Painting your bathroom is a high-value project. Not only will it make you bathroom look better, it will increase the resale value of your home. When improvements are made to the bathroom, even just with paint, it yields a high return on investment making a worthwhile project. Bathrooms are small, water-prone and get lots of traffic and because of this the bathroom can be an experience unlike any other room in the house. When it comes to painting your bathroom, there is little margin for error so you really need to know your paint. Keep the following tips in mind to save yourself a major headache.

Bathroom Painting Tips

• Using the bathroom during the painting process is not a good idea. While this seems like a no brainer, you will need to make some plans if it’s the only bathroom you have. Moisture that is produced in the bathroom will make it very hard for paint to dry efficiently. Your bathroom needs lots of time to dry before you start to paint. After the last shower is complete leave the fan on and the door and window open. This allows plenty of time for the air to circulate and all residual surface dampness to clear out.
• Level of gloss is important. There are different levels of paint sheen from flat to high-gloss. As the sheen progresses so will the level of shine and durability. Choosing higher-gloss paint is less forgiving of any surface imperfections. If you go with high-gloss you’ll need to spend lots of time prepping the walls and applying primer. The best sheen levels for bathrooms are eggshell or semi-gloss because they will stand up to the high levels of moisture.
• Think about the color you’re going to use. Don’t go too dark when choosing the paint color. This doesn’t mean you need to have a white bathroom but if you go with colors that are too dark then the bathroom may feel claustrophobic.
• Mold/mildew resistance. The smaller your bathroom is the more saturated with steam it will be and on a regular basis. Look for paint that will inhibit the growth of mold and mildew. These paints provide a nice layer of protection and give you some peace of mind in avoiding possible problems in the future.
• Don’t rush. This is good to remember with any painting project. If you don’t allow each coat to dry completely the job won’t look good. Mostly dry isn’t good enough-it needs to be completely dry. After you have applied the final coat of paint don’t use the bathroom until the walls are fully dry. You might be tempted to have a nice long hot shower after a couple of hours but you really need to wait for at least a day or two. The paint needs to go beyond drying to the touch, it needs to cure and the curing process takes time. If you can wait you’ll be rewarded with a new bathroom without paint that is streaky.

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If you want to avoid mistakes that come with painting a bathroom then contact the professionals at L.W. Winslow Painting, Inc. We have experts that can provide insight into the right paint to use and how to take care of it. Give us a call today.