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Please bear with me, as my home maintenance skills are very limited — but I am learning. I need to paint my bathroom. Alot of the paint is peeling. One wall, from the ceiling down to about 2 feet below the ceiling along the entire wall is all little tiny paint flakes. The 3 walls above the tub surround are all peeling. I know I need to scrape all the loose paint off (with a putty knife, right?). Then, sand it, right? What grit sand paper should I use?
The next step is where I am stuck. Some things that I have read/heard say that I then need to put spackle on the wall. Other people say no, since it’s not a hole or a crack, I don’t need spackle. Other people say, yes, I need spackle, but have to be sure to apply it correctly???
So, what do I do?
Replies
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Welcome Ann! I hope you get some good advice here.
Andy
*AnnLFirst: how old? Built before 1978? There's a chance the paint has lead in it.Now, I would never recommend that an amateur try to deal with lead paint. My E&O insurenace agent would have a fit. Also, I'd have to explain that (i) you want to use a really good respirator with cartridges designed for lead dust and a good tyvek coverall set; (ii) you need to seal off the room from the rest of the house to contain the dust, (iii) you need to deal with the dust and paint chips responsibly, (iv) you want to use wet dry sandpaper (say about 100 grit, but there's nothing absolute here) and wet the surfaces before you sand, (v)you will wnat to clean the room when done prep work with a real HEPA vacuum cleaner that you rent form a tool rental shop, and (vi) you'll need to use some common sense.There's not enough space to explain all that, so I'll just recommend that you hire a pro - especially important in MA where I'll bet there are all sorts of regulations to drive the price through the roof.No need to spackle except where you need to do repairs.Be sure to use a primer which is suited for the paint you choose.Go to a local paint store. Not the paint dept at a giant store, but a real paint store where they'll know what they are talking about and will be willing to give you all sorts of good advice.Pay a little bit more for the paint and supplies: expert knowledge and customer service don't come free. Plus, you'll be doing your American duty. (Little known fact: the Taliban tried to outlaw local hardware and paint stores and allow only big boxes!)
*Bob's right, girlie, Amateurs should never mess with peeling paint and chips and lead and all that, plus you could really hurt yourself with that sharp putty knife. ;-)
*The house was built in 1980. No lead paint. I will admit to being clumsy, but I think even I can manage to wield a putty knife without inflicting to much damage to myself. :-)
*Bob, yes, I always go to my local paint store and local hardware store. I avoid HD like the plague, and for paint I like Benjamin Moore. You gets what ya pays for.
*All excellent advice. Sounds too as though you should consider a vent fan for the bath (to remove excess moisture) and also check the insulation, if there is an attic above the bath (condensation due to cold wall/ceiling may also be a factor). Helpful to look at causes behind the symptoms - especially if bath has been painted several time previously.
*Thanks, Randy. The paint was chipped like this when I bought the house about a year ago. There is a vent fan and I run it while showering and leave it running for at least 30 minutes afterwards. The previous owners didn't believe in things like preventative care/maintenance, so I think once i get it painted it will be OK. I am also pretty sure this is the original paint, so 20 years for bathroom paint isn't bad.There is an attic and I'm pretty sure there is insulation. But, I will check. However, the fan vents into the attic. One of the projects on my list is to have the vent go outside, but I think I will hire a professional for that.
*I'd make sure there's no mold or mildew, too ....... no sense in redoing all your hard work sooner than you have to.
*A couple of thoughts to add. Old bathroom fans didn't tend to be too efficient; today's fans can be scientifically sized and move air much faster. Also, a good paint to consider if your bath tends to get moldy is zissner. They make a special bathroom paint that inhibits mold and mildew, and it works quite well.And if anybody gives you grief about your putty knife, just point it their eye and tell it's loaded.SHG
*AnnL,Spray down all the flaking paint with a dilute bleach solution and let dry overnight. The next day spray and wipe down the walls with water to neutralize the alkalinity of the bleach. Let dry overnight.Take a putty knife (4" or wider) and scrape off all the loose paint you can. Use drywall compound that comes pre-mixed and ready to use in a 1 gallon can with a drywall mud trowel (8 - 12" wide). Spread this in a very thin coat - it should look like you aren't even leaving any on the wall. The mud will fill all the gaps and cracks around the chips. For all the walls and ceiling of a bathroom, this will take a couple of hours. Only one coat is needed and let dry overnight. Buy a drywall sander which is a pad attached to a pole and some drywall sanding screens (this is the type of sandpaper to use on drywall mud - fine grit, 220?). Attach the screen to the pad - there will be clips to hold it. Sand all the surfaces - this will remove any unwanted ridges and buildup of the mud you applied. When finished sanding, wipe down all the drywall dust with a damp towel.Now you are ready to apply primer and paint. Have the paint store add a mildicide to both for you - it comes liquid concentrate and is usually only a few bucks. This will help prevent future mold from growing and help arrest any spore growth that gets caught between paint layers.I've found this method works very well in bathrooms where the paint has previously cracked and chipped due to high moisture levels. Some may warn that it will all re-crack in no time, but I think the mud helps to stabilize the existing chips that are left after scraping. Good luck...
*You have already had sound advice. the only thing to add is that the quality of your job is in geting the loose paint gone , as you will be doing this again if you dont.Use an oil primer. This is a must, to seal off and keep the moisture from penetrating again. Enamel finish coat will do nicely to shed moisture . Have fun.
*Maybe I missed something, but it seems to me the first question should be "what type of wall/texture do you have? Is it a smooth plaster wall? Is it a orange peel texture? Oil based or latex paint? Probably semi-gloss being in a bathroom? These all affect how you will deal with the problem...Brent
*The walls are a smooth finish. I have no idea how to tell if the current paint is latex or oil???
*Ann, Chances are that your fan, like many, is better at producing noise than moving humid air. Though I also abhor the Depot they do carry some decent fans that will move the air and are even reasonably quiet. There are the really good remote fans but ...
*Ann, i do better with a paint scraper than a putty knife--pulling instead of pushing will leave you with a lot fewer gouges to fill. If you use joint compound to skim-coat the wall--i would--you should use drywall primer/sealer over it, or you'll have a different sheen in that area compared to the non-coated areas.Calcimine paint can cause peeling of subsequent layers, but with the age of your house, this isn't likely the problem.
*Thanks for all the input everyone! I feel much better about what I need to do and how to go about it. I'm off to the paint store to get all the supplies! :-)
*I just thought I would give you all an update on my bathroom. I scraped all the flaking paint off, I sanded the walls down, I did the skim coat plaster. Boy, the sanding of that was a MESS!! But, the bathroom walls already look 100 times better!! This morning, the primer goes on, then tomorrow, the finish coat! :-) Thanks again for all the advice! :-)
*It's great when someone posts results. Bravo, Ann!
As regards the latex-or-oil question, I understand that in a bathroom, if you get a brown substance leaching out of your paint when your walls steam up, you've got latex. If not, you've got oil.
I thought it meant someone had been smoking on a regular basis in that bathroom ?
NB, this is a serious question..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
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Please bear with me, as my home maintenance skills are very limited -- but I am learning. I need to paint my bathroom. Alot of the paint is peeling. One wall, from the ceiling down to about 2 feet below the ceiling along the entire wall is all little tiny paint flakes. The 3 walls above the tub surround are all peeling. I know I need to scrape all the loose paint off (with a putty knife, right?). Then, sand it, right? What grit sand paper should I use?
The next step is where I am stuck. Some things that I have read/heard say that I then need to put spackle on the wall. Other people say no, since it's not a hole or a crack, I don't need spackle. Other people say, yes, I need spackle, but have to be sure to apply it correctly???
So, what do I do?