I left the shower heating up too long and wound up with condensation on
the upper part of the bedroom walls that I'd just painted a couple of
weeks earlier. Now the upper part is shinier than the lower part, with a
jagged boundary between the two sections. Is there anything I can do to
smooth out the appearance and make the transition unnoticeable short of
painting again? If I have to paint, can I paint just around the jagged
area, or will it look bad if I don't paint the entire wall?

"Harlan Messinger" wrote in message
...
I left the shower heating up too long and wound up with condensation on the
upper part of the bedroom walls that I'd just painted a couple of weeks
earlier. Now the upper part is shinier than the lower part, with a jagged
boundary between the two sections. Is there anything I can do to smooth out
the appearance and make the transition unnoticeable short of painting
again? If I have to paint, can I paint just around the jagged area, or will
it look bad if I don't paint the entire wall?

This sounds weird. It shouldn't happen to paint that was applied correctly
and allowed to dry thoroughly. What kind of paint did you use (brand and
type)? What was the surface like before you painted? And most important, how
long did you allow the paint to dry before using the shower again?

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Harlan Messinger" wrote in message
...
I left the shower heating up too long and wound up with condensation on the
upper part of the bedroom walls that I'd just painted a couple of weeks
earlier. Now the upper part is shinier than the lower part, with a jagged
boundary between the two sections. Is there anything I can do to smooth out
the appearance and make the transition unnoticeable short of painting
again? If I have to paint, can I paint just around the jagged area, or will
it look bad if I don't paint the entire wall?

This sounds weird. It shouldn't happen to paint that was applied correctly
and allowed to dry thoroughly. What kind of paint did you use (brand and
type)? What was the surface like before you painted? And most important, how
long did you allow the paint to dry before using the shower again?

It was Benjamin Moore Regal interior latex, Eggshell AquaVelvet, pastel
base. (Yarmouth Blue, for what it's worth.) It happened over a week
after the last coat went on. The old paint was off-white. The walls were
clean, but because I'd experimented with some paint colors right on the
wall, I'd gone over them with two coats of Kilz latex primer. I don't
recall noticing the current texture before the mist, and the shininess
seems to be where the mist had settled.

I just brought in a brighter light and reassured myself that the problem
doesn't extend beyond the two spots, each about three feet wide, where I
first noticed the runs. Whew. Any maybe the mist was a
coincidence--maybe I only noticed the runs because I was expecting to
see residue from the mist. But I'd still like to be able to do something
about it, if possible and not too much trouble.

Other details: one of the problem spots is on an outside wall, but the
other isn't. Also, I thought maybe it had something to do with where I'd
painted the tester colors (using Benjamin Moore's sample jars), but
there's only a small overlap between the area where I'd tested paint and
one runny area, and I hadn't tested where the other runny area is.

Someone probably repaired the wall at that spot, or had a picture hanging
there for a long time, or spot-repainted.

I would only repaint part of a wall after warning my client that he WILL be
able to see the difference. I've even had problems finishing a can of
paint, then starting up the next day with a new can. (There's a reason the
manufacturer says to mix all the cans together before you start.)

Here's what I would do to fix your problem:

1) Clean the wall with TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate -- follow the safety
warnings on the label)

2) Sand the wall all over lightly to make the new paint stick better. Sand
a little more thoroughly around your problem areas.

3) Paint the whole wall.

4) Let it dry for 48 hours before using the shower.

Harlan Messinger wrote:

I left the shower heating up too long and wound up with condensation on
the upper part of the bedroom walls that I'd just painted a couple of
weeks earlier. Now the upper part is shinier than the lower part, with a
jagged boundary between the two sections. Is there anything I can do to
smooth out the appearance and make the transition unnoticeable short of
painting again? If I have to paint, can I paint just around the jagged
area, or will it look bad if I don't paint the entire wall?

This is an odd sounding situation. I painted a bath last year and was
amazed when I went to paint that the ceiling was still very moist in the
pm from an am shower. My oil paint just slid, without sticking, until I
dried it with a towel. Perhaps, since you painted part of the wall, it
is smoother and just shows the steam more? Like on a mirror. What
happens when you wipe the wall dry? Still shiny? That is something I
haven't seen happen.

Steve wrote:

Here's what I would do to fix your problem:

1) Clean the wall with TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate -- follow the safety
warnings on the label)

2) Sand the wall all over lightly to make the new paint stick better. Sand
a little more thoroughly around your problem areas.

I wouldn't recommend sanding or washing with TSP on week-old latex
paint.