In article , "Gary Stone" wrote:
I am going to paint a small bathroom w/shower and the paint that is on the
walls now will come off if washed. Since I haven't painted walls before I
have some questions.

1- Should I put a primer on the wall after washing them?

That depends a lot on the existing finish. If it's not gloss, and not a dark
color, you can probably paint directly over it. If it's gloss or a dark color,
a primer is a good idea.

2- What type of paint? Flat, gloss, semi gloss? etc, etc?

Semi-gloss, definitely.

IMO you should *never* use flat paint in a bathroom that has a tub or shower.
The surface absorbs moisture too readily, and provides a breeding ground for
mildew. This is particularly important on the ceiling.

Gloss isn't the best choice for walls because (a) it will show every little
imperfection in the surface, and (b) it glares. It's great for trim, though.

3- As I have Multiple Sclerosis (Always looking to save my energy), is there
truly any such thing as a one coat paint?

Mmmmm. Sorry to hear that. One of my wife's friends has MS, so we know it's
not easy to deal with. She has good days and bad days; I hope that your good
days outnumber the bad ones.

Get the best paint you can afford, and you might manage. I've always had good
luck with Sherwin-Williams top of the line (SuperPaint, I think they call it).
If you apply it carefully, and the existing paint is not too dark a color, you
may get one-coat coverage. Two coats is always better, though, because there's
almost always a spot that gets missed in the first coat, or a place where it
rolled on a bit thin...

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?