Why are our bathroom walls doing this and how can we fix it?

[cheapandcheerful]

We moved here just over a year ago and the bathroom looked newly decorated. This peeling started in one place and has now spread and looks awful.

Did they use the wrong type of paint? Do I need to strip it right back and start afresh?

Is it damp? Do you have a decent extractor fan? Open the window when using shower or bath.

I don't think it's damp. We have an extractor fan and the window is open 24/7.

Yes I'd imagine you'll have to strip back and prime the walls and repaint.

I think if you take a scraper to it, it will come off fairly easily.
I'm not an expert, but it looks like the paint on top is not compatible with the paint underneath, and so hasn't 'stuck' properly.
Have a try to get off the flaky bits, look at the finish of what's underneath (silk or whatever) and go for something similar. You might need more than the usual number of coats to make it look even, so use a roller.

We moved here just over a year ago and the bathroom looked newly decorated

suggests to me that there might be a persistent damp problem that the vendors were trying to cover up - but then I am cynical.

Is your house single brick construction? Part of our house is and the walls in the bathroom there do exactly that. They did it within days of having it decorated with bathroom paint. None of the other bathrooms do it.

Damp.

Damp

Emulsion paint does not easily peel from damp, even a burst pipe. Efflorescence will usually be visible on wet, or drying, walls, and yellow stain.

However it will peel from various common errors:
if painted onto PVA glue or wallpaper paste
if matt is painted onto silk
if a non-vinyl paint is used, which is not durable
if painted onto dirt, and especially kitchen grease
if painted onto distemper (only found in very old houses, or those where the owner has an attachment to old-fashioned materials.

Scrape it off, clean the surface well and remove any shine with wet and dry paper 600 grade, and try again with an ordinary vinyl emulsion.

It is not normal to use primer on walls, though there are a few specialist products for unusually difficult surfaces.