What to Know Before Painting Your Bathroom
Whether you’re going the DIY route or contracting a professional remodeling company, it’s important to know the proper steps for painting your bathroom. You might not have initially put much thought into the paint, as the plumbing and tiling take priority in your mind. However, it’s a factor that requires thought and care, as you can’t just slap some paint on the wall and call it done.
Use Bathroom Paint
Bathrooms are naturally one of the wettest rooms in your house due to the steam from the bath and shower, as well as water from the sink and toilet. And while Massachusetts building codes require fans to be installed in bathrooms, some moisture will be present regardless.
That’s why you can’t use just any old house paint. What you need are paints with specific properties that are good for bathrooms. These include:
Mildew-Inhibiting Properties
Mold and mildew are major problems for bathroom walls and ceilings, so you want a paint with mold-inhibiting properties and repels moisture. Paints with a glossy finish generally tend to repel moisture and mildew growth better than matte finishes.
Washability
Because moisture and mildew can cling to the bathroom walls, you may need to wipe them down or scrub them once in a while. Because of this, you want a paint that’s tougher than normal interior paint. You can generally find this with latex paints, as they have a tighter molecular structure than other interior paints, so you can scrub away stains and residue without damaging the paint.
Less Toxic
Bathrooms are, generally, quite small rooms. Yes, you’ll have installed ventilation, but that doesn’t always make painting the bathroom easier when you’re directly breathing in fumes. So going for low VOC latex paint will make the actual painting job easier on your nose and lungs.
Clean the Walls Before Painting
Before you begin painting, you want to make sure that all of your surfaces are clean. This is crucial, as soap scum and other substances embedded in the walls can result in your paint not adhering. And even if it does stick, it can cause your paint to peel off once you begin using the bath and shower.
To avoid this disaster, clean the walls with Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) before painting. It will clean the gunk off the walls and won’t compromise the paint job, so it’s ideal for bathroom pre-painting.
Paint Before Installing the Toilet
If you’re doing a full bathroom remodel, you’ve likely had to remove the toilet or are getting a new one installed. Well, don’t put it in just yet!
Toilets are extremely tricky to paint behind, as they’re usually no more than two inches away from the wall. Even with a long, thin brush, it will be hard to paint this gap cleanly and evenly. This could result in spots without the protective layer of paint that keeps mold and mildew from taking hold. That’s why it’s crucial to apply your paint either before you install the toilet, or have the toilet removed for a day or two while you paint.
Painting your bathroom isn’t hard, but it’s a job that requires consideration before beginning. Add it to your remodeling to-do list to discuss when you contact our expert contractors.
