Drywall newbie help

How old is your house?


I suspect the walls were originally painted with an oil base enamel and then someone switched to latex without the proper prep. I'd scrape off all the loose paint and reassess. The low spots should be filled in with joint compound [spackle if they are minor]

The house is 2002

The odds are a bath built in 2002 would have latex enamel on the walls, not oil base. It's possible a contaminate is under the peeling paint. Hair spray is a common culprit.

You may mean joint compound when you say spackle but I really doubt actual spackle would work, it's mainly for filling small holes. This sounds like a job for joint compound. Unless you tore drywall paper to reveal gypsum, Gardz would not be indicated for this job.

Gardz is definitely recommended any time the surface layer of white paper is gone. If you're down to brown paper, time to use Gardz. After that, joint compound and sanding. Gardz is an excellent primer for bare joint compound and drywall paper as well, if you want to put on a second coat at that time. Depending on the situation no primer will necessarily be needed.

Does the bathroom have a fan? I would consider adding one with a timer before drywall repairs.

Yeah I agree with daveb. Before any solutions involving "green" or "purple" drywall, or mold-proof paint, or any other such bandaids, deal with the actual problem first!!