You notice that your bathroom walls are not looking so good and you keep asking yourself,  “Why is my paint peeling in the bathroom?” The most common reason for paint peeling in a bathroom is the sheer amount of moisture absorbed by the paint. If your bathroom paint is frequently exposed to moisture, eventually it will peel. When getting out of the shower or bath, try not to get too much water on the walls. Some factors, on the other hand, are out of your control, such as the water vapor after a shower, which will occur no matter how careful you are. The easiest solution is to always turn on the bathroom ventilation fan after a shower to quickly drain away the moisture before it soaks into your walls. If you don’t have a ventilation fan, leave the bathroom door open after a shower.

If it’s too late, and paint is already peeling in your bathroom, here are some tips for a more water resistant paint job when you redo your walls.

1. Use a scraper to remove the old and peeling paint from the walls.

2. Fill up any cracks you find to make the wall as smooth as possible.

3. Use a mold and mildew resistant primer that binds tightly to paint.

3. Select paint with a high sheen, as the higher the sheen the less moisture it will absorb. Satin or semi-gloss paints are the best for bathrooms.

4. Use an oil-based paint as opposed to a water based paint. However, if you use an oil based paint, make sure the room is well ventilated as oil-based paints can be toxic when wet. To check if the paint in your bathroom is water based, rub it with ethanol; the paint becomes soft and comes off, then it is water based.

A moist bathroom that has peeling paint also has a high chance of having mold behind the paint, so you should get a professional painter’s evaluation of your needs. He/she will recommend the paint that’s best suited to your bathroom. To find a professional painter, use TalkLocal for free to book an appointment on your schedule right now!

This entry was updated on Wednesday, July 1st, 2015 at 1:37 pm. This entry was originally posted on Wednesday, December 5th, 2012 at 2:00 pm and is filed under Painters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.