bathroom ceiling is bubbling??? - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

gno30 · 09-20-2008, 05:01 PM

i recently painted a bathroom, that had popcorn on the ceiling. The whole bathroom was moldy. I kilz the whole bathroom with oil primer. I ended up scraping the popcorn off the ceiling becuase it was peeling. So when i primed, then i applied 2 coats with moisture control paint it started bubbling when the customer took showers. the buubles go away but they leave yellow water marks. I dont know what to do????? by the way they dont have a fan and they take up to 30 minute showers will a fan be the solution?

BKFranks · 09-20-2008, 05:08 PM

Too much heat and humidity. They need a fan or open the window. Here you're required to have one or the other.

**slickshift** · 09-20-2008, 07:33 PM

1) What mildecide did you use before priming?
2) How long did the oil Kilz dry/cure?
(Btw Kilz is a STAIN-BLOCKER not a good adhesion primer. You need super adhesion in a bath)
3) What moisture control paint did you use?
4) How long did the paint dry/cure before the shower was used?

Yes, no fan is not helping and would certainly void my warranty

Mike Finley · 09-20-2008, 08:59 PM

Paint bubbles that go away?

**slickshift** · 09-20-2008, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

Paint bubbles that go away?

Not as unusual as you might think
Appear with moisture, disappear when it dries
Not a good place to be really
They don't actually "go away"...they just kind of pop back into the wall
The paint will need to be stripped, perhaps sealed, skimmed...
Depends on a few things

Snow Man · 09-20-2008, 10:12 PM

did you clean the substrate b-4 appling primer?

usually with a bleach then a cold water rinse.

**Teetorbilt** · 09-20-2008, 10:30 PM

Any chance of a leak from above? I've recently done 2 jobs that were due to leaking roofs.

Frankawitz · 09-21-2008, 09:31 AM

The reason the paint isn't bonding to the ceiling is cause it needs to be ripped out, more then likely the back side is covered in black mold or some type of mold has gotten to the gypsum and it is trash, have home owner call insurance company file water damage claim. push up on ceiling feel if it's soft. I would plan on ripping the ceiling out and replace. good luck

www.frankawitz.net

gno30 · 09-22-2008, 09:51 AM

so im gonna be honest i didnt use a mildecide before priming i simply scraped the popcorn off since most of it was peeling then i used a kilz oil primer. then i patched the enite ceiling. i prob should have pimed again but i didnt. Then i put like 3 coats of perma white mold and mildew- proof which contains mildecide and is a Zinsser product that i bought at benjamin moore. I just am running out of time and need to know whats the next step. should i prime it again with a better primer? scraped off the laytex but i think that would be a little too diffiicult or should i skim coat? and if i skim coat what should i use?

Willybeen · 09-22-2008, 10:12 AM

Thanks for making this post, i recently repainted my bathroom ceiling (about 4x in the past 2 years), and it lasted the longest this last time, however, I think next time I decide to repaint, i'll reread this thread.

**slickshift** · 09-22-2008, 06:54 PM

gno:
Are the bubbles only over the patched areas?

Also:

Quote:

2) How long did the oil Kilz dry/cure?

and

Quote:

4) How long did the paint dry/cure before the shower was used?

Frankawitz · 09-23-2008, 06:58 AM

kilz or primer isn't sticking cause the board is more then likely damp. I would rip it out, install new sheetrock, what are you going to do when the custmer calls you in 3 to 6 months and wants you to fix it for FREE? why not tell them they may have water damage that's why the paint aint sticking? I have seen all kinds of water damage, when primer and kilz or any sealer bubbles it's cause there is moisture or the surface is delaminting, you'll see powder or the paint is peeling. when you started the job what was going on with the ceiling?

www.frankawitz.net

gadfly · 09-27-2008, 05:10 AM

Frankawitz said, "kilz or primer isn't sticking cause the board is more then likely damp"

I've had this problem before in bathrooms. I always assumed it was moisture in the drywall.

Mellison · 09-27-2008, 06:54 AM

Have you seen the bubbles or is this your customers description?
The reason I ask is it sounds like leeching. I spoke to a Benjamin Moore chemist about this a few years ago. The leeching occurs when there is not proper ventilation in bathroom and the paint compounds never realy bond because of the humidity level. Some of the compounds leech out during the high humidity during a shower then dry (bubbles that go away) and leave a residue stain. Try to wipe the stains away with a west rag with a mild soap. If they wipe away without difficulty leeching is what you have. It is much more prevalent with semi gloss paints.
I do noy use semi gloss in bathrooms any more because of the number of poorly ventilated bathrooms in NYC.

boman47k · 09-27-2008, 07:39 AM

I have remove popcorn from ceilings and cleaned them and thought they were nice and clean. When they would dry, there would be a dirt or rust like stain appear as if something was leaching out of the old dw. All I could do ( except for replacing the dw ) was to kepp washing and scrubbing until the stain did not appear. This was very old dw in a house that I suspect did not have proper ventilation over the years. It could have just been dust from the ceiling, not sure. All I know is I was not going to prime or paint until I had it as clean as I couild get it.

Ps Not only in bths.

USER8493893 · 09-27-2008, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gno30

so im gonna be honest i didnt use a mildecide before priming i simply scraped the popcorn off since most of it was peeling then i used a kilz oil primer. then i patched the enite ceiling. i prob should have pimed again but i didnt. Then i put like 3 coats of perma white mold and mildew- proof which contains mildecide and is a Zinsser product that i bought at benjamin moore. I just am running out of time and need to know whats the next step. should i prime it again with a better primer? scraped off the laytex but i think that would be a little too diffiicult or should i skim coat? and if i skim coat what should i use?

sounds like humidity problems to me for shure! but i have used that perma white before too ( not to impressed) my advice is to stick with sherwin williams, it costs a little more but in my travels never fails! good luck and get that humidity under control before you piss in the wind!

Frankawitz · 09-28-2008, 08:52 AM

What I would like to know is how does ventalation have to do with humidity? If you want to get rid of moisture you use a Dehumidifier not a fan, a fan will not move moisture

also if the ceiling got wet from above how is the dead space above the ceiling going to dry out? there is no air movement

. anytime you have stains on drywall it's got to do with some type of moisture is present. whether it's a roof leak or plumbing leak that is how drywall gets stains. or unless you have a fire, then you have all kinds of water.

www.frankawitz.net

boman47k · 09-28-2008, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frankawitz

What I would like to know is how does ventalation have to do with humidity? If you want to get rid of moisture you use a Dehumidifier not a fan, a fan will not move moisture also if the ceiling got wet from above how is the dead space above the ceiling going to dry out? there is no air movement

. anytime you have stains on drywall it's got to do with some type of moisture is present. whether it's a roof leak or plumbing leak that is how drywall gets stains. or unless you have a fire, then you have all kinds of water.

www.frankawitz.net

Hmm, so them thar ceiling fans in bathrooms are really just fart fans???

Learn something new everyday.

Mellison · 09-28-2008, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frankawitz

What I would like to know is how does ventalation have to do with humidity? If you want to get rid of moisture you use a Dehumidifier not a fan, a fan will not move moisture

also if the ceiling got wet from above how is the dead space above the ceiling going to dry out? there is no air movement

. anytime you have stains on drywall it's got to do with some type of moisture is present. whether it's a roof leak or plumbing leak that is how drywall gets stains. or unless you have a fire, then you have all kinds of water.

www.frankawitz.net

Simple,
No window or ventilation = Steam/humitidy has no where to go.

Do a simple experiment: Run your shower set on high temp for Five minutes with the door closed then open the door. Walah! Without a window or another form of ventalation the steam/humidity will linger.
As far as the stains are concerned, it is not the drywall that is stained but the paint surface. a different situation altogether.

Frankawitz · 09-29-2008, 06:40 AM

Only a small amount of the steam or humidity will leave the room and those fans yeah you got that right they are fart movers, humidity will cling to ceiling and wall surface, a dehumidifier is what remove moisture and fan blows it around, and as stain goes I have seen more water damage in 28 years and it's really hard to say what is going on in this bathroom without seeing it, Depending on the age of this house these stains could be what your saying is taking place, but if the stain is in the board or plaster you can put all the kilz you want on it, but if it still bubbles up when new paint is applied and there is moisture in the plaster or sheetrock once mold is in that it will not hold up. JMO.
Kinda like the auto mechanic saying "You can pay me now or pay me later"
either way you could come out the winner if you know what I mean, but then you could loss a customer if you make the wrong choice on how to fix it. Good luck.

www.frankawitz.net