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

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.

Maybe the pre-paint surface prep wasn't done right. Was there
wallpaper or a border there before the redo? Could be remnants of the
old glue.


On Fri, 14 Sep 2012 04:19:09 -0700 (PDT), "
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

Maybe the pre-paint surface prep wasn't done right. Was there

wallpaper or a border there before the redo? Could be remnants of the

old glue.

No. It was a gut job. They primed it before they painted and let it dry.

The paint is actually sticky in the moisture spots. I'm going into the paint store with photos to see what they say.

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.

Here is a photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8718577...in/photostream

Hope you can see that. I never posted a photo here before so just signed up for flickr.

Those dark areas are sticky and they are not drying. The guy at the paint store used the term "not curing". He took my number and said he would call me back with an explanation.

My worry now is how to prep this for what seems like an inevitable repainting.

Thanks for your feedback.

On Sep 14, 9:28*am, " wrote:
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.

Here is a photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8718577...in/photostream

Hope you can see that. *I never posted a photo here before so just signed up for flickr.

Those dark areas are sticky and they are not drying. *The guy at the paint store used the term "not curing". *He took my number and said he would call me back with an explanation.

My worry now is how to prep this for what seems like an inevitable repainting.

Thanks for your feedback.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Great photo, don't have an answer though.

wrote in message
...
Maybe the pre-paint surface prep wasn't done right. Was there

wallpaper or a border there before the redo? Could be remnants of the

old glue.

No. It was a gut job. They primed it before they painted and let it dry.

The paint is actually sticky in the moisture spots. I'm going into the
paint store with photos to see what they say.

If you actually have moisture running down the walls after a shower, I would
suspect the fan. Either it doesn't have a good exhaust path to move the air
outside or the fan is poor. It could even be gummed up with toilet paper
lint which would destroy the aerodynamics of the blades (I had this happen)
so they don't move much air. It will need the blades and chamber cleaning.
Also how good is the insulation. Cold walls will cause excessive
condensation and damage to the paint.

wrote:
Maybe the pre-paint surface prep wasn't done right. Was there

wallpaper or a border there before the redo? Could be remnants of the

old glue.

No. It was a gut job. They primed it before they painted and let it
dry.

The paint is actually sticky in the moisture spots. I'm going into
the paint store with photos to see what they say.

Yep, go to a PAINT STORE (Sherwin-Williams, Glidden, etc.), not the paint
department of a box store.

Give some consideration, too, to an oil-based paint. It should have less of
a problem with curing than a latex variety.

wrote:
Maybe the pre-paint surface prep wasn't done right. Was there

wallpaper or a border there before the redo? Could be remnants of the

old glue.

No. It was a gut job. They primed it before they painted and let it dry.

The paint is actually sticky in the moisture spots. I'm going into the paint store with photos to see what they say.

Asking the paint store is a good first step.

I've had good results with Kilz primer in cases of stain seepage, but
ventilate well when you use it or face the prospect of a real headache.

In my bathrooms and kitchen, I use marine paints. They are formulated
for a wet marine environment and have been good for me. Paint stores
don't carry them; boat stores or chandlerys do. They are a little more
expensive, and need special thinners, but I think the results are well
worth it. Pettit is one manufacturer; you want the topsides finishes,
not the underwater hull finishes.

On 9/14/2012 10:28 AM, wrote:


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.

Here is a photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8718577...in/photostream

Hope you can see that. I never posted a photo here before so just signed up for flickr.

Those dark areas are sticky and they are not drying. The guy at the paint store used the term "not curing". He took my number and said he would call me back with an explanation.

My worry now is how to prep this for what seems like an inevitable repainting.

Thanks for your feedback.



Not curing suggests a factory problem....I suspect the best you can do
is some free paint if that is the case. I've never dealt with such a
problem. What brand of paint? Was it thinned, or some additive mixed
in? Very odd pattern to the problem

Szeik:

I'm thinkingthat it may be two probelms:

1. Insufficient insulation between your roof rafters that is causing the paint in those areas to dry too slowly because of the condensation forming on the paint in those areas, and

And inexpensive PVA paint that was never intended for use in bathrooms being used instead of a paint specifically made for bathrooms.

If you can afford to rent a thermal imaging camera, I would check out the heat loss through the areas where the paint is still wet. It could be the insulation in your roof isn't up to snuff.

Also, I would check to see the kinf of paint used by the contractor. Paint is one of the most poorly understood technologies in the entire paint center, and I wouldn't expect a contractor to understand paint any better than your wife.

Not curing suggests a factory problem....I suspect the best you can do

is some free paint if that is the case. I've never dealt with such a

problem. What brand of paint? Was it thinned, or some additive mixed

in? Very odd pattern to the problem

The guy from the paint store called back. He said it is called "Surfactant Leaching". I found this article online that talks about it: http://www.paintinganddecoratingconc...-Painting.html

He said to try cleaning it and I did one wall with a damp clean cloth and I have to say it looks much better. I'm suprised that it seems to have taken the sticky stuff off of the surface. I'll have to experiment a bit more with cleaning it and see how it looks.

I wish somebody could have warned me about this prior to this happening.

Every home improvement project I do I learn some lesson like this. But I always learn them too late!

Steve