Oh man, actually I think it's a different spray they're talking about... the hot plate thing was from that old Rust-Oleum can, not the same stuff you used on your nightstand. The one that peels in sheets is the "chalked" finish line, it's notorious for not bonding right on anything that gets warm. Yours sounds like the regular matte clear coat, that stuff just gets hazy if you don't shake it enough or the humidity's off.

Yeah but the actual study from the Masonry Society was about moisture damage in general, not full wall failure. Still makes you want to double check your work though, right?

...and that's exactly what happened to me last year. @the_emma your buddy's story rings a bell because I had some old rebar stakes I'd kept in a shed for years. They looked fine, no visible rust, just a little dusty. Set up a big canvas tent for a family reunion and the first gust of wind came through and three of them snapped clean off at the ground line. I was lucky the tent didn't collapse but it was a real mess. After that I switched to those orange coated steel tent stakes you get at the hardware store. They're not as heavy but they hold way better and I've never had one crack on me yet. It's the kind of thing you don't think about until it happens.