# Bathroom primer ?



## Joe7 (Oct 4, 2009)

Hey guys. I’m new here and have a question based on your suggestions. You stated that a good primer to use in the bathroom would be Zinsser 1.2.3. It’s been about five years now since my shower stall area was freshly painted by a hired painter and the paint both on the ceiling and the upper non-tiled section of the wall is flaking away. I was told by someone recently that the water-based Kilz Premium interior/exterior primer/sealer would be good to use. I've just painted on 3 coats....first scraped and sanded the ceiling and the upper wall area, cleaned it, let it dry then painted two coats of the primer with drying time in-between, sanded the second layer primer, cleaned it and painted on another coat, and then sanded it again. It's ready to be painted on with the final paints. I was wondering now that I've read your recommendations whether the Kilz was really a good enough primer for the shower stall or should I at this point change my direction in some way? Also what would you suggest as the best top coat paint to use in a shower stall…oil based or latex? Also what would think would be the beat brand?


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## saggdevil (May 17, 2009)

Kilz Original Oil-Base Primer is the one to use for water stain problems, not the Kilz Water-base Primer.


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## Joe7 (Oct 4, 2009)

I'm not sure what you exactly mean by water stains...unless it's synonymous with peeling. The problem was that the paint was peeling off all over....I was told that oil paint would not do as well in a water environment and would more tend to peel than latex.
But you insist that Kilz Original Oil-Base Primer is the one to use. If so, what should I do now that I've painted three layers of the water based kilz primer (not very thick at all)...sand it down to the bare surface and then restart with the oil based?

Also, as far as finishing paint would semi gloss be considered a better way than flat in the shower stall?


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## saggdevil (May 17, 2009)

What's causing the paint to flake? Is it a moisture problem? If so, a water-base primer can re-activate the water problem causing the flaking, etc. The oil-base primer is to seal off the problem area and provide a good surface for new paint to adhere to.

I have always used semi-gloss paint in bathrooms and kitchens for washing purposes, as flat paint just doesn't wash well. I would use a Sherwin Williams mildew-resistant bath paint. 

Maybe Chris or some of the other pros will comment on this for you.

Good luck.

One can pick up great tid-bits of info on this website just by reading the posts. This is where I learned to stay away from Kilz water-base products, as the pros indicate it is an inferior product. Prior to finding this site, I assumed if it was Kilz it's good...not so.


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## Joe7 (Oct 4, 2009)

As far as the top coat...you stated a Sherwin Williams mildew-resistant bath paint. I take it that that is a latex based paint since they pretty much only offer latex anymore...in which case I guess you would be saying that it is OK to paint a latex paint over an oil based primer.


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## Joe7 (Oct 4, 2009)

I have been searching a bit on this website but unfortunately couldn't find exactly what I needed to know with my time being limited right now.


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## Joe7 (Oct 4, 2009)

I guess my remaining question is if the oil based Kilz primer is what I should be using then what do I do now that I laid down a few layers of the water based Kilz? Do I try to remove it somehow and if so how? Or do I just paint on top of it with the oil? Any recommendations?


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

You have enough primer on there unless you have stains coming through. I would use a good quality semi-gloss latex from Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, etc. Plan on two coats. The moisture, no primer or cheap paint (or all of these) is probably what caused the prior paint to peel.


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## Joe7 (Oct 4, 2009)

I see no stains...it looks pure white to me.

Well...I believe it definitely was the moisture. We have a ceiling fan in the middle of the nine foot bathroom ceiling with very little peeling occurring in the room at large. But the shower stall had alot of peeling. It is on one side of the room; an enclosed section with its own curved ceiling (about two feet lower than the bathroom ceiling) and the upper section of the entrance way having a curved glass going across the length of it and about a foot in height just above the shower curtains. It would seem like the perfect way to entrap the moisture in such a small enclosure.


To be honest I don't absolutely know what paint the painter used five years ago.


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## Joe7 (Oct 4, 2009)

Is there a preference between Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore?


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Joe7 said:


> Is there a preference between Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore?


I tend to use more Benjamin Moore partly because I feel I get better service from their store in my area. Both are great brands and I would have no trouble using either for your job. Go with a 100 percent acrylic if you can afford it.


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## saggdevil (May 17, 2009)

They are both very good quality paints. I use SW as I don't have a BM dealer in my area. I've been using the SW superpaint in my house this year; it is 100% acrylic latex. I really like the paint as it goes on very smoothly and covers great. Two coats over a sealer or primer has given great results.


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## Matthewt1970 (Sep 16, 2008)

Someone is giving you bad info. Oil based primer and paint are excellent to use in a high moisture environment but really need to be used from the start. You have latex primer down now, so putting an oil based primer on now probably won't help you much. Just use a good Semi-Gloss Latex paint.


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