Painting the bathroom: how to make your new paint job a success | Duravit
Painting the Bathroom: How to Make Your New Paint Job a Success
Tips & Tricks
Untiled
bathroom walls are becoming increasingly popular. All these untiled walls have
brought a wide variety of new colors into the bathroom
along with them. Unlike other rooms in your house, though, there are some
special considerations to be made if you decide to paint your bathroom. The most
important point here is choosing the right type of paint; most conventional
paints won't meet the requirements found specifically in bathrooms. But it's
also important to take the conditions in the bathroom into account when
preparing your project and when painting. We'll explain how to paint your bathroom step
by step.
Silicate paint
Silicate paint for your bathroom is a great choice because it has a high pH value – which mold doesn't like at all. However, it can be difficult to work with because the pH value makes the paint corrosive in liquid form. Because of this, it is only available in selected specialist stores, and wearing protective clothing is a must while you paint.
Paint for moisture-prone areas
Many hardware stores and specialist shops offer their own paints for moisture-prone areas, which can have different combinations of components as their base. For example, there are also paints that have fungicides and biocides in them to naturally prevent mold formation. These paints often present the easiest solution for painting your bathroom. However, if you have any allergies, you'll want to make sure the exact composition of the paint won't aggravate them.
Whitewash
A natural lime whitewash, on the other hand, is more allergy-friendly. Like with silicate paint, the high pH value is a clear advantage of using whitewash in the bathroom. However, it isn't particularly durable on many surfaces, and it also isn't scratch-resistant. Several coats are usually needed.
Latex paint
Good arguments for using latex paint to paint your bathroom are its durability and the fact that it can be wiped down. However, it is not 100% waterproof, which means it isn't completely safe from mold and it requires good ventilation on a regular basis. From an aesthetic point of view, the slight shine that even the matte types of latex paint often have should also be taken into account.
Tidy up and cover the ceramics
Anything that is not firmly anchored down in the bathroom should be taken out of the room first. Before you start painting your bathroom, it's also a good idea to remove any light switches or other fittings from the walls, unless this poses too much of a problem. Everything that has to stay in your bathroom, like the sink, toilet and bathtub, should be thoroughly and firmly covered using a drop cloth, for example. Door handles, base boards, and the floor and wall tiles, of course, should also be covered.
Clean the walls (and the ceiling)
To make sure that your bathroom painting project goes cleanly, you first need to make sure that the areas to be painted are clean. Make sure to remove any paint or glue residues, as well as any mold that may be present. Next, you can fill in any uneven areas in the wall with plaster. Then you can wipe the walls free of any dirt or dust if needed. The surface should also be otherwise clean and free of any grease or oil. If needed, you can use a damp cloth to wipe down the walls and then allow them to dry fully before you get started painting the bathroom.
Primer
A primer is recommended before you start applying the actual bathroom paint. This helps to ensure that the paint sticks well to the wall, preventing later peeling or the formation of mold. The primer needs to fully dry before you can start applying your paint color in the bathroom.
1. Paint the bathroom ceiling (if desired)
If you want to paint the ceiling in your bathroom, this should be the first step. Just as with the wall later on, two coats are usually recommended so the final result will have an evenly applied look. The paint is often diluted for the first coat, but not necessarily the second – follow the manufacturer's instructions on the paint can itself. After the first coat, the paint usually needs to be allowed to dry for a few hours before the second coat can be applied. The following coats should then be applied without a break to ensure that the cumulative layers of paint end up evenly applied. It's always best to start painting the edges first and then work your way in toward the center of the bathroom ceiling.
2. Painting crown molding
If your bathroom doesn't already have crown molding, you can paint it into existence – a stripe about one inch high usually works well for a standard room height. If you are using different colors for the ceiling and walls when painting your bathroom, you should paint the crown molding area the same color as the ceiling. This results in a much freer look and makes the room seem larger – and any uneven sections where the ceiling and walls meet will appear straight. Once this crown molding area has been painted, it can then be masked off with painter's tape. This approach means that you don't have to take the exacting step of painting the walls up to the precise edge where they meet the ceiling – and it creates a nice, clean line between the ceiling and the wall.
3. Painting the bathroom walls
The next step is painting the bathroom walls. As with the ceiling, start with the corners and edges, preferably with a brush. Then you can work on larger areas in the center using a wide roller so everything can dry at the same time. You should start painting on the window side of the room and then continue into the room, one wall surface at a time. As with the ceiling, two coats of paint are usually needed in most cases. Here, too, you should fully paint one surface at a time in a single go with no breaks.
4. Allow to dry
Once you've finished painting the bathroom and left it to dry for a few hours, you can remove the drop cloths, tape, etc. and reinstall any light switches and other fittings that were removed before you started. It should be noted, however, that paints for moisture-prone areas often need a while longer to dry completely. Waiting a day or two before you start using the bathroom as usual again is optimal.
