If you notice peeling and blistering on the drywall around your shower, chances are the area needs to be re-primed. Drywall needs priming before it is painted, or water and humidity may eventually work itself underneath the top layer of paint and cause peeling and blistering. This is a common problem in bathrooms because of all the steam that showers produce. Fortunately the repair process is simple. All you need are some basic drywall tools and supplies and a little time.
Instructions
1. Lay drop cloths on the ground and over the bathroom fixtures to catch the debris. This one step will save you a lot of time later. Drywall repairs can get messy.
2. Scrape the peeling area with a 6-inch drywall knife. Try to remove any paint that is chipping, but don't damage the underlying drywall by pressing too hard. The goal is just to remove any material that is loose.
3. Mix some joint compound according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you are using quick-setting drywall compound, use room temperature water. If you are using pre-mixed joint compound, thin it with water if it is too thick.
4. Coat the area you just scraped with a thick layer of compound. Use a 12-inch drywall knife. Its large size makes it the perfect choice for smoothing large areas. Try to minimize the lines your knife creates. This will cut down on sanding time later.
5. Sand the area with 100-grit sandpaper. Sand just hard enough to remove lines and bubbles, but leave a thin layer of compound over the entire repair area.
6. Re-coat the area with compound if necessary. This time, you can use a thinner consistency compound. Wipe the compound away completely. Once you are finished with this step, the repair area should be smooth.
7. Sand the area with 150-grit sandpaper.
8. Prime the area with drywall primer. Some paint stores sell special moisture-resistant primer, but this is not absolutely necessary. The most important thing is to make sure you have uniform coverage over the entire area.
9. Paint as normal, again making sure there is uniform coverage. Consider adding a second coat of paint as this will increase the integrity of the paint.
Tags: area with, drywall knife, joint compound, layer compound, over entire, peeling blistering