Quote:
The "right" paint doesn't need to be special for baths.
The prep is critical and will usually let any kind of paint stand up to
conditions....I've painted kitchens and baths quite a few times. One
big problem in both is that moisture condenses and runs down
walls/doors/trim and then wicks into unsealed surfaces. Ever see
bathroom doors with wood cracking and expanding along the bottom? Same
along lower edge of baseboards?
|
No, Norminn, what you're saying simply isn't correct.
Top quality latex paints in North America are made primarily from the same kind of plastic that Plexiglas is made of; namely polymethyl methacrylate or "PMMA" for short. In the paint industry, binder resins made of this kind of plastic are called "100% Acrylic", but PMMA resins vary greatly in their properties. There are PMMA resins that crosslink so densely that they are used as floor "wax" because the film they form is hard and durable. Similarily, not all PMMA paint resins have the same resistance to moisture and humidity. Some are better in that regard than others, and those with excellent resistance to moisture are used to make bathroom paints.
Quote:
Decent paint applied after careful prep will keep out moisture. I've
never seen a painted wall with damage from moisture seeping THROUGH an
intact paint film. Of course, if the structure is closed up and not
maintained for a long time, mildew might eventually eat through paint.
|
Well, that's because latex paints in North America are made primarily from one of two different kinds of plastics. "Budget priced" interior latex paints and general purpose primers are made from a plastic called "polyvinyl acetate" or PVA for short, and this is the same plastic that's used to make white wood glue. (there are some differences between the two resins, but they're very closely related) The problem with white wood glue is that it softens up and looses it's adhesion if it gets wet. If you've ever rested your head against a painted wall and found that your hair was sticking to the paint afterwards, that's because the wall was painted with a PVA resins based paint.
When you use an inexpensive PVA paint in a bathroom, the result of the exposure to moisture is that the paint cracks and peels, especially on the ceiling above the shower and high up on the walls where humidity is highest.
And, that is probably the most commonly misdiagnosed paint problem there is. Because most people don't know enough about latex paints, they presume the peeling is due to insufficient prep work, and really the problem is that the paint used has a low resistance to moisture and humidity.
Quote:
I haven't used the paint you mention, but bubbling can be reduced by
thinning (my experience with other paints and varnishes).
|
Norminn, I own a small apartment block (21 apartments) so I do more painting than most people do.
Apartment rentals in Winnipeg, Manitoba
I tried EVERYTHING to eliminate those bubbles. I added water to the paint in the tray to thin it, I soaked the roller with water and then shook it out to remove the excess water, I tried using a Nour roller sleeve instead of my usual Pratt & Lambert roller sleeves, I e-mailed Rustoleum to notify them of the problem and asked what I could be doing wrong and so far they're ignoring me. I am not new to this, and I am having difficulty getting PermaWhite to work properly, and until I do I'm not going to recommend anyone else use it.