What paint to use in a bathroom

Bathroom Paint

Bathroom shops, small local stores, and huge home improvement retailers can help you choose paints. Whether you need it for the kitchen or bathroom, they will have paint for everything from walls to sink faucets. With this guide, you won't get lost in the paint section when buying supplies for a bathroom makeover or renovation.

A glossy, semi-gloss, satin, or semi-gloss with a mildew-resistant ingredient (typically used for pest control) is ideal for bathroom paint. Your preferred paint should typically be durable. However, there are solutions for those who like a matte or flat appearance. Also, remember to clean and prime walls before painting for optimal results.

Types Of Paint For The Bathroom

Matte, latte, and eggshell

Since soft paints are susceptible to mildew in high humidity, experts typically advise avoiding flat, matte, and eggshell treatments as bathroom paints. Additionally, they are not as easy to clean, an essential characteristic of bathroom walls.

However, matte walls give a smooth and shiny room a luxurious, sophisticated look by adding a delicate dimension. Fortunately, paint technology has advanced significantly during the past few years.

There are matte, flat, and eggshell paints created to withstand mildew and facilitate cleaning. After this paint has dried, you can wipe the bathroom walls with detergent, water, and a soft towel.

Satin

Satin paint falls between gloss and eggshell. It creates a light protective layer more superficial to clean than paints with no shine. Satin paint is an excellent option for your bathroom if you like a smoother surface that still keeps the many advantages of a gloss finish.

Semi-gloss

Semi-gloss is one of the most adaptable paint finishes since it is simple to maintain and water-resistant, making it an ideal option paint for bathroom walls and trim. You may also apply a semi-gloss finish to your bathroom cabinets.

Primer

Utilise a primer to ensure the paint adheres to the wall and prevents flaking. Sticky primers with mildewcides will provide lasting protection for your walls. A good primer is crucial if you desire low-sheen or no-sheen paint in the bathroom.

Considerations When Choosing Bathroom Paint

Ease of cleaning the wall

Due to moisture, the walls of bathrooms often develop brown stains that resemble dripping water. It's unattractive. You must choose a paint that is easy to wash.

• Avoid flat finishes in the bathroom because they absorb water and are difficult to clean.
• When using flat paints, limit their use to seldom-used, out-of-the-way sections of your house.
• Eggshell finishes are easier to clean but not ideal for moist environments.
• Satin finishes are overly glossy and are primarily appropriate for use in powder rooms or other low-moisture bathrooms.
• Semi-gloss finishes are easy to clean and repel moisture well.
• Glossy finishes are excellent at inhibiting moisture and are simple to clean. However, it does not always look good on large surfaces like walls. You should use a glossy finish on the bathroom cabinets and trim, while you should use semi-gloss for the walls.

Moisture

Moisture is unavoidable in a bathroom and can be problematic for painted walls. Even if you are extremely careful not to splash any water on the painted walls, vapour from the bath or shower will still leave extra water on the walls.

Primer

Before painting, apply a moisture-resistant primer to the walls and ceiling to prevent peeling. This small but significant step will keep you from having to fix things all the time in the future.

Additives

Manufacturers have been developing paints that you can use in any house space, including moist bathrooms. They accomplish this by incorporating additives that make the paint more durable and resistant to moisture. Mould is resistant to antimicrobial additives, for example.

When using paint containing moisture-resistant additives, you are less reliant on the finish. Some matte finishes, like Benjamin Moore's Spa Matte Finish, can withstand a lot of moisture.

Colour

The paint colours you decide to use for your house walls significantly impact your mood and the general environment of the space. This is explicitly true in the bathroom, where a suitable colour scheme can transform the space into an area full of ambiance.

So, how then do you choose the best paint colours for your bathroom? There are strategies for doing so. Regardless of whether you're doing a complete renovation or just looking to refresh the space, there are facts you need to know to select the best bathroom paint colour combination.

Here are some popular bathroom paint colours to help you narrow your choices:

White

It is challenging to go wrong with white paint. Choose a bright shade to counterbalance the darkening effects of artificial light, and add texture with wood or brass accents for a genuinely classic appearance. Just be careful to keep the wall and ceiling trim the same colour, so it doesn't appear as if you attempted to match the whites but failed.

Powder blue

You cannot discuss paint colours for bathrooms without discussing powder blue. While this colour has been popular for decades, you can quickly bring it into the twenty-first century by incorporating a hint of grey.

Blush

This timeless colour is both graceful and daring, providing instant comfort. Combine with black and white elements for a thoroughly modern look that isn't overpowering.

Navy

Using dark bathroom paint colours is possible, but there are a few restrictions. Deep hues such as navy work best in bathrooms with natural light and white accessories but can be overwhelming in grey bathrooms. If you have the light, though, go for it, and while you're at it, install brass cabinet knobs to transform the appearance of the entire space.

Sage

This blue-green-grey mixture is an excellent way to add colour to your room. If you're worried about going overboard, use a lighter shade of this farmhouse-inspired hue for a beautiful, understated take on the trend.

Greige

Another contender on the grey scale is greige, which complements both light and dark floors and adds a hint of creaminess for a warmer, cosier atmosphere.

Warm grey

Warm grey is almost always a winning colour choice. This great neutral can improve and update any room, and it goes well with most colours, so it's easy to match it to the other things in your bathroom.

Choosing A Colour For Your Bathroom Paint

When choosing bathroom paint colours, keep these things in mind to make sure you make the best choice:

Room size

It is essential to factor in the size of a bathroom when selecting paint colours, as a bright or daring hue may look fine in a powder room but gaudy in the master. Similarly, it can make an overly spacious bathroom cosier by painting the ceiling darker than the walls.

In either instance, room size will assist you in making paint options that address how you want the finished room to look and how you want it to feel.

Flooring

Since you probably won't want to replace your flooring to match your walls, you should select a wall colour that complements your existing flooring. If you have white or grey tiles, this shouldn't be too tough, but if you have a non-traditional floor colour, your choices will be more restricted.

Overall colour scheme

Aside from flooring, there are a few other bathroom elements that are difficult to replace or alter, such as your vanity and cabinets (though if it's simply your cabinets that don't match your colour scheme, you can consider painting them as well).

Keep your entire colour scheme in mind when browsing bathroom paint colours, and be mindful not to clash with the room's other primary focal points accidentally.

Lighting

The same colour can appear very different in natural versus artificial light, so your preference of wall colour for the bathroom will depend on whether or not it has a window. Before committing to a specific colour, bring a paint swatch home and hold it up to the wall to determine how it will look in your space.

General Bathroom Painting Tips To Consider

Confirm you have the appropriate materials

This is not so much a handy hint as a requirement for a successful project. Bathroom painting materials are more comprehensive than those required for expansive spaces.

As discussed previously, the bathroom features significantly smaller and more confined rooms. These areas will call for smaller brushes and a more delicate touch. Then you have toilet, sink, shower, and taps that must be moved or painted around.

Below is a list of typical bathroom painting supplies:

• Paint roller with roller cover
• Paint brushes
• The 2-inch (5cm) window sash brush
• A paint palette and liner
• Tape and plastic sheeting for the painting
• Different screwdrivers
• Paint primer
• Paint

Examine samples before starting

After ensuring you have the necessary materials, you are not yet prepared to open the paint can. You must devote considerable time to selecting the perfect bathroom paint colour. This little room is not intended to be repainted annually, so you should choose a colour you will enjoy for a while.

You don't want to paint a wall with a colour you later dislike. Try out various hues on the bathroom wall. If you have a colour in mind, test a few different shades to determine which works best in your area and with the lighting in your bathroom.

Does the hue complement your furnishings? Does it calm you down or overwhelm you? Try out a couple of shades and then decide!

Scrub every surface

As with any painting project, you must ensure that the paint is applied to a clean surface to prevent peeling, chipping, and deterioration. This is explicitly true in the bathroom, where walls can become quite filthy.

If you do not remove this now, it will eventually come off and take the fresh paint with it. Choose cleaning products that are environmentally safe and won't hurt the air quality inside.

This will give you a clean, safe place to paint. In addition, now is the time to patch any holes or cracks in the wall and sand them down. Ensure that, after sanding, you also clean the affected areas!

Remove all equipment

Remove all the equipment from the space after cleaning and clearing all the dirt and filth from the walls. This includes outlet covers, light switch plates, mirrors, towel racks, and other easily removable items. Wall hangings, bookcases, and window treatments should all be taken down to make more room for the project.

In a broader implication, you will also need to determine whether to remove the toilet from the bathroom. The painting behind and around the toilet and toilet tank is one of the most challenging components of painting a bathroom. Since the space between the tank and the wall is so tight, it is usually simpler to eliminate the obstruction from your working area.

If you cannot remove your toilet, you can still paint behind and around it. You may need to spend additional time prepping by wrapping the bathroom and sealing the base. For the region behind the bathroom, you should use a smaller roller or paintbrush, preferably one with a long, thin handle. With smaller tools, you can reach where you need to with minimal additional effort.

Mask off any areas that you will not paint

Masking is a standard painting note but particularly useful in bathrooms. As previously stated, your bathroom is likely considerably smaller than other rooms in your home, and there is often much more to paint around.

Cover anything you cannot remove from the walls with tape. Tape the bathtub, the sink, and any other immovable surfaces. Suppose the ceiling is not painted; tape around the ceiling to ensure clean lines.

What is the ideal paint for a bathroom ceiling?

Your bathroom ceiling also requires a fresh coat of paint. Even though you might be overly tempted to use a quick and cheap layer of flat white, the best bathroom ceiling paint is one that doesn't get wet or accumulate mildew. Select a satin or semi-gloss paint finish for the ceiling of your bathroom.

You can choose the satin finish if you don't want to pay too much attention to the ceiling in a half-bathroom with minimal high humidity. However, if you enjoy steamy showers and have a humid bathroom, you should choose a semi-gloss finish that is longer-lasting and resistant to moisture.

In this damp part of the house, condensation often leaves wet spots on the ceiling, and semi-gloss paint works better to stop mildew and mould from growing.

Expert Painters For Bathroom Renovations

Bathroom renovations are one of the most ambitious home renovation projects you will ever undertake. It requires much planning and expert delivery to get a good result. Painting as a component of home improvement also involves some level of professionalism to achieve a good result.

While applying exterior paint might be a lot easier, interior paint requires a professional's involvement in paint type selection, colour, and aesthetics, especially for particular areas such as bathrooms. So, next time you need to paint your bathroom, kindly get across to a professional painter or home improvement specialist.