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Shiplap siding and caulking. I just ran into a shiplap exterior wall that has a bad case of peeling paint on the outside wall of the bathroom and is worse on the side of the exterior wall opposite the tub. In other words facing the exterior wall with the window in the center, the paint peeling is worse on the right side of the window and the tub is on the left side. And and some of the boards appear to be bowing out.
The bottom edge of each board is caulked. I realize that someone should have prevented the moisture from migrating to begin with but wouldn’t the caulk prevent it from exiting between the boards now that it is the wall?
John
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My experience is limited, but I don't caulk the bottom edge of the siding for precisely that reason. The water needs a way out.
Rich Beckman
*Ditto to Rich's comment.Also. tell to use their bath fan (and make sure it's vented outdoors) and paint the bathroom with a low perm rated paint to act as a vapor retarder.Is the wall finished differently in the two areas on either side of the tub? (E.g., tile on the thub side)?
*Yes, the wall has tile on it above the tub which undoubtedly is the reason that the paint has little peeling on that side. I opened the wall last night(from outside) and found mildew inside on the backside of the sheetrock and no moisture barrier. I have never used low perm paint. Will it make as much difference as the tile? Re-siding and adding the moisture barrier is not an option that the owner wants to pursue although she might consider doing the just the bathroom area.Other ideas?John
*"low perm paint. Will it make as much difference as the tile?"Tough to say: it's one of those changes where it's very difficult to access the effects.Glidden used to have a line "Insul AId" which was supposed to be low perm, but I think I heard they discontinued the line.Check at a real paint store (not hardware or big box), but a paint store where they are likely to actually know the product. Then, buy there. Pay a bit more. Then, in the future, you'll have someplace to ask questions other than on the internet!?!
*John,Oil paint is considered a vapor barrier...so seal up the wall and trim with caulking and apply two coats of an interior oil paint to walls, ceiling and trim. You'll then probably want to prime and switch walls and/or ceiling to latex because people like the look of latex better, but its purly cosmetic. Just be sure to prime before applying latex paint to the oil.Next, replace the fan if its old...odds are it needs to move more air. Get one that really moves a lot of air and make sure its properly vented to the outside...often they end up dumping wet air in the attic due to failed connections or poor installation.You can't aply a vapor barrier from the outside...it'll do more damage than good. It'll trap the moisture in the wall cavity and rot out the structural wood and siding and nobody will notice before its far to late.What you can do that would be effective is vent the siding so the moisture doesn't come through the wood and take the paint off with it. Your best option for doing this is with a product called Wedge Vents...they are small wedge shaped vents that you hammer into place between the lap in the siding. They are not noticable much at all...on some houses they'll create a slight wave in the siding, but it beats peeling paint. It also beats intalling 1" round vents... Do a search under Wedge Vent and you'll find their website...I've never seen them available in a store. Email me if you can't find them...I'll probably be able to dig up the website.But definately don't caulk the siding together...that'd just make the problem worse.Good luck,QPS: Emphasize the importance of using the fan while taking a shower AND leaving it run afterward. Many people just don't like using the fan due to noise and that it cools the bathroom down...so ask them if they prefer peeling paint, because it really does make that much of a difference. Installing a vent in the door also helps airflow a lot, but some may not like the appearance.
*Actually, a search under Wedge Vents did not turn up this reference. Perhaps that is a marketing name. Benjamin Moore paint company also mentioned them, but so far I have not had any luck. The owner is going to have a vent installed in the bathroom and she agreed that it should be on system that comes on when the light switch is turned on. If I owned the house, I would try to rig up a timer so it would stay on for awhile. I'll approach her about the oil based paint and since it is a rent house, she probably won't care to have the latex so that will save me a little work.Thanks for all the suggestions.Q: I agree with the comments you made about the vent and how much difference it makes and the homeowner may be willing to have a vent in the door since she doesn't live there. If you find the website for that vent company, please post.Thanks,John
*John,I found this info on the PDCA's message board...I'll copy it below and you can check it out. Odds are it'll be solid, but if not, let me know and I'll find it...I know people who've used them. -QYou can try reaching WegdeVent Systems at (800) 933-4366. The address is 1156 Main Street, Lynnfield, Ma. 01940PS: just found their website...turns out wedgevent is one word:http://www.wedgevent.com/wedgevent.html
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Shiplap siding and caulking. I just ran into a shiplap exterior wall that has a bad case of peeling paint on the outside wall of the bathroom and is worse on the side of the exterior wall opposite the tub. In other words facing the exterior wall with the window in the center, the paint peeling is worse on the right side of the window and the tub is on the left side. And and some of the boards appear to be bowing out.
The bottom edge of each board is caulked. I realize that someone should have prevented the moisture from migrating to begin with but wouldn't the caulk prevent it from exiting between the boards now that it is the wall?
John