I painted my bathroom approximately two years ago. Every month or so, the paint will leach what looks like honey, leaving drip marks on the wall. So now I have decided to repaint the bathroom. Do I need to completely remove the old paint before adding new paint ? Can I buy some type of primer that will allow me to paint over the existing paint ?

I have the same issue in my bathroom. It was pretty bad on the ceiling. I washed what I could off and then used kilz over it. I can see where it's working it way through in places.

We had the same problem. Turned out to be cheap paint. That honey colored stuff is an emulsifier. It seems to never stop. We repainted with a 100% acrylic latex from Benjamin Moore. No more leaching....

Well, maybe Darthfuster is right. But I'm thinking that the problem probably isn't the paint.

Rather, it's probably the humidity. You're getting condensation on your bathroom wall/ceiling, and that's resulting in the honey-like drip marks.

If my guess is right, then what you need is better venting.

Make sure that you're not getting moisture coming through from behind the wall. ALSO, make sure you didn't use a flat paint.

Needless to say, I really like Benjamin Moore products, and would use one of their super-hide primers and then you are going to need to paint it with a paint with a Sheen, cannot use Flat in a bathroom. So an eggshell or semi gloss finish is what you want. The BEN brand of paint is a good one for a bathroom. The folks at Benjamin Moore stores are very knowledgable and helpful usually.

Wash it down with TSP or TSP substitute, then paint it with Kilz Premium. Topcoat should be a premium 100% acrylic. Unfortunately, you can usually tell the quality of paint by the price. Spending $60+ per gallon is worth it in the long run.

I'm getting ready to paint my pickup. $550 a gallon automotive paint makes $75 house paint seem cheap.

Is this drywall or what?
And what did you paint with last time? Water based or solvent based? Was a primer used last time?
If the surface was wood, I'd think it was tannin bleed. A shellac based primer would take care of that.
If it's drywall, I'd be wondering about mold/mildew.
For areas like bathrooms, I like Zinsser Perma-White, which is mold/mildew proof

I'm inclined to agree with C-Dubs ^^^ but maybe some pics might help define the issue better.

Surfactant leaching out is what causes those brown spots. No need to prime. Wash it and re-paint with good quality 100% acrylic.
Let it dry as long as you can and try to improve the air circulation.

quote:

Originally posted by C-Dubs:
Is this drywall or what?
And what did you paint with last time? Water based or solvent based? Was a primer used last time?
If the surface was wood, I'd think it was tannin bleed. A shellac based primer would take care of that.
If it's drywall, I'd be wondering about mold/mildew.
For areas like bathrooms, I like Zinsser Perma-White, which is mold/mildew proof

The walls are drywall and were primed prior to painting the last time it was painted.

Also, even though you wipe it off before painting, you may see streaks during or after the first coat. Ignore them. Just make sure you get a good first coat. The top coat will cover all. The key is 100% acrylic. Will cost anywhere between 40.00 to 80.00 per gal depending.

I appreciate all the suggestions. I have had no mold issues so I will try the acrylic paint and see how that works.

quote:

Originally posted by indigoss:
I appreciate all the suggestions. I have had no mold issues so I will try the acrylic paint and see how that works.

Also make sure it has some gloss to the finish. You need at least an "eggshell" finish paint for a bathroom. NOT a flat paint.

Paint contractor for a number of years, I also did drywall finish work. Good suggestions here, two things stand out. Humidity(moisture) is the culprit followed by better paint selection to cure the issue. If using TSP, you must wipe down the area after application to remove any residue(newer formulas do not necessarily require this step). Most interior paints are acrylic/latex now days, so buy a name brand such as Benjamin Moore or others. Exhausting the moisture is key, leave a fan running and the bath door open for a longer time after shower use.