I bought my home about 6 months ago. Since then, the paint/plaster on the ceilings and walls of my bathrooms have started to peel. The shower is used in both bathrooms. It looks horrendous. There is no water leakage problem that I can tell. I'm thinking that maybe it is being caused by the steam from the shower? This has never happend in any other propery I've lived in.

I'm wondering if the previous owners had this problem and maybe they just did a quick fix-up while trying to sell.

Can anyone suggest how I can fix this problem?

 

How old is the plaster? If they didn't neutralize it before painting it, it can cause poor adhesion. Otherwise prime it, with oil base primer after removing all the loose paint, this should give you a good foundation for the semigloss latex finish coat.

 

joysofownership, Welcome to the DIY Forums.
Do you have an exhaust fan in these bathrooms? Moisture will peel most paint if not taken care of. Thats why most new codes require a fan in any bathroom. It will also help prevent mildew and mold. Good luck.

 

Make sure you use an enamel paint [latex is fine] as it does a good job of repelling moisture. Flat paint is more apt to absorbe some of the moisture. As majakdragon said use exhaust fan if you have one otherwise try leaving the door open when you get done.

 

Wow! TWo of us having the same problem at the same time!

So, since all the loose paint won't come up, is it going to look like an even surface once the primer enamel paint is done?

 

I just realized that Kilz is a water based primer. Is this going to cause a problem?


And what happens if we use regular ceiling paint that's not enamel?

 

Could the paint have been applied to a glossy surface. Maybe it was never cleaned befor painting. If all the paint can be removed easily take it off. If not scrape off the lose stuff,prime those spots with zinsser bullseye 123 or similar bonding primer[kilz is ok I guess if you scuff up before applying]. Bring the places a little past the level of the remaining paint with some light weight patch , like thick whipped cream[custom building products=depot] or the easy sand setting compound and then sand level with the existing paint. Not doing this last step will result in an unexeptable result. Prime the whole room and paint.

 

Kilz come in both latex and oil. The oil base bonds better and hides stains better. Latex smells better.

I believe an enamel on the ceiling will serve you better. Flat is OK but doesn't repel moisture as well as enamel.