Peeling Paint

db

The paint on the ceiling over the shower in my ensuite is peeling off. I have removed all loose paint and sanded down before repainting already but after a few months it just begins to peel again. The paint used is a standard ceiling emulsion. Any ideas ?

fjon

How is the ventilation in the bathroom? Sounds like it may be a bit too damp. Is the extractor fan working properly?

BaZmO*

fjon wrote:

How is the ventilation in the bathroom? Sounds like it may be a bit too damp. Is the extractor fan working properly?

Was gonna say the same thing. If the ventilation isn't up to speed it won't matter how many times you paint the ceiling or what type of paint you use.

B.

db

Ventilation is by a velux open whenever the shower is used.

rooferPete

Hi db,

Just to get an idea run your hand on the tiles over the basin or on the cistern after a shower, the amount of water that is in steam form during a shower is suprising.

You need an extractor fan that runs while the shower is in use, the peeling paint is only a warning sign, the moisture can and does transfer through the plasterboard into the roof space / attic.

You can be damaging the U Value of your insulation and creating a breeding ground for mould and fungus and you can't see it.

Make sure any vent installed actually vents to the outside not just a pipe into the attic where the steam can cause some very nasty damage.

.

Snaggerman

Also, rather than just painting over this area again, you should apply a coat of regular (gloss) undercoat. It will stop any staining from showing through. It may even help to 'waterproof' the ceiling. Good luck

Wertz

A good tip for any bathroom ceiling is to paint it with exterior emulsion (weathershield, stormshield etc). It's a fair bit more resistant to damp conditions than normal bog standard interior matt.
In this particular case use a stain blocker like Pro-block or NoStain to seal the damp/bare patch first...after you have installed a vent though.

twinkletoes

Hi There,

Doing some painting in my own house at mo and the man in paint shop told me that you put eggshell paint not ordinary ceiling paint on the ceiling of a bathroom if there isn't an extractor fan.

rooferPete

Hi Twinkletoes,

That was good advice because eggshell is very similar to gloss paint, I was looking at the bigger picture that being "cause and effect".

The cause is insufficient ventilation, the effect can be very expensive, if you paint the ceiling and walls in the bathroom with eggshell the water will most likely run down the walls and behind the skirting board.

That can be fun because if the wall is a partition the chances are the wall behind the skirting was never painted and the least you have is almost a copy of rising damp that will push the eggshell paint off the wall.

If there is a space behind the skirting any insulation used for sound proofing will be soaked and useless in a very short time, if everything is painted you still have the floor to consider.

Sad to say the long term solution is proper ventilation, of course I shouldn't be posting this because faults like that raised my children

.

db

Thanks for all the replies. I will take all the advice and paint with eggshell while I am waiting to get a fan installed. The walls are fully tiled over the skirting and sealed so any condensation should not get in behind. The floor is timber sealed with varnish so that should be OK too. Interestingly the walls and floor do not get damp after a shower so the existing ventilation is probably not too bad.

Sleipnir

Doesn't have to be damp. I don't have an extractor fan in my house and my ceilings are fine. You only really get fans in new houses.

You can get stabilising solutions for this sorta thing.
If you wipe your hand over tjhe paint when it's dry (i.e. not straight after a shower) do you end up with chalky marks on your hands?

Use a stabilising solution first as any paint you put on now will be effected by the bad layer that's already there.
You can then paint with "bathroom & kitchen" paint with is more resistant to moisture.