What caused my paint to alligator and how to fix it?
Pattern cracking (alligatoring) can be caused by:

1) applying a hard coat (oil base) over a softer coat of paint. 

2) applying too much paint per coat. 

3) applying one coat over another coat before the first coat can dry...often because the first coat is too thick. 

4) inability of top coat by to bond smoothly to glossy finish. 

Repair is by:

A) scrape and sand down to original finish. 

B) apply primer. 

C) apply finish coat of SAME manufacturer as primer.