Bathroom Ceiling Moisture

As a result of Hurricane Sandy, some rain seeped through an upstairs bathroom vent pipe collar, down to the bathroom ceiling above the shower.

After it dried and left a stain, I twice sprayed Kilz on the spot. I had purchased a type of Kilz that blends in with the regular color of the ceiling, so that you can't even see it.

Since then, whenever someone takes a shower, the spot has moisture from the humidity/steam from the shower binding to the spot, until the moisture dries. This isn't from above the ceiling.

What can I do about this - would simply painting the area solve this?

Reply to
Dimitrios Paskoudniakis
Loading thread data ...

I should add that once the steam/moisture dries after a shower, you can't even see the original spot/stain - it looks perfectly normal.

Reply to
Dimitrios Paskoudniakis

It may be from the fact that you didn't paint the whole ceiling, just the spot. The Kilz must have a surface that attracts moisture more than the regular paint. Also, don't know if Kilz was ever intended as a final coat. I've never used it that way. If it were me, I'd give it another coat of Kilz, then give the whole ceiling two coats of regular paint.

Reply to
trader4

Thinking about this a bit more, here's what I suspect is happening. It's likely unheated and cooler above the ceiling, right? Kilz is designed to block, so it's going to be impenetrable to moisture. If you have regular flat paint on the rest of the ceiling, that will absorb some moisture. So, the moisture hits the colder ceiling and condenses. But you only see it where the Kilz is because the other paint absorbs the small amount that's present.

Reply to
trader4

Probably not - I have the same problem in my hall left over from a previous leak.

Painting - at least with a water based emulsion - simply allows the stain to move through the paint.

I've tried spray on stainblock. I think I will try again next year with a paint on blocker - or some neat SBR

formatting link
which, once dry, is uttery water resistant - and paint sticks well to it.

It's become my favourite all time additive for mortar mixes and a general "fixit" liquid - far more versatile than PVA.

Reply to
Tim Watts

Trader is right on. Repaint the area in question with a couple of coats of regular latex paint and things should be fine. Did you get up on the roof and repair the area where the leakage occurred?

Reply to
hrhofmann

Trader is right on. Repaint the area in question with a couple of coats of regular latex paint and things should be fine. Did you get up on the roof and repair the area where the leakage occurred?

+++++++++++++++++++

Not yet, but that was a biblical event, 12 inches of wind-blown, directional rain. It has rained normally several times since then with no evidence of an issue. I will have the pipe collar looked at by someone. I don't go on roofs.

Reply to
Dimitrios Paskoudniakis

Have tem take a bucket of rooding cement with them and a putty knife tospread it around with. Get someone you trust who will tell you the honest truth about what they found. Someone looking for work can always find something wrong on a roof, but what they find may not be of any real importance.

Reply to
hrhofmann

We have had four 100-year storms in the 45 years I have lived in my present house, someone needs to recalibrate their 100-year storm criteria.

Reply to
hrhofmann

I think you are 100% correct as evidenced right now on my wall. At the time, I painted the brown stain with Kilz with at least 2 coats and then 2 or 3 coats latex. It looked fine until now where I see additional brown stains (perhaps 1" in width) just on the perimeter of my original painting. My original painting still looks. So I suspect your reasoning is correct and I didn't paint enough area. And yes I had the roof leak fixed some time ago.

Reply to
Doug

Any of these choices should work......

  1. Stop taking showers, or only take cold ones.
  2. Cover the ceiling with ceiling tiles.
  3. Replace the ceiling.
  4. Replace the house
  5. Move to another house.
  6. Paint the ceiling black.
  7. Put a picture or poster over it.
  8. Require anyone using the bathroom to wear dark glasses.
  9. Go blind.

OR

  1. Just dont worry about the stain, it wont kill anyone. There are more important things in life to worry about.
Reply to
homeowner

Meant to say above that "My original painting still looks fine".

Reply to
Doug

Make sure they put the correct size pipe collar on because my leak was caused by an incorrect size .... I think my repair guy said my roofer put on a 2" collar which should have been 1.5" so I had a small leak which I had repaired about 3 weeks ago. Today had a good rain and I went in the attic to check that vent/vent pipe just below the roof and it was nice and dry so things are looking good. Now I have to paint that spot again.

Reply to
Doug

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.