Bathroom wall glistening...?

Poto · #1 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 07:03 PM

My bathroom walls are wallboard painted with a semigloss latex (I think). There's one small window, which is usually closed, and a door to our bedroom - so not much ventilation.

I noticed the other day that the upper part of the walls (about the level of the top of the shower door) looked wet - 5 hours after the last shower. When I checked it, it wasn't wet - it was just shiny.

Can someone tell me what's happening? Is the paint leaching some oil or something?

RogerSavatteri · #2 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 07:53 PM

Some clarification is needed........

Does "shiny" equal gloss? or semi gloss?
Is the lower level actually less shiny than it was - making the top seem to have a higher sheen?

My thought is if the shower's taken are on the level of steam showers you could be effecting the binders in the paint.
The constant heat could be effecting the flatting agents in the paint.

Keep in mind that in order to get a paint or varnish to be duller than "gloss" they have to add flatting agents to the mix.
That's why the more flatter the varnish or paint the more you need to stir it.

or you could well have Gremlins taking root.

Gremlins are known to leave shiny surfaces in their tracks in order to evade capture.

.

Poto · #3 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 08:05 PM

I hadn't thought of it that way round, Roger. It's possible that the lower wall has become flatter. Regardless, they're different. The edge is quite distinct, but wavy up and down like water flowing down a wall...

I'll see if it's possible to photograph.

I should add that it's shiny in the same place that water condenses during a shower (i.e. high on the wall, above the top of the shower enclosure).

RogerSavatteri · #4 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poto

I hadn't thought of it that way round, Roger. It's possible that the lower wall has become flatter. Regardless, they're different. The edge is quite distinct, but wavy up and down like water flowing down a wall...

I'll see if it's possible to photograph.

I should add that it's shiny in the same place that water condenses during a shower (i.e. high on the wall, above the top of the shower enclosure).

That would be "HOT" water.

.

RWeber · #5 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 10:10 PM

If it makes you feel any better, I redid a bath of ours 2 years ago and used an all acrylic semi gloss on the ceiling and it has done the worst of any paint I've ever tried. Its 2 years in and needs to be completely redone. Good weekend project. The humidity from the shower has taken the colors and "leeched" some of the pigments out, leaving them to form their own cliques which, visually, looks like random squiggles of green and tan. I've left it alone partially because I just dont want to deal with it, but it has been an interesting thing to watch progress.