Painting the walls in the bathroom: features of this type of finish, the subtleties of the technological process, the correct choice of paint and varnish materials and equipment, color options to create the most comfortable interior of the room. In addition, high-quality paint on the walls of the bathroom, when applied correctly, ensures that the room will meet sanitary and hygienic standards, as well as provide ease of cleaning, a certain moisture insulation.
In addition to the many advantages of using coloring compositions, there are also negative factors that are taken into account when choosing a finish for the bathroom walls:
- A small room with a weak ventilation system always leads to the formation of condensation, which destroys the structure of the paint and varnish material, thereby reducing its service life.
- There is no desire and time for frequent cleaning: painted walls must be wiped after each bath.
- There is a high risk of damage to the coating with sharp objects: the finish will lose its attractive appearance, and the space between the wall and the paint layer will become a place for moisture to accumulate.
In addition, it should be noted that the walls of the bathroom must be perfectly flat for painting. This is not easy to achieve, and you will have to work a lot on high-quality putty and grout.
Types of paints for painting walls in the bathroom
In recent years, the building materials market has been pleasing with a wide range of paints and varnishes. All coloring compositions differ from each other in terms of basis, texture, manufacturer, pricing policy and other indicators.
By the type of base, paints and varnishes that can be used to decorate the walls in the bathroom are:
- Oil … Coatings consisting of drying oil and additional pigments. They create a reliable layer that can last for a long time without losing aesthetic qualities.
- Alkyd … Varnish based compositions. They are durable, practical and have excellent decorative features. However, it is worth considering that alkyd enamel is quite flammable and toxic.
- Aquatic … Suspensions that are ideal for painting walls in the bathroom. Unlike previous types, water-borne paints have good moisture and UV resistance. Also, after application, they dry quickly and allow the walls to "breathe".
Today, the most demanded coatings for bathroom walls are water-dispersion paints, which are produced using the latest technologies. They consist of an aqueous dispersion and solid polymers. Thanks to this composition, the paint is absolutely non-toxic and safe for health.
The most common types of bathroom paints and varnishes:
- Water based paint … These are water-dispersion compositions, which are an emulsion containing small polymer particles. During the drying process of the coating, water evaporates, and the components create a strong and stable polymer film. This paint is odorless and can be easily applied to any type of surface without leaving streaks.
- Acrylic paint … An ultramodern coating based on a water-dispersion emulsion. It is composed of water, acrylic polymers, marble chips and titanium dioxide. Such paints create a vapor-permeable film that protects the wall from moisture and pathogenic microflora. Acrylic compound can be used to paint walls in the bathroom, made of plasterboard, concrete or brick. The coating dries quickly and is easy to clean. When creating an original interior design, white paint can be tinted in any other color.
- Silicate paint … It is an emulsion based on liquid glass, pigments, hardeners, fillers and other components. Before you start painting the walls, you must treat them with an aqueous alkaline solution with the addition of potassium. The silicate formulation has excellent resistance to moisture, high temperatures and direct UV rays. The coating is evenly applied to surfaces such as brick, stone, plaster, ceramics and concrete.
- Silicone paint … A relatively new material for painting walls in the bathroom with your own hands, which consists of emulsified silicone resins. It perfectly combines the best properties of acrylic and latex paints. The main advantage of such a coloring composition is its dirt-repellent properties. Thanks to this, the walls in the bathroom do not require frequent wet cleaning. Silicone paint bridges cracks well, thereby giving the surface an attractive appearance. The composition is applied in several layers on a primed base.
- Latex paint … Water-based dispersion coating based on latex acrylate. Such material is absolutely environmentally friendly, waterproof and breathable. It is resistant to detergents and therefore has a long life. Latex paint is suitable for finishing concrete, plaster, brick and plastered walls, as well as for painting chipboard and fiberglass wallpaper. An ideal solution for walls with small defects is a matte finish.
Choosing the color of paint for the walls in the bathroom
Eyes run up from the abundance of colors and varieties of paints. However, choosing the first shade you like for decorating the walls in the bathroom is frivolous. To choose the right paint color, you must rely on the following criteria:
- If the bathroom has a small area, then it is better to avoid buying coloring compositions in dark colors. The best option would be light shades that will help visually increase the size of the room. They are white, peach, pink, green and blue. They have a calming and relaxing effect.
- If you have a small bathroom, you should refuse to completely paint the walls. The best option would be to delimit the walls. At the same time, painting can be combined with tiles or plastic panels.
- In a large and spacious bathroom, do not limit yourself to pastel colors. Feel free to improvise and use rich colors.
When choosing a paint, its texture is of great importance. It is glossy and matte. To add shine and saturation to the interior of the room, it is recommended to use glossy paint. However, it is worth considering that such a coating will look perfect only on perfectly aligned walls.
Matt paint is more versatile. She has the ability to hide minor wall defects. This texture perfectly complements the design of any interior.
Selection of tools for painting walls in the bathroom
In order for the application of the paint and varnish material to be fast and of high quality, it is necessary to stock up on special tools and materials:
- Roller … Painting tools with ergonomic handle of different lengths. It distributes the paint evenly over the surface. Its ability to cover the wall with a thin layer of coloring material allows you to save a lot on finishing work. The roller is the ideal solution for painting walls in large bathrooms. Apart from the many advantages of this tool, there are also disadvantages. For example, difficulties when painting hard-to-reach places. The roller can be fur, foam, textured, velor and thread.
- Painting brush … Perfect for painting joints, borders and small details. In terms of size, a brush for finishing works can be narrow and wide. It is worth considering that painting with such a painting tool increases the consumption of paints and varnishes several times.
- Aerosol can with coloring composition or spray bottle … Provide the fastest possible painting process. It will consist in spraying paint over the finishing surface.
Also, to paint the walls in the bathroom, you will need: scotch tape, fine-grained sandpaper, film, gloves, a respirator and glasses, scissors.
Technology for preparing walls in a bathroom for painting
The surface of the walls for painting in the bathroom must be perfectly smooth and even. Holes, cracks, spots and swollen bumps in the initial finish can all affect the quality and aesthetics of the overall finish. To avoid such troubles, it is necessary to carry out a thorough preparation of the surface.
The phased preparation of the walls in the bathroom for painting looks like this:
- Remove the old cladding layer. In order to remove paint, whitewash, wallpaper or plaster from the surface, sandpaper, a spatula, a grinder and a solvent are perfect.
- We remove dust and residues of materials. After removing the old cladding, we wash the walls and humidify the air in the room. For this, a spray bottle and warm water are used.
- We align and putty the walls. With the help of the finishing compound of the putty, we carefully cover up holes, cracks and other flaws. Since the bathroom is a place with a high humidity index, it is better to use a waterproof acrylic putty for finishing.
- We sand the walls. To give the base a smooth and even surface of the wall, we carefully grind it with fine-grained emery paper.
- We cover the walls with a primer. To prepare the walls for painting, it is necessary to treat them with soil in several layers. In this case, it is better to resort to using a latex adhesive containing antibacterial components.
Also, after preparing the walls, make sure that all surfaces in the room except the walls are protected. To protect objects and coatings from the ingress of paints and varnishes, it is necessary to close all borders with film or newspaper and paste over with tape.
Rules for painting walls in the bathroom
Only after you have made sure that the walls are perfectly smooth can you start the painting process. Painting will have a positive result if you follow the step-by-step instructions:
- First of all, we decide on the painting tool. If the walls are uneven, it is better to use a brush, which allows you to apply the paint in a thicker layer, which will help to hide minor surface defects.
- Wall coating is carried out in 2-3 stages. For the first layer, dilute the paint with water by about 10%. When it dries, we apply the composition further without first diluting it.
- We remove excess paint and varnish material. To do this, it is better to use a special tray with a ribbed surface. It squeezes out excess paint before applying to the wall.
If you are planning to decorate the walls, then you can resort to using geometric shapes, shapes, lines. To implement design ideas, you will need masking tape.
How to paint the walls in the bathroom - watch the video:
To paint the walls in the bathroom look professional, you should strictly follow all instructions for choosing materials and tools for decoration. It is also important to master the basics of preparing surfaces for painting and, in fact, applying the coloring composition.
