager knowledge i have of this stuff :)

just clear coat it and be done

You aren’t telling us the age of the home ?

Since you stated the fixing of prep, are you sure a quality primer sealer was used ?