How to Fix Peeling Wall Paint Caused by Moisture | Sherwin-Williams

Need to determine if it is a moisture issue or the wrong paint used. Oil Base over Latex will definitely peel so it could be that.

Lack of proper insulation, could be why its colder in the winter and more hot and humid in the summer months too .

Yeah, check about insulation. Also, what's the ventilation situation in the bathroom, and HAVAC of the area?

Thanks to all of you for commenting! Before I have this repaired and repainted, I think I need to find out why this is happening now, after so many years. It was not oil-based paint over latex; only latex has been used. The bathroom above this room has a fan -- oversized for the size of the room -- and nothing has changed there. The same person is using that bathroom, and the length/ temperature of showers has not changed. The insulation in the garage walls and ceiling has not changed, but I'm wondering if it has degraded over time, and we might need to add to the existing insulation. What kind of service professional would you suggest I start with, to do some detective work on this? I'm not sure where to start ... Again, thanks for any suggestions!

Want to clarify here. Is the changes in temp/humidity a new thing... or it's been like that for a long time, but the peeling paint is a new thing?

Temperature/ humidity has not changed (other than perhaps the effect of climate change). The peeling paint on the garage ceiling is a new thing. The peeling paint on the ceiling of the bathroom above happened before, and it was newly sanded, patched, primed and painted at the end of January -- and now it's back again.

^^^^^^ Exactly what I was going to say.

Is there an attic above this? If so, I would get up there and inspect your roof in several areas, because if there is a leak, it could run down the rafters, and come into the ceiling from a completely different area than where that leak is.

The OP said "I'm not a DIY person" and "Where do I start to get help with resolving this?"

I imagine the OP wants to know what type of professional to contact to get this fixed.

We had snow twice, but not much accumulation and neither time lasted more than two days. No evidence of roof damage, but maybe I need to get someone up there to take a closer look. I'll look into this. (Not a DIY person = 77 yo widow. LOL) Yes, HU-227959171, I was trying to figure out who to call first!

Sometimes it's good to ask a couple questions before suggesting who to try calling in. I'm not sure if there is an attic above the bathroom. But if there is and it's easily accessible, wouldn't hurt to see if there is anything obvious going on.

But given the information so far, I would try with a roofer, a person that deals with siding/gutters/ trim. Sometimes the same people, sometimes not. A small general contractor might be able and willing. But since it's the beginning of work season for a lot of these folks, you might need to call around a bit to find someone.

If you haven't hired someone in a while. Often estimates can be free, but not always. Sometimes when there is a charge for an estimate it counts to a total purchase, but not always. If someone finds something wrong and gives you an estimate, try to get two more estimates of the same thing to compare if you can. Use reputable folks that have license, insurance, and even bonded if that's a thing around you. Always get your contracts clear and in writing before work begins.

A roof specialist who recently did some work around skylights in another part of the house just stopped by for a look. He looked at the roof from the outside, looked at the garage ceiling and the bathroom ceiling -- and observed that there were no water stains. He looked in the attic above the bathroom and said he found no evidence of water -- no stained wood, no rusted nails. Bathroom being at 60% moisture reading after a shower did not concern him. His suggestion was to have both ceilings properly prepared and painted again, and then wait to see if the problem recurs -- and always be sure to run the fan during and after showers (which we do). Since he just recently did the skylight repair, he provided this inspection gratis -- great customer service! Thanks to all of you who have weighed in on this. (And I'm still open to hearing any other comments or suggestions of anything we might not have considered.)

There is never "a reason" for things like this, there's ALWAYS "multiple possible reasons". You might have to use one expert in more than one field before the cause is located. Since you mentioned variations in temperature between rooms I suggest starting with a hvac inspection with particular attention to making sure ductwork is leak free. Next comes insulation and air infiltration/leaks to attic and outdoors. While insulation is being inspected, check for proper vapor barrier.

When you do paint, be sure to get the paint that is meant for bathrooms, not regular type ceiling or wall paint. That may help you some.

I've always assumed that the temperature of this bedroom and bathroom compared to the rest of the house was due to their being above an unheated garage. Maybe I do need to call my HVAC company next. Thanks for the suggestion, klem1.

My regular handyman went into the attic today and agreed with the roofing specialist that there was no evidence of a leak or anything wrong relative to HVAC above that bathroom. Looking into a new, upsized fan for that bathroom ...

An excellent bonding primer is Insl-X Stix. Widely available.

Since both areas with peeling paint are high humidity areas, I wonder if there is a vapor barrier behind the drywall that is contributing to the peeling paint. Noting that you said the problem is in the upstairs bathroom and the (Georgia)garage below...but the upstairs bedroom over the garage was not mentioned? Is this correct? The bedroom ceiling paint is NOT peeling?

It is recommended that bathroom ventilation fans are left running for 30 minutes after you finish showering.

Thanks for the suggestions, cat_ky and ci_lantro. I'll check on that paint type, for sure. Yes, the bedroom and en suite bathroom are both above the garage -- only the garage and the bathroom ceilings have the peeling problem; these are the only two areas with the moisture problem. The bedroom ceiling and all other ceilings -- three other bathrooms on the same second floor -- are fine. We have routinely kept the fan running for 30 minutes after showering. Today (after a very rainy night -- if that matters), the bathroom humidity was 78% after the fan was running during the shower and for 30 minutes afterward.

My handyman noted that the vent from the fan had been "dropped" on top of the insulation next to the gable vent, but it was not vented directly to the outside.

The current fan is 110 cfm. We're contemplating upsizing again to a variable fan that can go 110, 130 or 150. Any thoughts?

"three other bathrooms on the same second floor -- are fine. "

So your home or rooming house has four bathrooms on the second floor? It would seem that in either case you can afford real professionals instead of futzing around with a handyman and interweb strangers. Correct me if this isn't true but didn't you start this off by saying " Where do I start to get help with resolving this? " To which I responded with telling you what trades to call but you called a handyman instead.

I've always been and will remain a student. In this case I want to learn (A) why you didn't call the handyman to begin with (B) what evidence came to light after this thread started shows there is no root problem and specialized paint is the solution.

klem1 - I did call the handyman as my first step. I was trying to get some ideas for solving my problem while I waited for his visit. The same day, I had the roofing man come to give his assessment. Now I am awaiting the arrival (today, in fact) of the HVAC person. I am learning as I go, trying to understand the directions I might take and the questions to ask -- just trying to gain some knowledge and hopefully get some input from people who are more knowledgeable on the subject matter. I have learned in the last few years that there are many people -- tradespeople included -- who prey upon elderly widows. I was merely trying to gain some knowledge and gather some insights to help me along the way. Your input was appreciated.

The paint peeling is strictly a humidity/heat and/or paint application problem. The paint may have been applied, say, without primer on bare drywall or some other reason.

Swapping the existing bathroom fan for a higher cfm fan will not help. A fan can only pull in a set amount of air underneath a closed door, which is typically around 20-60cfm.

Cooler/hotter rooms above the garage is an insulation and air sealing problem in both the garage ceiling and rooms' attics. HVAC is second (supply and return for forced air), but rarely can be changed.

Thank you, 3onthetree! The HVAC man came yesterday. He saw no problem with anything, and no need to upsize the fan cfm. Time to call in a painter and go for a fresh paint job, and hope for a better result this time. Thanks again to all of you for taking the time to offer your opinion -- much appreciated!