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?

__________________
I don't have as many Festools as Fred. Or Marcou's, or Brese's, or Lie-Nielsen's, or Lee Valley's, or Blue Spruce's, or Harold and Saxon's, or...

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.

.

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).

__________________
I don't have as many Festools as Fred. Or Marcou's, or Brese's, or Lie-Nielsen's, or Lee Valley's, or Blue Spruce's, or Harold and Saxon's, or...

That would be "HOT" water.

.

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.

Poto,

Maybe the person who washes the walls can only reach so high...and the lower part is rubbed flat.

Just a thought...

__________________
Wayne

Kapex, Domino, Trion PS 300, RO 150, ETS 150/3, Deltex 93, 2 CT 33's, OF 1400, MFT/3...

Ha! That's brilliant, Wayne! Fortunately we have a house cleaner - who's taller than me...

__________________
I don't have as many Festools as Fred. Or Marcou's, or Brese's, or Lie-Nielsen's, or Lee Valley's, or Blue Spruce's, or Harold and Saxon's, or...

It sounds like you need a vent fan for the moisture, if no other reason. Just be sure to duct it out of the attic and house. (You do have an attic?) This will also help prevent black mold and termites.

__________________
Water separates the people of the world; wine unites them.

Poto,

I was referring to the house cleaner....

honest

__________________
Wayne

Kapex, Domino, Trion PS 300, RO 150, ETS 150/3, Deltex 93, 2 CT 33's, OF 1400, MFT/3...

Contact a paint rep at the factory, who ever made your paint has probably got a good answer to this. They've most likely seen every paint malady known to mankind. I think heat and excessive humid are to blame. Although I have a bathroom fan, and use it[unlike my wife] when showering, I too see signs of what you're describing. but on a much smaller scale. For the record, if it helps you, I used Behr semi-gloss paint on both the wall and ceiling. The effect you're talking about is most noticable on the small wall above the shower head[we have tons of tile, very little open wall space]. Sorry I can't add more help to this question.

__________________
2 t-shirts!!, lots of toolies- Domino, RS 2 E, RTS 400 EQ, RAS 115.04, ETS 150/5 EQ, CT-22 with Dust Deputy, Vacuum Compact Cleaning Set, Hand Sanding Block Kit , LS 130, OF1400, DX 93E, T15+3