Hello-I need suggestions as to the most effective way to repair a bathroom ceiling that is cracking and peeling. Years ago, I painted both the walls and ceiling of this bathroom with a purple satin latex paint. As my kids got older and the shower got more use, the walls in this bathroom started with surfactant leaching.

We renovated the bathroom a number of years later. Concerned about the surfactant leaching bleeding through the new paint job, I applied a coat of an oil based primer to both the walls and ceiling. I then finished the ceiling with 2 coats of a white latex ceiling paint. I allowed sufficient drying times between coats and the shower was off limits for days. It took a year or 2, but eventually the ceiling paint started to crack and peel in just a few spots (the walls in this room are still absolutely perfect). I have periodically scraped, patched and repainted. Once I even repainted the entire ceiling. My patchwork holds up for a few years and then the cracking and peeling slowly reappears. When the paint peels, it peels just down to the previous purple latex paint job. It is as if there is a bonding issue between the purple latex paint and the new paint job. Not helping, of course, are the humid conditions (teenagers showering) in this bathroom.

Although we have a large ceiling exhaust fan installed in the ceiling of this room, I believe that we will also need to address the ventilation in this room.

I would eventually like to repair this ceiling paint issue for good and I need suggestions. Do I have to sand the entire ceiling down past the previous paint job? Or is there a better way?

Thanks!

Bette