Paint on bathroom walls are peeling off, what could cause this? And what would help get the job done?

Question

My house is 3 years old, and all of the paint on the walls will peel off if knicked. In the bathroom the paint is coming off the walls really easy. But there are a few spots where its a little harder to get off. I am trying to get all of the paint peeled off so we can redo it, and redo it right. The contractor that did our house used very cheap paint. Also the texture is staying on the wall, no sheetrock is showing or coming off.

Answer 1

Sounds like there is an undercoat of semi-gloss that was not properly prepped before painted. He should have prepped bare wall with a coat if he painted straight onto texture. You will need to have the paint removed if you want a smooth finish to the wall. It sounds like you are on the way to doing it right. The contractor should either fix it or give your money back.

BTW. I am a teacher that had been a contractor in the summers for 15 years.

Answer 2

I'm making some assumptions here but it sounds like you have a new house and you didn't repaint the bathroom. The house is painted with a builder's grade of paint. This is the lowest quality paint you can imagine using. It also has a flat finish, which you shouldn't use in a bathroom. I honestly don't recommend peeling the old paint off the walls. You're better off painting over it with a primer and then a good quality satin or semi-gloss latex paint. If you are going to remove the old paint, then make sure you get ALL of it off. It you don't, you will need to fill in the places where you did remove the paint using a joint compound. You'll then have to sand those places smooth before priming.

Answer 3

Painting Bathroom Walls

Answer 4

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RE:
Paint on bathroom walls are peeling off, what could cause this? And what would help get the job done?
My house is 3 years old, and all of the paint on the walls will peel off if knicked. In the bathroom the paint is coming off the walls really easy. But there are a few spots where its a little harder to get off. I am trying to get all of the paint peeled off so we can redo it, and redo it right....

Answer 5

Kitz is the best.... they make oil and latex... if it's really peeled badly and you can't get it all off... use the oil paint.
I would call the contractor and complain as well... my friend had her walls fixed for free when that happened.
Steam up your bathroom to try to get the touch spots off.
Make sure you repaint with good paint and use at least a semi-gloss but high gloss is the most durable!!
And don't steam up the bathroom until it completely cures!
Remember the Martha steward rule- paint dries in a couple of house but it doesn't CURE for 20-30 days!

Answer 6

It is moisture, regrettably. Your paint might not even be that inferior, it can just be the humidity in the bathroom, a leaking pipe, or even a roof leak.
First you are going to have to find any sources of the moisture and fix them. [Fix leak, install exhaust fan, repair roof, etc...] Do not start the paint job until the walls have had time to completely dry out. If you can, use another bathroom for bathing until you are done.
Next, sand down the walls [Yes, I know, What a Pain] and then remove every trace of sanding dust with a microfiber cloth or tack cloth.
Prime the walls with a quality primer. [Consult a paint specialty store. WalMart, Home Depot, etc... don't bother to educate their employees.]
Paint. Dry. Paint. Dry. Pat yourself on the back.

Answer 7

Is your bathroom ventilated well ? It may need a ceiling fan that sucks the moisture up and out of the bathroom. Steam from a hot shower might do this. You may have to sandpaper off the rest of it with a light grade .. Home Depot will have all the answers you need. Give them a call. Make sure you ask them the best kind of paint to use in a bathroom. Good Luck! :)

Answer 8

The same thing happened to me....just peel all the loose spots off than get some drywall putty and go over all the edges where the left over paint meets and the bare wall....let it dry sand it down so it is really smooth you might have to re-apply in some spots...after your done everything paint all walls with a latex primer than pain with final latex colour!....this could have been caused by a latex paint being applied over an oil based paint!!!

Answer 9

Your problem is the cheap paint. If you up your standard in paint you should not have the problem if the room is properly ventelated. The humidity is what is causing the peeling, make sure that you use your fan in the bathroom to pull out the excess moisture after you shower. Oh, and buy better paint:-P

Answer 10

Probably due to a shoddy paint job in the beginning. Usually paint comes off in the bathroom more easily because of all the moisture that consistently collects and sticks to/into the walls.

I'm sure that when you redo the paint job you will fix your problem. Probably they not only used cheap paint, but did not let it dry sufficiently in between coats.