Thursday, February 11, 2010

Why is my Laundry room paint peeling off?

We live in an old historic house in the south. The paint on the walls of our laundry room (and adjacent room) keeps peeling off in sheets - worse by far in the laundry room. It's not the kind of paint that if you rub hard it will leave a bare strip. Also in the laundry room is an old hot water boiler that is no longer in use.





I was just looking at painting the rooms and did not know what caused the problem and how to prevent it from happening again after we remodel. I'm sure it's a combination of the heat (dryer, boiler, %26amp; southern humidity) and moisture. Do we need some type of ventilation before we remodel? Do I need to use exterior paint that is use to heat and moisture?





Any advice would be most appreciated. Thanks.Why is my Laundry room paint peeling off?
Its old. Old paint does that.Why is my Laundry room paint peeling off?
For sure you need ventiliation. But could be the wrong type of paint was used, latex on top of an oil based, but you use oil base on top of latex, always.
Sounds like the walls were painted with Latex paint without properly prepared walls. Peel as much as you can, cover the walls with a latex primer (like Kilz), then repaint the walls.
This is most likely due to moisture, and happened in our laundry room a few years ago as well as our bathroom.





You don't need to get an exterior paint, however there is a type of paint on the market now that is made for use in bathrooms, it's very good for moist areas, and also has mildew control if I remember correctly.





I'm sure there a variety of types of this paint so I suggest going to the hardware store and asking in the paint section for the best paint to use in bathrooms and they'll help you from there.





I also suggest that before you re-paint you get yourself a dehumidifier and leave it on in the room for a day or two to draw out the moisture. This way you'll have a dry canvas for when you paint.


This wouldn't be a bad idea to use fairly regularly anyway if you've got trouble with moisture, and they can be fairly inexpensive.





I've not had any more trouble with my paint peeling after using this type of paint, so good luck to you!
Sounds like the conditions you describe are PART of the cause; however, I'm inclined to think that at some point there was a semi-gloss or glossy layer of paint applied and sometime later, someone covered it over with flat paint or didn't prepare the walls properly. Thus, the paint that's peeling was simply laying on top of the old layers and never adhered to the wall properly. Like the others have said, you need to remove as much of this mess as you can, and then get a good primer that will give you a good base for a new application of paint. I think my son (the Benjamin Moore specialist) said there's a product called Stiks or something that will stick to any surface (even that glossy enamel furniture). That's the kind of product you need.
You are right in your assertation that the heat and humidity combo is contributing to your problem. If it would not exceed your budget, I would recommend tearing down the old wallboard and replacing it with ';green board';, a type of drywall that is specifically designed for rooms that exprience higher humidity than others (such as bathrooms, laundryrooms, etc.) Then, before applying a good latex, water-based - not oil based - paint, use at least two coats of a water based primer to give the paint more adherence. I would aso install a small ventilation fan in an extrior wall of the laundry room to help move some of the humidity outside. This should remedy your problem rather nicely.
It's probably because there is insufficient ventilation. The heat from the bolier makes it increases the likelihood that the paintwork will be affected. There is a good chance that there is mould present on the walls and ceilings too. It would be a good idea to vent the room in some way. Use a paint that is suitable for bathrooms and laundries. Put in a fan that should be used when the room is likely to be steamy. Open the windows if you have them.
First of all don't use exterior paint inside. It has mildewcides %26amp; in some cases pesticides in it which can cause problems with your health.





Second, if it is an old house, it probably has plaster walls which wasn't treated properly.





Third, the humidity would have to come through the walls to make it peel in sheets.





Take off ALL the old paint, but be careful there may be lead based paint in the paint. Use rubber gloves %26amp; a resipator.





OIL prime the surface, not latex prime the surface, but make sure you shut off any source of fire (pilot lights etc.) keep the window open, let dry overnight %26amp; top coat with (2) coats PREMIUM quality latex enamel.





If the source IS coming from outside, you will need to install small vents in the exterior siding or siding wedges so there is air movement in the walls. If it is brick, block or stone, put the vents inside the laundry room, and ventilate well.





Good Luck
Ventilation is the key to your problem! The condensation caused by the laundry is the reason the paint is not performing satisfactorily. Ventilate well and use heating in the form of an air blower to reduce the moisture content in the walls, once dry, provided the ventilation is maintained, you should have no more problems.
It sounds like a moisture problem and probably caused by the following. Most older homes have little or no insulation, the amount of added heat in the room is causing condensation behind the wall because of the wide difference of temp between inside and outside. I would check on the insulation its a possibility. I don't think it's a paint issue its only happening in that room A/C will help by keeping the room cooler.
Preparation is the key to a good paint job. Not knowing how many coats of what kind of paint are on your walls, either strip the walls all the way down to bare drywall, plaster, etc., or replace the drywall with GreenBoard, then use Zinsser's KILZ primer and an acrylic enamel top coat. Do NOT use exterior-grade paint. If the paint you use doesn't have a ';mildewcide'; in it, you can buy some (comes in a small package) and have the paint store add it to the paint before they shake it up for you. Another factor, beyond ventilating any laundry room with a moisture problem is to check the vent/duct on the dryer: if it's not connected and sealed well, the humidity and heat produced by the dryer will stay in the laundry room, exacerbating your problem. Also, if your washer has an 'extra spin' cycle, use it: clothes will come out drier and your dryer will run for a shorter time.
add another 2 coats of moister proof paint.
It's caused by moisture. You may have a leak in you dryer vent, thus the moisture getting into the house before it exits to the outside.
I would think exterior paint would be great.
First, humidity is a cause for peeling paint, what you need to do is this remove all peeling paint and lightly sand the walls to allow for a good bond with the new wall covering. to start use a good quality primer I recommend Binzzers 123 primer with stain killz after you applie this primer to the manufactureres specs your ready to apply your final wall covering.





Good luck

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