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Choosing The Right Paint For Your Bathroom
Your bathroom is more than likely one of the most important places in your home. Think of it as the next best place after your bedroom. So many people resign into the comfort and luxury their bathrooms can provide for them. So, even if you cannot deck up your bathroom with the latest and most expensive fixtures, you can make it look and feel very good by using the correct paint.
If you can paint your bathroom in the right way, you may see for yourself that it is most likely one of the best investments you could ever make in your home. Painting your bathroom the best way you can is indeed necessary because it will go a long way in preventing moisture from forming on the walls. Some fixtures can help prevent water from gathering on paint finishes.
Some of which include ceiling heaters, fans, watertight shower curtains/doors, shower/tub tile surrounds, and backsplashes. However, in reality, stopping moisture from gathering on your bathroom wall is impossible. It is therefore essential to guarantee that your room has good ventilation.
One good tip you can follow is to leave a window open in your bathroom if you do not have an exhaust fan present. That way, you will reduce humidity and moisture, discouraging the growth of mould and mildew that love damp and enclosed spaces where there is little to no ventilation.
Qualities Of Good Paints For Bathrooms
There are copious different types of paints on the market. The ones that are well suited for painting bathrooms have specific vital characteristics which you need to know. It is therefore essential to be on the lookout for these qualities, as having them will help ensure that you enjoy the benefits of painting your bathroom.
Mildew Resistance
Bathroom paints contain some anti-microbial additives that offer resistance to mildew or mould growth on bathroom walls. The paint may not prevent this completely, but it will go a long way in doing so.
Washable Finish
Oftentimes, it may be necessary to give your bathroom walls a good wipe-down or some scrubbing. Bathroom paints need to be more rigid and more resilient than the other types of paint used in the home's interior.
Tight Structure
Some paints are manufactured to have a tighter structure, which gives them the attribute of generating a lower-gloss sheen. It can also perform equally well as a higher-gloss paint where the environment is high in moisture.
But Why Are Bathrooms Hard On Paint?
We use water in the bathroom, as such, we should expect that the walls and the floor will be wet. With this in mind, consideration should be given to moisture when providing a fresh coat of paint to the bathroom walls.
Moisture can affect bathroom walls in two different ways. Damp air will inevitably gather on the walls whenever you have steamy baths and showers. In the same way, water can directly contact the walls when it is splashed from the shower, sink, or bath.
Moisture very easily damages paint when it penetrates through the paint layer and eventually with the plaster surface or the drywall that is beneath. When this happens, it can cause the paint to peel off and mould to start growing. The more you make the paint coating impregnable, the less moisture that eventually gets through.
The Way Paints Resist Moisture
One of the most lucrative ways to combat bathroom moisture before mildew develops is by exploiting mildew-resistant properties included in paints. Using glossy paint is an example of a measure you can take to prevent mildew.
The more the gloss used, the better the performance of the paint finish that is observed in the bathroom. Older bathrooms usually have high-gloss finishes on their wall surfaces. High-gloss paints cannot prevent mildew growth, but they can make wiping away the drippy, brown stains traditionally seen in bathrooms easy.
What To Look For When Choosing Bathroom Paint
Paint for the bathroom is a specially formulated paint that is designed for bathrooms and has mildew-inhibiting properties. Although those interested in using such paints should be aware, they are highly-priced over ordinary latex-acrylic interior paints. This means that they are about twice the cost of latex-acrylic paint.
There are various alternatives to choose from, and you may have a tough time deciding which ones are suitable for your needs. The following should guide you in choosing the right paint.
Flat
For smooth matte finishes, there probably cannot be a better choice of paint. These are also the paints you need in low-traffic areas where the coats cannot be scuffed easily. It can be used for most rooms, but it is an ideal choice for your bathroom or kitchen because of its property for absorbing moisture.
Eggshell
The paint has satin with a dash of gloss and can be put to great use in areas with overly high moisture, such as the bathroom.
Semi-Gloss / High-Gloss
This type of paint works pretty well in the bathroom as its gloss can repel moisture very well. One downside that makes people not want to consider using it is gloss over large surface walls doesn't look great. It can serve well over smaller surfaces such as trim, cabinets, windows, etc.
Usually, it would not be necessary to buy specialty paint that can inhibit the growth of mould/mildew. If you can always keep your bathroom waterproofed and well-ventilated, you will avert the need for such paint. A modern paint such as acrylic eggshell or satin finish paint is good enough for most bathrooms.
Why Your Choice Of Bathroom Paint Is Important
A bathroom renovation can open you up to a world of several mistakes, but you don't have to allow the wall paint you choose to be one of them. There are many options as far as the choice of wall paint for your hue, brand, and finish are concerned. The paint finish may be seen as the most important of all of them. The reason is only a few rooms can compare with the bathroom when it comes to dampness. Generally, people believe that shiny finishes are easy to clean and moisture resistant.
As a result, they think that mould and mildew cannot quickly grow on walls with flat finishes. Paints that give shinier finishes are a better choice for you to use on your bathroom wall, which is a space that is well-known for its exposure to large amounts of moisture. According to consumer reports, what is recommended for actual paint finishes is either satin or semi-gloss paint.
The argument for satin is that it is more durable and gives a shinier coat than eggshell and is just suitable for a bathroom. It is also relatively easy to clean compared to other coats of paint. Since many satin finishes offer tough coats, you can use them on walls and ceilings and for trims as well.
You need to understand that if you choose not to make use of satin or semi-gloss finish on your bathroom walls, you may find yourself overwhelmed with the responsibility of tougher cleaning tasks in the future. Unfortunately, this may also include confronting mould growth on your walls.
Before bringing out your paintbrushes, it is necessary for you to clean bathroom walls so that you have a debris-free and clean surface to work with. Ensure that every trace of mildew is removed with bleach solution and water.
Satin Or Sheen, How Do They Compare?
Both satin and sheen are reflective, although you may find that sheen is a little more reflective than satin. They both also create durable, shiny, and easier to clean surfaces. When either of them is used, the imperfections in the walls and trim are easily seen. You may find them in latex and oil-based forms and be available as little or no volatile organic compounds.
Since imperfections are revealed when used, both of them will require you to do some prep work, such as sanding out all rough areas. You may have to give two coats before you get a rich layer on the wall. It may appear slightly darker when you compare the same colour in sheen with satin.
Bathroom Paint Compared To Standard Paint
Bathroom paints have been seen at the high end of interior paints, and this does not even include overpriced designer types. You may have to pay the same amount or a little more than that of standard premium paint. You can expect to pay anything from $50 to $60 per gallon of paint.
The good thing is, you can always get high-quality paint that has additives in it to make the coat you give your bathroom wall last for a long time. Unless you have a huge bathroom, small to medium-sized bathrooms will not require more than a gallon for two coats of paint.
However, if you don’t want a low-sheen paint for your bathroom wall, a good-quality satin, semi-gloss, or high-gloss standard paint that contains the necessary anti-microbial additives will be fine for you to use. If you use this type of paint, an advantage for you is that your bathroom walls will have a highly washable finish.
Consult Experts For Paint To Use In Your Bathroom
It may not be an easy journey to go all by yourself, especially if you are not familiar with the required tools you will need and the places you can get the required types of paints. Painting your bathroom is another opportunity to either make a mistake in renovating your home or get things right.
You can access loads of information on the internet that can help you in making some decisions. However, you can call on professionals that can take the trouble off your hands and provide you with the correct paints you need and a top-notch painting service.
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