[x.kyle89]

I think my bathroom paint is cracking due to moisture/ temp changes but I'm not sure what to do about it. Much of my bathroom paint now looks like the what's in the photo below, we've noticed it for a while now but didn't think much of it until a family member mentioned it might be doing damage to the underlying drywall.

Can anyone offer advice?
Do we need to scrape/ sand before we put down another base/top coat?
Any recommended tools for the job, besides the obvious scraper, mini roller, shop vac...?

 

[mark sr]

How old is your house?

 

[x.kyle89]

How old is your house?

Built in 1995 but completely redone (likely just a fresh coat of paint in here) just before we bought it about 6 years ago.

 

[mark sr]

Usually you see alligatoring with old oil base paint but the odds are your bath rm wouldn't have been painted with oil base enamel. Another cause is contamination under the paint. If that paint is well adhered I'd apply a tight skim coat of joint compound, sand, prime and paint.

 

[x.kyle89]

Usually you see alligatoring with old oil base paint but the odds are your bath rm wouldn't have been painted with oil base enamel. Another cause is contamination under the paint. If that paint is well adhered I'd apply a tight skim coat of joint compound, sand, prime and paint.

Yes I would say the paint is very well adhered, you can run your fingers/ hand over the paint and even scrap it with your fingernail and it will not flake off or anything like that, just cracking somehow.

For the joint compound is there any prep needed first or just apply the compound and let dry before sanding? My guess is that the joint compound is basically becoming the new skin of the drywall (hence the term skin coat) just wanting to make sure that the compound won't be burying the issue and were just painting over a now bigger issue.

 

[Bondo]

Yes I would say the paint is very well adhered, you can run your fingers/ hand over the paint and even scrap it with your fingernail and it will not flake off or anything like that, just cracking somehow.

For the joint compound is there any prep needed first or just apply the compound and let dry before sanding? My guess is that the joint compound is basically becoming the new skin of the drywall (hence the term skin coat) just wanting to make sure that the compound won't be burying the issue and were just painting over a now bigger issue.

Ayuh,..... I'd coarse sand it 1st, just for insurance that it'll bond tightly,.....

 

[JeremyGraha]

Usually, you see alligatoring with old oil base paint but the odds are your bath rm wouldn't have been painted with oil base enamel. Another cause is contamination under the paint. If that paint has well adhered I'd apply a tight skim coat of joint compound, sand, prime and paint.

 

[Yodaman]

Usually, you see alligatoring with old oil base paint but the odds are your bath rm wouldn't have been painted with oil base enamel. Another cause is contamination under the paint. If that paint has well adhered I'd apply a tight skim coat of joint compound, sand, prime and paint.

Think I just read this verbatim on post #4.
Anything original you would like to add?

 

[jenniferobert]

there are a few common reasons:

Contraction and expansion: The materials (paint, plaster) that make up your wall contract and expand because of fluctuations in humidity levels and temperature changes.
Low-quality paint: Inferior quality paint results in poor paint adhesion on your wall, which leads to cracks over time.
There’s no way around it! Keep your paint consistent and use a high-quality product.
Poor paint job

 

[Mrbuilder]

x.kyle89: Did you or your help if any, by chance use a cleaner on your wall ?
If so, check the label to see if it's an oil based product. Some cleaners will leave a residue after use, and not allow adhesion until thoroughly rinsed before application of any product ie: paint,drywall compound. Just a thought.

 

[MI-Roger]

Years ago a co-worker was painting his wife's bath. He was almost done with the job when he ran out of paint while doing the ceiling. Rather than wait a day or so for the paint store where he bought the paint to re-open, he went to one of the Big Box Stores that are open late at night and thru the Weekend. He bought a premium line of paint and had the color matched.

He decided to paint the entire ceiling, going over what he had recently painted, so the ceiling would all be the identical shade with any differences hidden by the wall-ceiling joint.

He just finished painting the last of the ceiling when he heard a "Splot" sound behind him. The fresh paint and the uncured paint from earlier that evening were incompatible. The two paints had chemically reacted, turned from pink to brown, blistered into a gooey mass, and had started dropping off the ceiling onto the tile floor.

Maybe the previous owner of your home did something similar.