what causes a peeling ceiling?

[squash500]

I have been living in an apartment for 5 years. The bathroom ceiling keeps peeling. The super says it is because of the previous tenants oil based paint as well as the humidity. Is he telling me the truth or just playing games? The maintenance guy came up to the apt. today and said he is going to have to sand it down. I am not very handy and this problem keeps happening. What does the maintenance guy have to do too prevent the paint from chipping off the bathroom ceiling yet again? My bathroom ceiling has been re-painted three times in the five years I have been living here. Why does this problem keep happening ? Any advice would be appreciated. Another problem is that the vent in the bathroom doesn't work either. I also live in an old building if that has anything to do with it.

 

[red]

i would think that part of ceiling (drywall?) will have to be replaced. must be water damage and just sanding down and painting over it woun't solve it

 

[Mongrel4u]

there could be a leak above as well

 

[Bill the Pirate]

I want to know how your s/o figured out the celing was peeling.

 

[tboy]

All of the above are good reasons for it to happen but no one has mentioned that rentals typically use the cheapest paint available. The oil paint scenario will only apply if they are using latex over the alkyd. If they used oil paint over oil, that wouldn't be the cause.

Let me ask you: is there paint under the peeling paint? If so, then it isn't a leak from above.

Is the paint that's peeling glossy or dull (aka matte)? If it's matte, there's part of the problme right there. One should always use a good quality gloss or semi-gloss in kitchens and baths.

If there is paint under the peeling paint, is it shiny? (aka smooth and glossy). If so, yup, needs sanding and priming before applying latex over it. There are many primers on the market that stick to oil based and allow latex to stick to it.

If the paint job is done correctly, a continuous latex film should be created over the entire ceiling so the only place it could peel, is the edges where there is a way for the moist air to infiltrate.

If the super is going to repaint tell him (repeat TELL him) to use Behr Premium Plus. It's about $35 a gallon but it is IMO THE best paint on the market.

 

[squash500]

Let me ask you: is there paint under the peeling paint? If so, then it isn't a leak from above.

Is the paint that's peeling glossy or dull (aka matte)? If it's matte, there's part of the problme right there. One should always use a good quality gloss or semi-gloss in kitchens and baths.

If there is paint under the peeling paint, is it shiny? (aka smooth and glossy). If so, yup, needs sanding and priming before applying latex over it. There are many primers on the market that stick to oil based and allow latex to stick to it.

Tboy, there is paint under the peeling paint. The paint that's peeling is dull but the paint on the very bottom is a yellow glossy oil based paint from the previous tenant 5 years ago. This yellow paint has been painted over 3 times with basic white paint. There is no window in the bathroom. They said they are going to fix the vent . These people have been tough to deal with to put it mildly. Thanks for everyone's responses. I really appreciate it.

 

[papasmerf]

Tboy, there is paint under the peeling paint. The paint that's peeling is dull but the paint on the very bottom is a yellow glossy oil based paint from the previous tenant 5 years ago. This yellow paint has been painted over 3 times with basic white paint. There is no window in the bathroom. They said they are going to fix the vent . These people have been tough to deal with to put it mildly. Thanks for everyone's responses. I really appreciate it.

Scrape the ceiling and use some joint compound to smooth it out.......Get a couple of can of SILVER SPRAY PAINT and spray the ceiling.........The paint contains real silver and will seal the ceiling. Prime with a cheap flat white and paint to please.

 

[tboy]

Scrape the ceiling and use some joint compound to smooth it out.......Get a couple of can of SILVER SPRAY PAINT and spray the ceiling.........The paint contains real silver and will seal the ceiling. Prime with a cheap flat white and paint to please.

Ummmm ok, then what are you going to get to stick to the silver (and I have to assume) lacquer? Latex sure won't stick to it.....plus you have to mask off anything you don't want covered with silver overspray.....that includes the tub, tiles, walls fixtures, floor, light fixtures.....

The correct way is to sand the glossy yellow oil based paint that was on the ceiling prior to the application of cheap latex. Prime with a GOOD primer like BIN or similar, then paint with a good quality gloss or semi-gloss latex.

 

[papasmerf]

Ummmm ok, then what are you going to get to stick to the silver (and I have to assume) lacquer? Latex sure won't stick to it.....plus you have to mask off anything you don't want covered with silver overspray.....that includes the tub, tiles, walls fixtures, floor, light fixtures.....

The correct way is to sand the glossy yellow oil based paint that was on the ceiling prior to the application of cheap latex. Prime with a GOOD primer like BIN or similar, then paint with a good quality gloss or semi-gloss latex.

Actually I have done this in rentals to seal mold on a solid base...........You can uses either BULLSEYE or a flat white. The silver seals even better than silicone and will take a flat paint.

If you have mold or grease use the silver paint after you degrease or chip. and you will be impressed.

 

[tboy]

Now that you mention it, I have heard something along the way in regards to silver and grease. With mold, bleach and water mix works great. I'd say that before you spray, I'd use a roll on paint though. You won't have to mess with the overspray then.

 

[squash500]

The correct way is to sand the glossy yellow oil based paint that was on the ceiling prior to the application of cheap latex. Prime with a GOOD primer like BIN or similar, then paint with a good quality gloss or semi-gloss latex.

Thanks for your good advice tboy. No wonder the super kept putting me off to do the work. I finally had to threaten that I was going to take my complaint to the Landlord and tenant Board before he started to take me seriously. I guess they will have to sand off the white paint as well as only some of the original yellow paint is showing? It's like the ceiling is split up into three different layers of paint .

 

[r_u_dair]

i would think that part of ceiling (drywall?) will have to be replaced. must be water damage and just sanding down and painting over it woun't solve it

One way you can confirm if there is water damage is to take a screwdriver and poke at the ceiling drywall before they paint, not too much force, and see if you can find any soft spots. My guess would be its due to the combination of poor paint and humidity and others have suggested how to correct that.

 

[tboy]

Thanks for your good advice tboy. No wonder the super kept putting me off to do the work. I finally had to threaten that I was going to take my complaint to the Landlord and tenant Board before he started to take me seriously. I guess they will have to sand off the white paint as well as only some of the original yellow paint is showing? It's like the ceiling is split up into three different layers of paint .

If some parts are already peeling then it shouldn't be that difficult to remove the rest. A good sharp scraper would probably take it right off.

I kind of know where he's coming from though: I hate overhead work.

 

[Anynym]

Without seeing it I can only contribute another guess, but my guess would be that the "surviving" layer of paint was never "roughed over" before applying a new paint. It may have a slick surface (e.g. say, a soapy or mildewey residue from long-ago "cleaning").

Paint doesn't adhere well to just any surface, including many other paints. (That's one reason for sanding and using a primer - they're designed to adhere better to the underlying surface, and to give the colour coat something better to adhere to.) Because it's been a problem in the past (and because it's not me doing the work), I'd scrape off what I could, sand it to smooth the layers and roughen the surface, clean it thoroughly, then consider applying a sealant, definitely apply an appropriate primer, and then apply a good mold- and mildew-resistant alkyd.

 

[landscaper]

BAthrooms are notorious for peeling paint , the steam that rises to the cieling contains soap. The soap settles on the ceiling if it is not cleaned of exrteamly well the next paint layer will try to stick to the soap. You can imagine the sucess rate. Proper cleaning solves the problem and a very high quality paint is required to stick properly.

 

[Hard Idle]

moisture collects on the ceiling because warm moist air rises and condenses on the cool ceiling. ..

Or from someone with alot of hose pressure jacking off and shooting off target.

 

[Never Compromised]

Before you paint, make sure the fan/vent is working.

Next, scrape off loose paint. Spray the entire area with Mold Control or a mix of water and bleach. Sand, and if ambitious fill the cracks and depressions with polyfila or some such thing. Sand smooth again.

Then use a good quality primer over the entire damn bathroom. A good primer will stick to anything, and anything will stick to it.

Then paint.

 

[Grind]

usually inadequate bathroom ventilation... in my case, once fixed, putting in a more powerful fan did the trick going forward

 

[21pro]

what causes a peeling ceiling?

having Peter North jerk off while laying on your couch...

 

[squash500]

Finally after a lot of delays the contractor finally fixed my bathroom ceiling . It took him 1 and a half days. He put in new drywall in the bathroom and replaced the vent. He also repainted the ceiling. I'm wondering if he used the right approach to fix the problem? I wasn't there at all so I don't know what type of paint he used etc. I'm wondering if or when my bathroom ceiling will start to peel again--lol? Any comments would be appreciated.

I think he got rid of that yellow oily paint by scraping it off before putting on the new drywall? Thanks to the terb members who gave me advice on this matter!