Hadlock Paints: Rochester's #1 Paint Store

Thursday, November 30, 2017

A Quick Blog on Painting Bathrooms

I've come upon many questions on this topic lately. Some customers have been having problems with painting the bathroom, or they are unsure of what do use in this location. Because of the special conditions with moisture and humidity in bathroom, it can sometimes be confusing what paint to use. Is it OK to use the same paint that you would in a bedroom or living room? Or do you have to use a special paint? Is there an additive you can add to paints for help with the issues? These are just a few of the questions that may come up when tackling a bathroom job.

There are a few special paints for bathrooms that work really well. We have a Kitchen and Bath Satin finish paint that holds up well to high moisture conditions. It does have a decent sheen, but not quite as much as a semi-gloss. If you want something with slightly less sheen then our Pearl finish is also a good choice. We don't usually recommend an Eggshell finish but it isn't out of the question. It may work well if you have a separate bath area away from the shower, but keep in mind that the eggshell is washable, but not as scrubbable  as a pearl, satin or semi-gloss finish. If you do you an eggshell, it's always best to have a really good ventilation fan in your bath. For those of you who prefer a very low flat sheen, Benjamin Moore came our with a Bath and Spa Matte finish a few years ago, which is scrubbable, moisture resistant, and also fights off those drip marks that can sometimes happen to low sheen paints in high moisture areas. 

For ceilings, the Bath and Spa Matte is a great choice, however it may be a little pricey for a ceiling paint. You could use the same paint as the walls, but most people do not like to have those higher sheens on ceilings. It's not recommended using a regular ceiling paint however, so don't make that mistake. They just aren't formulated to deal with the high humidity and you may have cracking, peeling, or mildew issues if you use one. We have a paint by Zinsser called Perma-White, that is a mold and mildew resistant paint perfect for bathroom areas. It also comes in an eggshell finish, which may be a good choice for your bathroom ceiling. 

When it comes to paint additives, we do offer a mildewcide additive, but most bathroom paints have one built in, and the additive is usually only necessary for problem bathrooms that experience an unusually high amount of mold and mildew or have a poor circulating fan. 

With the holidays approaching, smaller jobs such as bathrooms are very popular to attack. It is one of the highest traffic areas in the home, especially if you have lots of guests coming over. So just remember that correct product selection is very important in the bathroom and if you do it right, you can save yourself a lot of time and eliminate problems that could occur in the future. We are more than happy to answer any questions you might have about painting your bathroom. It's a great place to start if you're a novice because there usually isn't much wall space. But its more than important to use the right products here... happy painting!!

Todd

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