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Norminn

On 9/14/2012 7:19 AM, wrote:
Hi,

We just had our upstairs bathroom completely redone. It looked beautiful - for a while. 7 months later and we've got a problem with the paint - ughh!

Now our beautiful beige paint has dark streaks running through it from the moisture. It's a small upstairs bath and it does get pretty steamy in there after a shower. It is the top floor of a dormered out cape so the ceiling slants down to the back of the house. In the tallest part of the room it is about 7' 6".

It is even streaking down the side of the walls. I thought if I just ran the fan and let it dry out the problem would go away but it didn't. It looks like the paint ran in spots and it is darker in those spots.

He did install a fan and vented it through the roof (at least I hope he did - he said he did and I saw them go up on the roof) I can feel the air rush in from the window if I open it when the fan is on so it seems to be working. I guess my kids probably took a few showers and forgot to run it but the thing is that even when I run the fan I see the condensation all over the ceiling. It's a small room.

We used Eggshell - medium base. I told the guy at the paint store it was for a bathroom. We did the walls and the ceiling in the same color and it did look very good that way. The contractor recommended that and I was very happy with the look. It is a small bathroom.

Was this the wroong kind of paint?

It certainly looks like it needs to be repainted. What kind of paint would be best for a high moisture area like this bathroom?

Thanks in advance,
Steve

Is there a pattern to the streaking....along wall studs, brush or roller
marks, moisture running down? Photos might help. I assume you used
acryllic.....it sometimes can seep binders, but I've only seen that in
exterior paint on masonry.

FWIW, I use only alkyd semi for kitchens and baths. It is more
impervious to moisture, although any intact paint film should exclude
moisture seepage. Eggshell is only a tad less glossy than semi, but I
wonder if it isn't just hanging onto more mildew than semi would. Have
you washed it down, using a little bit of bleach?

As for forgetting the fan, we installed a timer switch in our bath so
the bathroom would vent completely before the fan shut off and also so
we didn't need to go back to shut it off.

If you can get good, clear photos I would get them to the paint store
and/or the mfg.....

there could be several reasons for streaking, including insufficient
mixing of the paint before application. Shaking at the store is not
enough, and if not mixed immediately prior to application you can end up
with different "mixes" of binder/pigment when you paint.

It is amazing how much moisture can hang onto bathroom surfaces hours
after a shower. I've seen mildew patches in friend's bath from AC vent
blowing onto adjoining wall and causing the cooler patch to get wetter;
she also kept a window in the room cracked that kept room humid.