# Bathroom painting



## JIP (Jul 22, 2008)

I painted my bathroom several years ago (actually my wife did the work) and pretty quickly the paint started to peel.  I think we used gloss or semi-gloss paint for the bathroom but I don't know for sure.  I have 2 questions on this I guess the surface being I imagine plasterwhat is the best way to strip the old paint off and start again.  Also what is the best way to prevent this from happening again.  I need to clear one thing up though this is the upper part of my shower and tub surround above the tile line.


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## handyguys (Jul 23, 2008)

Yea, the cause of the peel is improper preparation. Sherwin williams is good, so is Benjamin Moore. Like was said, scrape first. Get every bit of loose paint off. You can then sand the edges if the adhered paint to feather them in. you can also skim coat with a bit of drywall joint compound to smooth everything out. clean everything with TSP and bleach if you have mildew. Then a good primer and good paint. Use semi-gloss on walls of bathroom.


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## frozenstar (Jan 27, 2010)

I don't think that bathrooms shouldn't really be well painted. Tiles on floor and walls will surely suit well on it.


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## granite-girl (Jan 27, 2010)

Maybe there was an oil base paint on before & she painted over with a water base or latex paint.  That will cause peeling. I have the same problem, but it's only happening where we hang our towels on the towel rack to dry.  But I'm pretty sure I used oil over oil, because my bathroom was so old, I was sure oil based paint was used.

If you scrape everything & use a primer first, you can go over the primer with either kind of paint- I think.  I'd ask a pro first.  
I think I need to work on my bathroom now too.


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## TxBuilder (Jan 27, 2010)

I've painted over oil and never had an issue. It wasn't in the bathroom though and I did extensive prep to get it ready.


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## hadiya (Mar 8, 2010)

The peeling off a paint may causes due to moisture. Semi-gloss is the better for bathroom, but use oil based paint, instead of water based paint.  where we can clean the wall any time. 

For any other information Contact your local painting contractor, take his advise, he will give you the better possible ways.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Mar 8, 2010)

I think I should clear this up because this is one of the MOST COMMON misconceptions in the painting business.

Latex primers and paints in North America are primarily made from one of two kinds of plastics;
A. polyvinyl acetate, which you probably know better as white wood glue, and
B. polymethyl methacrylate, which you probably know better as Plexiglas.

Generally, budget priced paints and general purpose primers are made from polyvinyl acetate.  In the paint industry, primers that use polyvinyl acetate resins as the binder are called "PVA" primers, whereas paints that use polyvinyl acetate resins as the binder are called "Vinyl Acrylic" paints.

Top quality interior and exterior latex paints and fresh concrete primers use polymethyl methacrylate resins as the binder.  The wording "100% Acrylic" on a can of paint simply means that the binder resins in it are made of polymethyl methacrylate.

Polymethyl methacrylate resin binders are better at most qualities that make for a good paint except being cheap to buy.  The three biggest differences are that:

1. Adhesion is something that's just hard to engineer out of the white wood glue (polyvinyl acetate) molecule, and so primers and paints that use a polyvinyl acetate resin binder will be slightly sticky even when fully dried.  The characteristic is called "blocking" and PVA binders are said to have "poor blocking resistance" because dry PVA paints will tend to stick to each other.  PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) primers and paints have good blocking resistance because the dry plexiglas film won't be sticky at all.

2. PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) primers and paints will stick much better when applied to moist or damp surfaces, and...

3. PMMA primers and paints are much more resistant to water and damp or moist conditions.  Budget priced paints that use a polyvinyl acetate resin binder will both soften and lose their adhesion in moist, humid or damp conditions, or when they're directly exposed to rain or water.  The result is that the PVA paint film will soon crack up and peel off, and this is commonly misdiagnosed as being due to poor prep work prior to painting.

If a 100% Acrylic paint was used, and you see the paint peeling EVERYWHERE in the bathroom, then there may be reason to believe the problem was poor prep work prior to painting.  However, if the peeling is restriced to the upper walls and ceiling of the bathroom, especially the ceiling over the shower area, then there's no question that the problem was the kind of paint used, not the prep work.  This is because warm air will both rise and contain the most amount of moisture, so the problems associated with PVA's poor moisture resistance will first show themselves in the moistest areas, which are at the top of the room, and closest to the source of moisture.

If this happens to you, it is NOT necessary to remove the old PVA paint.  Simply scrape off any loose PVA paint, skim coat with joint compound to restore the smooth flat surface of the wall or ceiling, prime with any latex or oil based primer and then paint over the old PVA paint with a PMMA paint.  The PMMA paint will prevent the PVA paint from getting wet enough to crack and peel.

And, truth be told, it's always best to buy a paint specifically made for bathrooms, like Zinsser's PermaWhite Bathroom paint.  That way, not only will you be getting a PMMA resin binder, you'll be getting a PMMA resin that was chosen to be used for bathroom paints because it was more moisture resistant than other PMMA resins.  So, you'll be getting a paint that was formulated specifically to be as moisture resistant as possible.

Hope this helps.


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## EmaRich (Apr 24, 2010)

We used an exterior paint on our drywall bathroom walls when we remodeled a couple years ago because we took out the window and only have the exhaust fan for ventilation. It worked well and we don't find the moisture hanging onto the wall surfaces.


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## gillispy456 (May 5, 2010)

The first step is to paint the walls or paper them with a distinctively patterned wall covering. 
Another fast and easy bathroom painting idea is to stencil a colorful border around the upper edges of the walls.


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## Dyson (Sep 8, 2010)

Hello guys!


A bathroom is often considered as a person's private room and therefore needs special bathroom painting ideas to reflect this uniqueness. And one can get a lot of such bathroom ideas through various media. The main thing to consider is that the bathroom painting should be something that has your personality reflected in it.

It is not so difficult for anyone to find a unique design for their bathroom. Until recent times, people adopted various successful bathroom painting ideas to their bathroom as well. But, nowadays people are more careful in selecting their style and color. And this trend has resulted in a situation where novel styles and designs are outdated very quickly.

The internet can definitely be a source of valuable information. There are various home decorating magazines which you can rely on to understand the latest trends in bathroom paint colors. They can offer many tips to give your bathroom a special appearance. They will also contain several attractive designs used by people to enhance their bathroom looks. You can evaluate all these various designs before you decide what is best for you. Also, you can visit blogs to share your views and opinions about various styles. This is a good way to broaden your views and bring yourself in terms with the modern techniques.

There are various stores that deal with various painting designs and accessories. They might have in display various bathroom painting designs. Also, various bathroom accessories that will go along with such designs will be available. The bathroom paint colors also demand equal importance. The color that you choose should be in agreement with the overall design and arrangement. The cost factor should also be kept in mind if you are running on a thin budget.

All minute details should be taken care of to give a complete finish to the bathroom. All the accessories should be properly checked before installing. It goes without saying that the color of the accessories and curtains in the bathroom should be similar to the wall color. It is better to give the ceiling a light color since it will give a spacious appearance to the room.

There are various consultancies offering expert design services. They comprise of experienced designers who can suggest the best bathroom painting ideas for your bathroom. One should be aware of the money factor before going ahead with professional designers. With proper effort and a little innovation, anyone can select the best design for their bathroom.

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## suzib (Sep 9, 2010)

Years ago I painted our bathroom with ordinary paint - it has to be a bathroom paint, including the ceiling because before long the walls and ceiling started to become moldy.  I only did it the once and learnt from my mistake.


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## aussierescue (Sep 16, 2010)

Don't paint a bathroom, just put tiles over their


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## RandyCena (Jan 22, 2011)

If you have decided to try painting, the next step will be to sand the tiles. Be sure to sand tiles until the surface is no longer glossy. You should wear a mask to avoid breathing in residue or dust. Eye protection is a good idea, too. Wipe down the surface after sanding to remove all dust.Coat the clean, dry surface with a bonding primer or a sealer that resists mold and mildew. Primers and sealers must be completely dry before applying paint. It is best to wait at least twenty four hours before painting.


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## vahomes (Aug 14, 2011)

Reading through some of the posts in the paint forum, I've found comments by Nestor_Kelebay to be far and away the most helpful.  This post, in particular, offers excellent background info on proper prep and painting materials.  Earlier today I posted a problem I'm having with newly applied acrylic paint peeling and requested troubleshooting help in a hurry for a bathroom painting project that's underway.  It would be great if Nestor Kelebay or some other knowledgeable person could please give me some advice ASAP.  Thanks much!!!
Charilyn

PS  - It seems from below that I must skim coat the entire bathroom wall surface, then prime it, then go back to the Zinsser Permawhite Bathroom paint I have.  I looked and it's ingredients are Polymer Acrylic with titanium dioxide, also.  



Nestor_Kelebay said:


> I think I should clear this up because this is one of the MOST COMMON misconceptions in the painting business.
> 
> Latex primers and paints in North America are primarily made from one of two kinds of plastics;
> A. polyvinyl acetate, which you probably know better as white wood glue, and
> ...


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## vahomes (Aug 14, 2011)

Is it possible to link this post by Nestor Kelebay to the painting forum?  I posted earlier today there because I'd reviewed all the info and didn't find answers.  Had I seen this earlier (posted in decorating and design), I wouldn't have needed to post such a long request for assistance.



Nestor_Kelebay said:


> I think I should clear this up because this is one of the MOST COMMON misconceptions in the painting business.
> 
> Latex primers and paints in North America are primarily made from one of two kinds of plastics;
> A. polyvinyl acetate, which you probably know better as white wood glue, and
> ...


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