My Paint Is Flaking in My Bathroom

Wall Preparation

• Before you paint or fix the peeling paint on a bathroom wall, you must prepare the surface. Clean and sanded walls will bond better with paint primer and paint in this moisture-laden room. Clean the walls with a mixture of water and bleach to remove dirt and mildew, which is necessary before you apply paint. Allow the walls to dry completely before you continue prepping. Sanding is the next step. This roughening of the surface helps the primer and paint to permeate and adhere to the surface.

Primer

• Paint primers are oil based or water based. While there are many surfaces compatible with oil-based primers, bathroom walls are not among them. The old adage of oil and water not mixing applies to the paint in bathrooms. Use a basic latex water-based primer before you paint the walls for the best surface protection and paint adhesion.

Paint

• As with the primer, water-based latex paints are suited for bathroom walls. A flat latex paint may be a little dull for these walls. Additionally, flat paints show water spots and dirt easily. The sheen on semi-gloss and satin paints keeps those spots and stains at bay. They take very little effort to clean; you simply use a damp rag to remove any grime.

Considerations

• Caulking around areas in constant contact with water, such as sinks, bathtubs and showers, helps keep the water from seeping into the paint and subsurface. Before painting or repainting, inspect these areas to determine if there is any caulk loose or missing and re-caulk the area as needed.