apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

what about those green paints?

Don't restrict yourself a specialized bathroom paint. What makes them special is a mold and mildew killer additive, which you can buy separately in powder form and mix into any paint you choose:

http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=34

Mixing any paint with a primer (I assume that's what you mean by Kilz) will definitely affect the color and the finish--don't do that! The powdered stuff won't change the color or the texture of the finished paint.

Also, to note, latex paint often does tend to peel in humid places. You could try using an oil based paint, which would be much more resistant to the humidity--but be forwarned, it's a lot smellier and more difficult to apply. Be sure have a fan, and be prepared for the whole place to smell like paint.

Whatever you do, make sure to:
1. Kill any existing mold and mildew with bleach solution. Rinse all the bleach off when you're done so it doesn't mess with the paint.

2. Scrape ALL the loose paint off, or else your new paint will have nothing good to adhere to.

3. Prime with a good primer, like Kilz.

Argh, whatever you do, don't use high-gloss stuff. My landlord painted our bathroom super-gloss white, and it just looks so cheap. I'd rather repaint every couple years than have to look at this stuff. I HATE HATE HATE it.

I'm not a paint chemist, but I would bet lunch that BM Kitchen & Bath paint, available in any of their colors, would be an easier process with higher chances of success than mixing a powder into F&B. I agree with everything else sniplet said. Any interest in or possibility of fixing your ventilation problem before you paint?

I painted both of my bathrooms in High-Gloss and I love them: The hall bathroom is Benjamin Moore Black Bean Soup (same as the hall and Living Room, but HG instead of Eggshell) and the other is Benjamin Moore's Ocean Blue (same as my bedroom, but HG again.)

I've never had problems with peeling or bubbling, but the problem I do have is that the ventilation is so bad in my apartment building (ineffective vents, no fans) that condensation collects on the ceilings and upper walls when I shower and I get water spots/drips on the ceilings so I have to clean them off every so often...

OHH, I am in a similar situation and like a fool I have already bought a gallon of the paint I want to use (Bher Zephyr in satin) for a tiny bathroom in a 1930's Florida garage apartment, without thinking about the issues that could arise. Thankfully there is a lovely window but has anyone had luck with those thin vertical fans that look like air purifiers for ventilation purposes?

@BudFox2 -- it's actually not too bad to mix in, it's a pretty tiny little packet of stuff. You can do it with no more effort than would be required to mix the color anyway. Even better, if you're nice to the guys at the paint store, sometimes they'll go ahead and throw it in while they're mixing the color for you.