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Puckering Paint on Bathroom Wall

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Jun 03, 2012, 04:50 PM
MsSmltzr
Puckering Paint on Bathroom Wall
We finished painting our bathroom approximately six months ago (during the winter months). The paint started to pucker once the weather started to become warmer. What can I do to fix it and prevent it from happening again? Is it necessarily correlated to the warmer weather?


Jun 04, 2012, 01:16 PM
Bob Fleming
Well, I've never seen that before! Were the walls bare drywall when you started? Did you prime them, and with what kind of primer? What kind of top paint; latex or oil?
Jun 04, 2012, 02:30 PM
conrad
I say it sure looks like a moisture issue. Since you did not see it during the winter months, then humidity in the bathroom could be the culprit. If you are only seeing it on one wall, then perhaps this could be an uninsulated space where moisture/humidity is accumulating behind the wall?

Do you have a vent fan and is it used during and after showers/bathing? Vented to the outdoors? If your mirror stays steamed up, it is not removing enough of the moist air, fast enough.
I usually ask questions about paint adhesion issues by visiting a pro paint store like Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore.

And yes, I would also guess it is related to warm humid weather. When heating systems run during the winter and dry the air, the moisture is often not an issue. Same if you have central air and run it fairly cool, it also removes a lot of moisture/humidity.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: conrad,
Jun 07, 2012, 02:58 PM
nettiejay
I saw a similar problem with bathroom paint on an episode of Ask This Old House. It was explained by improper prep work before painting. The homeowner had washed the walls with a soapy solution and hadn't rinsed with plain water. The new paint couldn't adhere for more than a few months to the soapy surface. This would also happen if the walls were dusty and were repainted without washing them first.

Of course, it can be more complicated than that, but why not look for the simpler answers first?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: nettiejay,