Abstract: Flooding and floating affecting the appearances and the effect of latex paint and film were investigated．The results show that too wide distribution of the particle sizes of pigment and filling arouses flooding and floating．Different dosages of pigment （TiO2） or filling （kaolin） bring about diverse degrees of flooding and floating．Coatings that show no phenomena of flooding or floating will possibly do when diluted．Using dispersants or thickeners with hydrophobic constituents can increase viscosity‚reduce surface tension‚and are all good for preventing or lightening floating and flooding． Contrast test reveals little influence of processing technique on floating or flooding．

Key words: flooding, floating, latex paint, exterior wall coating