Ceiling in main bathroom no longer holds paint w/o it peeling.

Sue Rawls
by Sue Rawls
The paint used to be fine, never had a problem. Professional painters painted it last time,.....sanded it, applied kiltz, then ceiling paint. All the applications had plenty of time to dry, nothing has changed in the attic space above. Room has always had an exhaust fan in it which is used during showers, baths, etc., and this a single structure home, built in early 1960's. What can we do?icon
Thank you!
  16 answers
  • Jud14466645 Jud14466645 on Jun 07, 2017

    I had a downstairs bathroom ceiling which went like this, the roof above was flat and had to be replaced, which totally solved the problem. It sounds to me like in spite of the fan you still have a damp ceiling.

  • William William on Jun 07, 2017

    Did the painters use a paint formulated for bathrooms. Regular paint will peel and crack in moist conditions.

  • It actually needs to be muded by a drywall professional . We have this problem a lot here in Florida . Remud , sand and retexture if you like , if not. Then sand and paint . Definitely use an oil based paint .

  • Lua22280934 Lua22280934 on Jun 08, 2017

    I had this issue and scraped the peeling paint then covered the entire ceiling with KILZ then painted over it. No more peeling and cracking problem after that. I too used an oil based paint.

    • See 1 previous
    • Lua22280934 Lua22280934 on Jun 08, 2017

      I think I should have put that I used an oil based paint up near the comment on the kilz since that was really my point. Not sure if he used oil base but that may help. Thanks for the response!

  • Kim Kim on Jun 08, 2017

    I imagine you have tried all the above ideas. If no luck, consider sheeting the ceiling with drywall, mud the seams, and repaint.

  • Eloise Eloise on Jun 08, 2017

    There are quite a few YouTube videos that address the issue. Perhaps you can find a cause and solution there: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=peeling+ceiling+paint+repair

  • Hope Williams Hope Williams on Jun 08, 2017

    I agree with Eloise. You might be putting latex over oil base and it will do exactly that. Your fix is probably a simple one as I see no mold or mildew. Ask your paint professional for your best primer to go from oil base to latex. Of course you can not overlook the scraping, sanding proper cleaning for best result.

  • Michelle Michelle on Jun 08, 2017

    I had the same issue, house built in 1950, found out the owners had the bathroom exhaust fan vented into the attic, this traps moisture, problem solved when the contractor vent to the end gable of the home. Ceiling fixed and looking great

  • Morgan Morgan on Jun 08, 2017

    I agree with Michelle. I had a peeling paint problem on some plaster walls due to moisture from a leaking roof. We replaced the roof and the peeling stopped.

  • John pyles John pyles on Jun 08, 2017

    Ceiling is crashing moisture, try removing insulation above and see if their is moisture

  • Ann Ann on Jun 08, 2017

    How about a tin ceiling and paint after install. You still have to make sure fan vents outside.

  • Denise Denise on Jun 08, 2017

    I agree. Check your insulation. It can be a source for mold.

  • William William on Jun 08, 2017

    They should have used bathroom paint. Somewhat more mold, mildew, and moisture resistant than regular paint. The prep was right, the paint was wrong.

  • Macysmom Macysmom on Jun 09, 2017

    Try tongue and groove paneling, 3/8 inch thick. The beadboard is gorgeous and amazingly inexpensive. You can stain it, or paint it, or just leave it natural. It's real wood so it will hold up very well.






  • Dorothy Dorothy on Jun 09, 2017

    Vent to outside, the moisture is getting into the ceiling. Check for mold while your up there.

  • Pappa72339 Pappa72339 on Jun 10, 2017

    Mold !!! Peal back insulation in attic and look for mold. There could also be mold in your wall too. We had our bathroom professionally remodeled when we found mold in the walls and ceiling.