Is There A Special Paint For Bathrooms

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Confused almost which paint to utilize in your home's dampest environment? We asked an good about how to choose the best paint for bathrooms.

Bathrooms are, by definition, dripping wet places that can be a convenance ground for musty mold and mildew. Damp painted surfaces can also be susceptible to peeling and chipping — especially if walls aren't properly prepped and maintained.

When deciding which bath pigment to buy, there are several factors to consider:

Ventilation: Whether or not the bath or shower room is well-ventilated (has a bath fan and/or windows that open up); and
Mold and Mildew: If the bathroom has (or has had) problems with mold or mildew in the past.
Health and the environs: Low-olfactory property, non-VOC latex paints are not only durable, but they're also safer to inhale when moisture.

Adept tip: If your bathroom doesn't already accept 1, install an frazzle fan correct abroad. It'south the first pace in alleviating mold and mildew problems.

What Blazon of Pigment Is Best for Bathrooms?

Bathrooms have their own unique set of challenges when it comes to keeping condensation and fungus growth under control. And, that'due south why choosing the correct paint may require a few extra steps.

When prep work is warranted, doing it right can exist the difference between a mediocre and stellar bathroom pigment projection that volition stand the examination of time. Your efforts on the front end will pay off in the long haul.

"For properly, well-vented bathrooms that accept not exhibited whatsoever type of mold bug in the past," says Vince Christofora, Engineer and hardware store owner. "painting a bath is no dissimilar than any other room."

In that location is a host of different bathroom paint and coatings — in a range of qualities and price points — formulated specifically for use in very boiling environments.

bathroom being remodeled MortonPhotographic/Getty Images

Bathroom Primers

For a majority of paint jobs, priming is the first and most important step. Pros recommend cleaning and lightly sanding walls to de-gloss the surface before priming.

A proficient bathroom primer performs several important functions:

Seals porous surfaces from moisture;
Provides a uniform undercoat for the paint to stick to;
Blocks stains from bleeding through;
Covers nighttime colors.

Expert Tip: In recent years, the paint industry has introduced "paint and primers in one." A vivid idea in theory, in practice the results tin can exist iffy. That's why many manufacturers and professional painters recommend priming surfaces separately — especially if working with bare walls or when going from a dark to a light colour. Christofora likes PPG Gripper. A proven brand of acrylic primer-sealer, this all-purpose production works bully and dries in thirty minutes.

Mold- and Mildew-Resistant Paint

Applying a paint that contains an antimicrobial additive will create a bacterial bulwark to inhibit nasty, odor-causing mucus. A mildew-resistant standout is Perma-White Mold and Mildew Proof Interior Paint by Zinsser. A high-performing water-based formula, Perma-White protects moisture-prone areas and too prevents mold and mildew growth for up to 5 years. And, it's tintable, so y'all tin choose a custom color that matches your style and decor.

Moisture-Repellent Paint

Protect bath walls and ceilings from the inevitable splish and splash with quality moisture-resistant pigment, such as Benjamin Moore Aura Bath and Spa Paint. Aura's high moisture-tolerant matte finish beautifully and finer repels h2o droplets and is highly scrubbable, so if whatsoever mold does appear, you can wipe it abroad earlier information technology takes agree.

Waterproof Pigment Over Tile

Christofora points out that many of his customers opt to paint over tile. Considered a short-term solution rather than a long-term set up, the right primer is absolutely critical in this situation. The primer needs to exist a loftier-bonding primer to adhere to the tile. He recommends using Zinsser BONDZ Maximum Adhesion Primer. It sticks to surfaces that are typically resistant to coatings, creating a stiff bond for whatever topcoat (even solvent-based paint and epoxies).

Perfect for DIYers, water-based epoxy paint, like Rust-Oleum Specialty Tub and Tile Spray Paint, is a heavy-duty h2o-resistant product for use on shower stalls and bath surrounds. Each can of Tub and Tile covers 15-foursquare anxiety in 1 step, leaving behind a shiny, durable and hard finish.

A Word Near Semi-Gloss Paint for Bathrooms

In years gone by, it was common to paint bathrooms with a semi-gloss sheen. This was because semi-gloss paints were thought to be more wet resistant and could exist cleaned/scrubbed easier than flat (matte) surfaces. Today, still, flat, eggshell and satin sheen paints perform just as well against moisture.

Proficient Tip: Once properly cleaned, prepared, and primed, Christofora suggests a elevation-quality interior paint such as PPG's Interior Estate Hall Paint.