Fix Peeling Bathroom Paint

Humidity can cause a lot of damage to the paint on your bathroom walls and ceiling even if you've made sure you used specialized kitchen and bath paint. Simply covering the peeling area with a new coat of paint may be tempting, but it won't fix the problem. There are a few more steps involved in fixing peeling bathroom paint on the wall and ceiling

Remove the Peeling Paint

If there's a lot of peeling paint to remove, cover the sink, toilet, bathtub floor and mirror. Scrape away the bubbling paint with a paint scraper. Be careful not to gouge the wall. Any damage to the wall will need to be patched, sanded and patched and sanded again. Sand the edges of the peeling sections with fine-grit sandpaper. Use a gentle buffing motion and sand the surface of the peeling paint so that it's even with the wall.

Get the Walls Ready for Painting

Mix one tablespoon of bleach with one cup of hot water in a spray bottle. Spray any mildew areas. Allow the wall to completely dry so you can see if the treatment worked. Repeat as many times as necessary. After the final treatment, mix general household cleaner with hot water and thoroughly wash the sanded and treated areas of the wall.  If you have to re-paint the entire bathroom, which will be necessary if there are many peeling spots on the walls and ceiling, consider using a specialized paint detergent. Allow the room to completely dry out before painting. This means no one can take a bath or shower right before painting and for four to six hours after painting.

Apply a specialized bathroom primer to all sanded and cleaned areas. Pick a stain-killing primer. It's also possible to get quick-drying bathroom primer. It's important to apply primer because if you don't, the paint will get absorbed into the drywall and won't match what you currently have on your wall, even if the color is an exact match. Make sure the primer is completely dry before beginning painting.

Paint the Damaged Sections

Always mix the paint thoroughly before applying it to the walls or ceiling. Use your finger and dab a bit of the paint on the sanded area near the old paint job to make sure the color matches. If it matches, paint a layer of color over the sanded section making sure the color edges between the old and new paint overlap. Blend the old and new colors together with a slightly dryer roller or brush along the edges. If you're fixing the ceiling and the ceiling is white, you'll probably need to repaint the entire ceiling since white tends to yellow over time and you won't be able to match the colors.