Paint peeling in newly decorated bathroom

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I had a decorator in last week to tape my bathroom ceiling which had a crack. He then painted the ceiling & coving. There has been a slight problem with small parts of the coving paint peeling in the past (even though there's a fan & I make sure window is open during & after showers.
He was going to use johnstones vinyl matt but I said I'd prefer a bathroom paint but after discussing it with some other decorators that he knows he went for Sandtex Ultra Smooth Exterior Masonry paint with microseal as he says its waterproof & has mould inhibitors. I did query it being exterior paint but he said it would be fine.
A couple of days after he finished the job & only 2 showers later I've noticed some small bits of flaking/peeling starting to appear on the coving in the shower cubicle near the shower head (see photos). Its only around 20 cm that's affected but surely shouldn't be happening?
He's meant to be getting in touch soon to look at my ensuite as the coving in there is worse & forever peeling. He was talking about sanding it & sealing it before repainting.
Just would like opinions on what he's done. Has 30 yrs experience & good reviews. The kitchen & bedroom ceilings look great that he painted.
Is it reasonable to point out the peeling & expect him to fix it for free? Also should I insist on bathroom paint for the ensuite coving? I have a partly used tin of Zinnsser perma white in the house. I'll be keeping an eye on it over next week or so in case it gets worse.
 
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FFS

Exterior masonry paints should not be used indoors- they have herbicides in levels that are not permitted indoors. I very much doubt that it will harm an adult but you are breathing in those herbicides.

I have absolutely no idea why he has good reviews.

Personally, I recommend waterbased eggshell on small bathroom ceilings. It prevents the water from penetrating through any existing emulsion. If there is excessive moisture after showering, in time there will be mould growth but it can be wiped off without leaving any stains. Such levels of humidity would indicate insufficient airflow though (which is not his fault).

I suspect that you have a number of problems:

1. The ceiling wasn't cleaned and prepped prior to painting.

2. The wrong product was used.

3. Your decorator is a moron.

I struggle to see how anyone who has been decorating for 30 years does not know which products should be used on bathroom ceilings.

Out of interest, who on earth applied the silicone seal where the tiles meet in the corners. It really is shocking.

Sorry Emma, I appreciate that you were hoping that the answer would be- "just paint it with this magical paint" but life isn't that easy.

If I were presented with the job. I would sand his paint back (using sanders connected to dust) extractors before doing anything else.
 
Thanks for your reply. I did check the tin & the VOC rating was minimal (0 - 0.29) so I'm guessing there wouldn't be any health risk at those levels (the chemicals listed were the same as those in my Zinsser perma white paint).
Why is nothing ever straightforward in life!
 
Hi Emma :)
For what it's worth I reckon the problem is due to lack of preparation, maybe dirty or soapy paintwork and no sanding back prior to the finishing coat......no way will fresh paint stick to that!
I wouldn't expect to see unfilled cracks either if the guy had pride in his work.
Regards
John :)
 
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Thanks John, that makes sense to me. Think he only put one coat on so I'm guessing he should have given it a light sanding beforehand?
 
Yes, definitely.....just applying gloss on top of old gloss is a recipe for disaster unless the old paint isn’t sanded down first - there won’t be a key for the new paint to adhere to.
Unfortunately, this task is about as exciting as polishing the coal and it’s easy to lose the will to live whilst doing it :sleep:
John :)
 
I could imagine! If he doesn't get back in touch & I end up trying to sort this bit myself any tips on how to tackle it (bearing in mind I'm no pro!) Thanks
 
I’m having a little difficulty with the orientation of your pics, but if it was mine I’d scrape away the old paint and filler from around the cracks, then sand the paintwork with 80 grit abrasive paper. Use an old wood chisel for the scraping.
After that, fill the gaps with either silicone if it’s a wet area or decorators caulk if it isn’t and then on with a coat of Zinsser BIN followed by a top coat.
Maybe Opps could add or criticise if he’s looking in!
Good luck with this
John :)
 
Thanks John - much appreciated. Would zinsser peelstop be ok instead of Bin as I have a tin already?
 
Thanks a lot John, great advice as always! I'll leave you in peace now to enjoy the rest of your night :D
 
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Thanks for your reply. I did check the tin & the VOC rating was minimal (0 - 0.29) so I'm guessing there wouldn't be any health risk at those levels (the chemicals listed were the same as those in my Zinsser perma white paint).
Why is nothing ever straightforward in life!

For the record- VOCs are not a direct indicator of risk to your health. They are Volatile Organic Compounds, they are assessed on the basis of the risk to the atmosphere. I am legally allowed to purchase isocyanate 2 part paints for spraying that would leave you struggling to breath if I used them near you, but they are low enough in VOCs to have not been banned back in 2010.

On the balance of probability, nah, I don't think it will kill you to use masonry paint indoors but the products are only certified for use outdoors and it is likely that many will contain levels of herbicides that are higher than permitted indoors.
 
I've just phoned Crown to query use of the paint in bathrooms. They say there won't be any health risk but it's obviously not a bathroom paint & might not be up to the task.
The decorator is coming back in the near future to do ensuite ceiling & coving (which is bad for peeling) & I just know he's going to suggest the same paint. What would you expert's recommend instead? Zinsser perma white? Dulux bathroom paint?
 

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