Sticky stuff oozing from new paint
About a year ago, I painted my small shower area. This area (which also contains the toilet) is separated from the rest of the master bath by a pocket door. The area is roughly 3′ x 7′ with a standard 8′ cieling. There is an operable window, as well as a powerful exhaust fan mounted in the wall near the cieling. Despite the ventillation, the walls and cieling get very wet during a hot shower.
I used a high-quality 100% acrylic latex interior gloss paint (it’s a dark olive color). I added a mildewcide and rolled on two coats over one coat of Kilz latex primer.
Within about four months, the walls began to seep with a brown, sticky substance which oozes from the painted surface. It cleans of fairly easily with a mild detergent, but what a pain! I’m getting ready to paint another bathroom and want to avoid this problem. If I find the fix I’ll also likely refinish the first one. Anybody have any ideas on what this is, and how I can fix/avoid it?
Replies
Is it possibly wallpaper paste that you have reactivated with water?
In bathrooms, an oil based primer or a coat of white pigmented shellac is a good idea. The oil based primer won't react to the moisture the way a latex does.
There was an old post about a similar subject, and one possibility raised was nicotine from old cigarette smoke. Definitely, try the sealer/primer.
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
Its called surfactant (sp?) leaching. It will happen sometimes with acrylics in moist areas. Most often it occurs outside in cool weather when you paint late in the day, but that's not you. It should stop in a short period of time ,just keep cleaning it off. It happened in one off my baths at home and stopped. I would use a paint made for baths such as Zinnsers Bath paint or Sherwin Williams makes one.
Hoe that helps
Wow! Thanks Painter! I did a Google search based on your lead, and that is EXACTLY what it is. Fantastic. Thanks again. Here are the links I looked at if anybody is interested.
http://www.flood.com/Flood/TipsandTools/FactsandTips/Surfactant+Leaching+Fact.htm
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=Improve/Leaching.html&rn=RightNavFiles/rightNavHowTo