6 Elements of a Perfect Bathroom Paint Job

Adequate light and ventilation play a big part in the quality of a bathroom's paint job. Bathrooms take a lot of abuse, thanks to the constant steam from baths and showers. The humidity levels in bathrooms are always rising and falling, so your paint needs to be up to the challenge.

But before you whip out your paintbrush, make sure your walls are adequately prepped. Here you'll find out how you can keep your bathroom's paint looking brand new.

1. Proper ventilation. Make sure your bathroom has proper ventilation. If not, the high levels of humidity can damage your paint. An open window and a ceiling fan or exhaust fan can help clear a room full of steam, removing moisture and drying walls. Try to run your fan for an hour after every shower or bath.

2. Even drywall texture. Work with your contractor to make sure that your drywall has an even texture on all the walls. Paint will often highlight a poor sanding or plaster job. Ask for a level-5 drywall finish to get the best end result.

Tip: Look for a nice, even sheen and no signs of overlap marks or shadows on your finished walls. The walls and ceiling in this bathroom look flawless.


3. Sharp drywall corners. Everyone expects sharp corners on a paint job, but if the drywall corner isn't straight and true, a painter's job is nearly impossible. Instead of forcing your painter to try to hide a poor wall surface, make sure your walls have perfect corners. Paper-faced metal drywall corners (called pro bead corners) create perfect corners every time and add strength to the wall's assembly.

Learn more about working with drywall


4. Durable paint around windows. Bathroom windows take a beating: Blinds go up; windows open and close. Candles, blow dryers and other hot items often lie on top of the ledge. So use a durable semigloss or gloss trim paint that can handle the abuse. If the window will take direct rain and wind, chances are that it'll get wet sooner rather than later, so you may want to use an exterior paint.

Tip: I like bathroom windows to be a little higher up for privacy. However, any bathroom window should be accessible and easy to open by all, or it won't be used.


5. Good natural and fixed lighting. Lighting plays a large role in how bathroom walls and ceilings look. The light levels and shadows in bathrooms are always changing.

If you have a lot of natural light entering your bathroom, you will want to check your space after drywall installation to see how the walls and ceiling look throughout the day.


Natural light cast across a bathroom's ceiling will highlight any flaw. If you use a flatter sheen on the ceilings, it will look much better. The more shine your paint has, the better your wall preparation needs to be.

Tip: When you're painting a large ceiling, it is important to get full coverage. We like to roll paint in one direction (north-south) and then roll it the other way for the next coat.


Wall sconces like these tend to really highlight flaws in a drywall installation, so take extra care if you want this lighting feature.

Tip: Small touch-ups can be done every now and then, and minor imperfections can be fixed after the priming and first coat of paint. Make sure the door and woodwork finishes are inspected in all lighting conditions, too.


Getting the same color you see on a paint chip onto your bathroom walls isn't easy. This is why lighting is so important. Look at this picture: Both walls are painted the same color, but it looks like there's a slightly darker shade in the corner.

Tip: In small bathrooms with little natural light, we often ask paint suppliers to prepare a mix at 75 percent strength for a lighter feel.

For perfect interior color, look to the light


6. Wood paneling. Paneled walls are great for a hardworking bathroom, protecting walls without the hassle of preparing or installing drywall.

Tip: If you have a lot of trim work, ask for a mockup to be made so you can see the difference between hand-brushed and sprayed applications. A hand-brushed application will probably cost you more, but I prefer its look.

URL: 6 Elements of a Perfect Bathroom Paint Job http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-18429.html