bathroom ceiling problem

[yo]

Hi, hope someone can help me with this as I have tried to fix this issue several times.

My tenants bathroom ceiling keeps collapsing next to the shower head. I fixed this several times and even have a fan/vent installed. They take 20 showers a day for 20 min each time. I know the steam from the shower head is probably decaying the ceiling. I'm pretty sure its not a lead from the upstairs. It looks like it starts to flake from the outside where the ceiling is exposed to the hot steam.

Aside from telling my tenants not to shower, which I cant do, what can I do to fix the problem for good.

Please not I used regular BEHR ceiling paint and I was wondering if there is a special paint for the bathroom that will not let moisture in to the sheetrock. FYI it looks like did just used regular cheap sheet rock when they built the house.

Is there a paint I can buy to stop this? Can I install some kind of plastic shield on the ceiling ? any suggestions ?

TIA.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Sure there is no water leak behind the wall?

[noname87]

Assuming that you have no leaks, I would be tempted to replace the ceiling above the shower with cement backer board (Durarock) and tiling the ceiling and walls surrounding the shower. Or have a cultured marble surround made. For the ceiling's and walls outside the shower use a paint that is mildew resistant. Put in an over-sized vent fan that vents to the outside. Wire it such that it turns on whenever the light is on so the tenants have no choice but to use it. You will probably need to cut the door such that you have a gap on the bottom that will allow makeup air to enter for the fan. Otherwise a fan will be useless. Otherwise, they might not use so they can create a steam bath.

[Mikepier]

Next time it happens, leave the sheetrock out and try to see where the water is coming from. It could be condensation from your fan duct dripping on the sheetrock.

[ransley]

20 showers x20 min about 7 hrs a day, bs.

[franz frippl]

Steamy water and condensate from showers is hard on any surface. It's a project of several hours, but you may consider removing entire section of ceiling above shower/tub and replacing with greenboard, a product designed for water issues. Then go to a reputable paint store and ask for paint which will deal with high humidity. I would suspect you are looking at a quality primer in addition to a gloss enamel.

Regular drywall, primer and latex paint is a formula for failure.

[willshak]

They could be compulsive-obsessive. :-)

[Big_Jake]

I like the idea of using cement backerboard for the ceiling, but if you don't want to go with tile, you could glue FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) to it. It looks a little "industrial", but it is very water resistant. Home Depot carries it, at least where I am, for around $22 / sf.

JK

[Meat Plow]

20 showers a day? You're kidding right?

[<h>]

Well...how many people live in the apartment?

[Joe]

Some very good suggestions have been posted, so let me add one more: consider some behavior modification. No landlord should have to put up with tenants that wallow in hedonistic showering. They need a reality shock, so put them on the smallest water heater you can find, set it to an energy saving 130 dgrees and when the whining about running out of hot water happens, piously explain that you are doing your bit for global warming, blah, blah, blah. Mention the mold that might form if such sweltering conditions continued, and how concerned you are for their health and welfare. It&#39;s a win-win situation, isn&#39;t it? Good luck.

Joe

[Rudy]

40 "illegals" ?

[Phisherman]

I suspect paint is not the issue and that there is a slow leak behind the sheetrock. Open a small hole and use a lighted flexible inspection instrument. Use a cement board around a tub/shower enclosure. When that is repaired any cheap paint should hold up for thousands of steamy showers. There is a paint formulated for bath/kitchen (I have used Sears Bath/kitchen paint and it still looks great after 15 years.)

[xPosTech]

Or shower too crowded. ;-)