Warning: Oil-based trim paint in a steamy room added a week to my job

Last month, I took on a bathroom job with oil-based paint on all the trim. The client wanted a high-gloss finish, but the steam from showers made drying a nightmare. Each coat needed two full days to set, adding a whole week to the schedule. Has anyone found a reliable way to manage moisture during painting?

3 comments

3 Comments

charles_park8d ago

Steam and oil paint are a brutal combo, right?

susan6638d ago

Hey @charles_park, steam isn't really brutal on oil paint once it's fully dry. Oil paint repels water after it sets, so steam just beads up. The only worry is if the paint is still wet, since high humidity can slow down drying. Just give it a good week to cure before hitting it with steam.

rubybarnes7d ago

My friend Tom had a condo in Chicago with a tiny bathroom. He insisted on oil paint for the window trim right before winter. Every time his family took a hot shower, the glass would fog and the paint stayed tacky for days. He ended up borrowing a dehumidifier and running it for 48 hours straight just to get the final coat to harden. Have you tried using a dehumidifier on a job like that?