Hi all, I'm new here, so please feel free to redirect me to a different forum if it's more appropriate.

We currently are renters in a 1927 apartment building (remodeled in '09). Our shower has a coved ceiling with a lip that drops down ~15" along the outer edge, creating a nice little pocket for moist air. There's no exhaust fan, so we just leave the window open at all times and hope for the best.

Unfortunately the ceiling paint is now cracking/flaking pretty significantly. Certain parts of the ceiling (plaster w/metal mesh backing, I believe) are also slightly soft to the touch, at least when I'm in the shower.

Is this an issue that we/a handyman can remedy with a better sealing paint? Or is it a bigger issue for the landlord to address long-term? Thanks!

 

Really this is a landlord's problem. If the plaster is soft to the touch it might be because it has been "fixed" before with joint mud or light weight plaster. It should have been plastered with Portland cement plaster originially.
The fix could put the shower out of commission for a couple of days depending upon how thoroughly it is done. Is this the only shower?

 

Definitely get the landlord involved. The age of the bldg indicates that the walls/ceilings where originally painted with oil base enamel [most likely lead based] which may or may not still be there. Oil base enamels require a solvent based primer before being coated with latex paint. I'd highly recommend a bath paint for the top coat since there is no exhaust fan.

 

I agree with the "this is a landlord issue" as it's beyond a simple coat of paint to fix.