Originally Posted By: doitmyself
It seems that the root problem is adhesion failure. No one here can prove that it was poor paint drying, dirty/greasy substrate under the previous coat(s), lack of primer, cheap paint, oil-latex interaction, or anything else.
What worries me in these instances is what if the current good paint areas are only a year away from failing. You go through all the recommended steps, then the paint on the current "good" areas fail and also take your new paint job with them.
Is this clear? Sand and fix the bad areas. Prep the "good" areas less. Then these areas fail underneath your new job.
Comments?
You're spot on! I said in my first post this: "Before I start let me say, it might come back. Make sure you get every bit of failed paint off."
The problem is the moisture over time got through the flat paint film and caused it to fail. The OP claimed he saw raw or naked drywall paper, that usually indicates there was no primer used or a poor quality primer was used. In some cases it indicates the person who did the painting might have primed or painted over drywall dust. Flat paint in a bathroom is a major NO NO, no matter what is under it!
Any time you have a paint failure you run the risk of it failing again. The job is only as good as the person doing it. If the OP wants a job that will be less prone to failure he should re-sheetrock the bathroom. Stripping paint chemically, or using a wheat paste cocktail to remove it from drywall sets up a whole new set of problems. Sanding it all down can damage the face of the drywall.
The method I suggested is what I would do if I was hired to do the job. I've done it with a 100% success rate, however most people don't want to pay the price so the jobs are far and few between.