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Choosing The Right Bathroom Paint
Painting is the best way to add style and colour to your bathroom. Although there are other options, such as tiles or wallpaper, painting a small wall is easy and relatively inexpensive. It also allows you more freedom when decorating your bathroom because you don’t have to worry about matching colours with tiles or wallpaper patterns.
If you’ve ever stayed in a hotel or motel, the best colour scheme to use is something bright and bold; one of those Caribbean-type colours. Many people don’t realise it, but these paints aren’t just fun to look at. They also make a room feel bigger and brighter than dark colours would. In this article, we’ll highlight some great tips to help you paint your bathroom as well as decide what type of paint to use.
Why Paint Your Bathroom?
It’s Cheap
Painting your bathroom is much cheaper than replacing everything in it. If you do the work yourself, it only costs about $50 in paint supplies or even less if you’re using leftover paint from another room. However, using a professional is more effective.
It’s Appealing
Painting your bathroom isn’t just easy on the wallet; it’s also easy on the eyes. You can choose anything from pastels to neons to rich jewel tones to paint your bathroom. Any other colour of those palettes goes great with marble countertops and tile floors. This is another good reason you may have to leave the floor and counters alone.
It’s Quick
Unless you’re painting a mural on your wall, this is the kind of project that won’t take all day. If you’re using a roller or brush, add about 15 minutes for dry time. After that, it only takes about an hour to do each coat.
It’s Fun
Painting your bathroom is also an enjoyable experience! You can either invite friends to help or play music while you work. There are few things more therapeutic than knowing that every minute spent scrubbing paint off your skin is another minute closer to enjoying what you’ve made.
Bathroom Paint Options
In general, there are two categories of paint available: oil-based masonry paints and acrylic emulsion. Professional organisations have approved both as being safe for bathrooms. Also, you can use new latex interior paints from your local home improvement store if you want to repaint or aren’t happy with the results. Although it will not work as well as either of the other two, it’s best to use one of those if you can afford them.
Masonry paint has a high resistance to water and mould, but the smell is quite strong. It can cause headaches and nausea after a while if you’re in the room for too long. Some people are allergic to the paint itself; you can consider other bathroom remodelling options if that’s an issue. However, it is easier to clean than acrylic emulsion paint when there are spills or accidents because masonry paints don’t dissolve in water. You only need to wipe them away with a damp cloth.
No other cleaners are necessary unless they have oil in them, which will leave stains on top of the paint. Acrylic emulsion paints also won’t dissolve in water. However, they require special cleaners. So, if you accidentally put a cleaner on the walls, it will dissolve right through the paint and damage the wall underneath.
There should be no risk to either type of paint if done correctly. However, both require special attention during installation and clean-up to ensure that they don’t damage the room or cause future problems.
What To Consider When Choosing Bathroom Paint
Durability
The paint you choose should be durable for your bathroom. It should not crack or peel in the bathroom’s humid environment. If you want to use shiny paint, it is recommended that you also choose a primer to make surfaces smooth and make the paint stay longer.
Woodwork
If there are parts in your bathroom with woodwork, consider choosing appropriate paint for these surfaces if they are painted in oil-based enamel or varnish. You might also want to opt for a matte finish to increase durability.
Colour Variety
Today, bathrooms come in different colours, depending on their design and style. So, when choosing paint, consider getting one that has matching colours against the current colour theme of your bathroom. You can check out the list of bathroom colours from a reputable company to inspire you on your colour choices. If you have no clue where to get bathroom paint, Benjamin Moore’s paints are an excellent option.
Stain Resistance
Bathrooms can often expose stains on the walls and ceilings, just like kitchens. For bathrooms, it is recommended that you consider choosing paints that are impervious to liquids such as water, oil, and alcohol. These paints have ingredients that repel liquids from surfaces, not leaving any marks when splashed up against them.
Environmental Safety
You should also ensure that your chosen paint has low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. This will provide a healthier environment for everyone, especially in a shared bathroom where children spend a lot of time in these spaces.
Top 5 Bathroom Paints
Everybody wants to make their bathroom look nice, but often this is the hardest room in the house to decorate. It’s also probably the most expensive! So, what can you do? Paint, of course! Painting your bathroom is easy and can make a huge difference in how it looks.
Bathroom paints work well for bathrooms because they all have great qualities that help them withstand moisture and humidity. There are different types of paint, but here are five common bathroom paints:
White Paint
This is a popular choice for painting bathrooms. Most people think, “Well, I need white, so my walls aren’t bare.” But if you want a bright room, don’t limit yourself to just white. The trick with choosing this type of paint is finding an off-white or cream colour rather than solid white. This will keep the room looking bright.
Grey Paint
Grey paint is the new black, and it is an excellent colour for bathrooms because of its calming effect. When you’re constantly on until 4 am at your latest, bringing some calm into that space can do you wonders. And grey works well with most other colours, so if you’re considering changing up your bathroom decor anytime soon, you can quickly try out anything from turquoise to yellow, and it’ll look good with grey.
Green Paint
If there is one place that needs to be lively, it’s the bathroom. Green is another fun colour that gives the space some character and makes it stand out.
Seafoam Paint
Seafoam paint is another perfect type of bathroom paint. Think of mint green but slightly more muted, so it isn’t too bright or eye-catching. It looks great when paired with white, grey, or even brown accessories. Another favourite thing about seafoam paint is how versatile it is! It goes beautifully with anything blue, green, yellow, or red.
Coral Paint
We know what you’re thinking, “Coral paint in a bathroom? That’s weird!” But don’t worry, it works well! Coral is very popular in home decor right now, and there is no doubt about that because it’s such a fun colour. The great thing about coral paint for bathrooms is that it looks good with pretty much everything — blues, neutrals, or greens.
Bathroom Painting Tips
- When deciding what type of paint would be best for your bathroom, go for an oil-based paint or one that’s specifically designed for bathrooms. If you choose latex paint, it will take around three coats to ensure the colour doesn’t fade in sunlight. It is also worth considering more than one colour on the walls.
- If you want to add colour on top of the primer, make sure to paint two coats on the walls and three coats on the ceiling (since it’s easy for paint on a bathroom ceiling to chip or peel off). To make your job easier, be sure to apply the first coat with a roller brush and follow up by using a trim brush around doors and windows. Use an extra-thick foam brush if you’re also painting either the floor or bathtub.
- Keep in mind that even if you opt for just one colour, there will more than likely still be some texture of wallpaper showing through after applying one coat. It takes approximately three layers before all traces of wallpaper disappear. So, if this isn’t something you’re willing to wait for, you’ll have to choose a different painting technique.
- If it’s an old bathroom with tile walls and floors, then you may need to rip out some of the tiles before getting started unless you want the hassle of having to match up the grout. You should also paint around any features such as towel holders or fixtures; otherwise, there might be a chance for damage due to overspray.
- If your home has dated wallpaper borders running along the floor and ceiling, remove them first before applying paint so they don’t get ruined by being painted over.
- Ensure there are no electrical outlets or light switches on the walls where paint could splash up. After painting, ensure that you sand down any rough edges so that there aren’t any sharp spots that could cause an accident.
- Seal around door frames, baseboards, and floorboards on all walls.
- Paint the walls with a material resistant to water and mould so that moisture, humidity, and condensation don’t build up on the bathroom wall, causing any damage.
Get Painting Your Bathroom!
What are you waiting for? Go ahead and pick up some of this magic in a can for your bathroom. You will always enjoy the outcome of the fantastic decor. Painting your bathroom is just one step in the bathroom renovation process. For more advice and help with uplifting your bathroom, consult a professional bathroom designer.