The Best Type of Paint for Bathrooms
Best paint for humid bathroom
A new coat of paint will improve your bathroom. With the proper color and paint finish, you can transform your bathroom into anything you desire, whether you want to create a tranquil spa experience or a vibrant environment to start your day.
Remember to account for the potential moist and occasionally humid conditions when preparing to paint your bathroom. The paint you select must be able to withstand these circumstances and resist mildew growth—a typical issue in bathrooms—because hot showers and sink splashes can cause moisture on the walls.
Best Paint For Humid Bathroom | Oil Paint vs. Latex Paint
Choose a water-based latex paint if you want the best kind of paint for your bathroom. While oil paint has a reputation for being long-lasting and resistant to cleaning, attributes that are crucial in bathroom paint, it also dries slowly between coats, emits a lot of volatile organic compounds, and needs mineral spirits for cleanup (VOCs). Additionally, oil paint has a potential of fading over time, especially under dim lighting.
Bathrooms are a better fit for latex paint, and many modern formulations offer significantly enhanced durability and moisture resistance. Just make sure you get a washable water-based latex paint if you decide to go that route. Since these paints often contain more tightly packed molecules that prevent water from penetrating them, you can scrub away stains and debris without being concerned that moisture from your cleaning efforts would damage your paint.
Do yourself a favor and choose easier-to-use, quicker-drying latex paint when remodeling a bathroom. Using a low VOC paint can help you breathe easier in the compact space and make it easy to clean up spills and brushes with water.
Choosing the appropriate bathroom paint finish is essential to the success of your painting endeavor. The paint’s finish, or how shiny it is, may appear to be merely an aesthetic choice, but it actually affects how long-lasting and mold-resistant your bathroom walls will be.
More pigment particles and fewer resin and binders are included in flat paints. These paints have a deep color and a matte finish as a result, but they are more susceptible to moisture intrusion. In addition, flat paint walls are difficult to clean without compromising the finish and don’t hold up to scrubbing. It is advised to avoid using flat finish paint in bathrooms due to these factors.
The exception would be a paint designed exclusively for bathrooms. In the more humid conditions of a bathroom, you might be able to get away with a flat finish if you choose one of these mildew-resistant and more long-lasting paints. Except if you have your heart set on a flat finish paint for the bathroom, we wouldn’t recommend these paints above standard latex paint because they are typically more expensive.
Semi-gloss or gloss paint is the ideal finish for a bathroom. Semi-gloss paint is shiny and cleans up easily, but it can draw attention to flaws in your walls. The paint will be able to resist absorbing additional moisture that promotes the growth of mildew with either option by having a finish with some shine.
In comparison to flat paint, semi-gloss paint contains more resin and binders, and a glossy finish increases the resin content even further. As a result, the molecular structure of these paint formulations is extremely tight. For two reasons, this is crucial when painting a bathroom:
Water will be repelled by the paint. A wall painted with semi-gloss or glossy paint is more likely to see moisture evaporate away rather than absorbing it and allowing it to collect and grow into mildew and mold.
Cleaning and scrubbing work better with the more robust mix. You undoubtedly enjoy keeping your bathroom tidy. A glossy or semi-gloss paint finish will endure your attempts to sterilize and clean your bathroom with minimal damage to the paint.
Best Paint for Bathroom Ceilings
Cleaning and scrubbing work better with the more robust mix. You undoubtedly enjoy keeping your bathroom tidy. A glossy or semi-gloss paint finish will endure your attempts to sterilize and clean your bathroom with minimal damage to the paint.
But if your bathroom is damp and you enjoy taking steamy showers, you should choose a more robust, moisture-resistant semi-gloss finish. Semi-gloss paint is better at stopping the formation of mildew and mold since moisture condensing in this humid area of the house frequently results in water spots on the ceiling.
The standard approach is to scrape the mildew from the walls and ceiling with a bleach and water solution. During this process, make sure you are wearing a respirator, gloves, and that the space is well-ventilated. Before applying paint, use a high-quality mildew-resistant primer, like Zinsser Mold Killing Primer.
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