[Brian]

I looked at an interior job today. The customer has streaks in the wall paint. This is only happening in bathrooms, near the towel racks, by the tub, etc.

My first thought was surfactant leaching, which I have seen before on freshly painted walls. This showed up about a month after the walls were painted, so I'm not convinced that it's surfactant leaching.

The house is about 3 years old. A cheap builder's grade flat paint was used.

Has anyone seen something like this? If so, how did you handle it? I'm planning to prime and top coat.

Brian Phillips

 

[DeanV]

I have seen this develop over time with high quality paint. I think it does still have to do with surfactant in the very deep colors, but I could be wrong there. I think if you wash off the streaks (where they are heavy at least), you should be able to go over them with good paint. Never hurts to prime though, but as long as the paint film is sound you should be fine.

 

[MooreMan]

If it is cheap builders paint. Apply 2 coats of BM Aura. Any finish will do since it is such a tight film and completely mildew resistant. Make sure they don't shower for a few days. Unlike conventional coatings there is no surfactant in the resin you will not have to wait several weeks to shower.

Good luck.:thumbup:

 

[Tmrrptr]

It would be good to tsp the walls first, and a good rinse after.

Primer/seal after totally dry, and then use at least a satin finish and semi even better.

Ask the nice people of the house to crack the bath window so the steam is not running down the walls so much!

All kinds of environmental probs these days because people never open the windows!!!!!!!!!

 

[Faron79]

Prime this no matter what!!!

Because it's a low-grade Flat, all the moisture in the room is causing the pigments & binder to leach out of the coating. This existing paint is literally breaking-down in front of their eyes. Flats obviously have no "sheen" to resist moisture-penetration.

Is there a bath-fan in this room? If not, stress how important it is!! If there IS...make-'em use it, & let it run DURING AND 10 minutes AFTER a shower!! It takes a while to exhaust all that water-vapor.

As Tmrrptr says...get those walls clean & rinsed/dried B4 priming. All the hairsprays, soap-films, etc., that settle on the walls (due to water-vapor depositing it there...), can screw- up the adhesion of even a good primer.

FORGET contractor-grade primers. RULE THEM OUT as a choice. You'll end up saving $$, and getting better results for your clients. Use good-ol' 123, or any TOP-line primer. If you're near a C2 dealer, try their primers...you'll never go back!
Then, 2 FULL coats of a SATIN OR SEMI-GLOSS sheen paint.
END of problem now!!

Faron

 

[Rich]

All the hairsprays, soap-films, etc., that settle on the walls...can screw up the adhesion of even a good primer

here's your answer without all the frills