Bathroom Moisture Problem

[Kate]

I painted my bathroom three weeks ago. The weather was around 48 - 80 degrees.

After taking a shower today, I noticed that some of the old paint color was showing through. It was only one spot, but when I wiped another area, the new paint rubbed off. I knew the family that lived here before I bought the home, so I know for a fact that it has five coats of pain on the walls. I hope that is not too much paint.

My feeling is that this is a moisture problem. I do not have mold. I sanded that area, put a tad of bleach and water on it, and am letting it dry overnight. Tomorrow, I plan to put one coat of primer on it, and then paint over that the next day with my new paint. Is this the correct thing to do? Has anyone else had this problem. I cannot rub paint off of the walls in the bathroom, outside of the shower at all.

In the winter, should I put a space heater in there and let it run for a half an hour after I shower? I do shower with the bathroom door open, and I always wipe down the walls. I also need to stop taking hot showers.

This is a first for me, so if anyone can help it would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

Kate

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Is your bathroom vented?

[Norminn]

Paint won't wipe from the wall unless the preparation was poorly done - greasy, soapy, dusty, damp or glossy surface can impair adhesion. Make sure the room and the wall are clean and dry prior to repainting - even with an exhaust fan, the walls can be WET, although not obviously so, for an hour or two after showers. Dry the wall, and keep a fan going to vent. when you repaint.

[hrhofmann]

When you say the paint rubs off, does it come off in a skin-like manner, or does it just rub off like it wasn't really paint, but something more like chalk?

[Kate]

It is more like tiny pieces, definitely not all one strip at a time.

[gregz]

A degreaser is good to use, but NOT citrus based. Primer does wonders.over questionable paint. I had good luck with zinsser.

Greg

[Kate]

Thank you Greg. I will look for Zinsser.

[dadiOH]

Zinsser makes many different primers...water base, shellac base, oilbase. Most of those bases also have several variations. Which are you going to look for?

[krw]

Be careful of the shellac based primers (e.g. BIN). Their surface is very hard and can "egg shell" under the latex top-coat. DAMHIKT

Use an oil based primer in moist locations.

[Kate]

I have not looked yet, so what do you recommend?

[Kate]

OK, thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

[dadiOH]

What I suggested in my post previous to the one to which you just replied...Zinsser 1-2-3. It is water base, sticks to wood, metal, drywall...pretty much anything. It is even semi-sandable but I never bother; nowadays with the ascendancy of acrylic I just roll it on (with a

1/4" sponge roller on smooth surfaces) to get a faux, very light orange peel texture.

BTW, I was thinking about your painted bathroom walls. I assume you aren't referring to walls within the shower, correct?

[bob]

If your bathroom vent fan is not strong enough (if you see steam or the mirror fogs up), consider a dehumidifier. Both a space heater and a dehumidifier use a lot of energy, but the dehumidifier will remove moisture.

If you open the door during shower, moisture escapes into the rest of the house. If the house is normally under 50% relative humidy, then it's ok. If the house is already very humid, then adding more moisture may allow mold to grow in walls.

[John]

Latex over oil based is fine but *do not* put oil over latex. Oil doesn't breathe, latex does.

John

[krw]

Absolutely.