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Question on painting bathroom

13 years ago

Hi all, I have a question on painting my master bathroom in my house. First, I am pretty sure the drywall is of a regular type and isn't rated for bathrooms. My house was built several years ago,(2007) and was primed when I closed and moved in. I painted shortly after closing with a paint I wasn't really impressed with the quality of. My question is how can I properly seal this drywall where the paint will last longer, look better? Should I use something like Kilz? Should I use a special primer? Will oil based paint work better than latex? I've never had an issue with a bathroom before, but the paint from only a couple of years ago really is starting to show moisture damage and I'm concerned I may get damage to my drywall if not careful.

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Comments (5)

paintguy22
13 years ago
You just need to use a high quality washable paint, in eggshell or better sheen. You don't really need to use a special primer, just a good one. Kilz is really a stain blocking primer used mainly for blocking out water stains or smoke damage. It's not really the best choice for what you are doing. If you do have water stains from the moisture damage, you can spot prime over those with some Kilz in a spray can and then prime the entire surface of the walls with a good acrylic primer, followed by two coats of a good washable paint. The idea is to get your walls to a point where the moisture will roll off the painted surfaces instead of sinking into it and penetrating. Over time, that penetrating moisture can eventually cause damage. The worst thing to use is a flat paint becuase that is completely porous.
Faron79
13 years ago
Exactly what PG said...

Our home is 14y/o now, with 3 full baths. THANK G*D I had them spray a S/G-sheen paint during the build! It's still only a mid-grade builders-paint, but the SHEEN is the saving-grace here!!
(I've since repainted "My" bath with FPE!!)

>>> We've had NO problems with the paint/drywall BECAUSE OF the higher-sheen paint.
>>> Before doing anything though...wash your walls with POWDERED Dirtex...usually no need to rinse!
>>> Apply a top-notch primer...forget Kilz. Use Zinsser 123, or C2-One (if ya can find it!).
>>> Now, 2 full coats of a Satin or higher sheen, in a good paint-series.
>>> Let your new paint dry a day b4 a load of steam hits it. FULL cure can take a month.
>>> USE THE BATH FAN DURING SHOWERS!!

Faron
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Use Gardz as a primer because you stripped wallpaper from the walls and Gardz will lock down any residual paste that you may have missed. Gardz is clear, but it is an excellent sealer as well. When applying the Gardz, you want to use a very short nap roller sleeve like 1/4" and be careful not to apply too much. It's really like applying water to the walls (it's that loose bodied). One dip goes a long way. Topcoat with Aura in eggshell or semi-gloss. The reason Aura is a good choice here is because it covers better than any other paint available on the market so you do not need to prime with a grey primer. In the days before Aura was available, we used to prime with grey and then perhaps still need to do 3-5 more coats. Aura will cover in two coats 99 percent of the time. You don't want to use flat because it is a room with moisture that will be collecting on the walls. For the trim, you will need a normal acrylic primer like Zinnser 123 or BM's Fresh Start, then topcoat with Aura or even Waterborne Satin Impervo would be fine as well...anything high quality and acrylic with some sheen.
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You should use a primer when repainting any surface. It will improve the look and longevity of any paint job. In my bathroom I would use a semi gloss acrylic latex paint because it will shed moisture much better than flat. Paint it and do not use for at least 48 hours. Put a box fan (and turn it on) in the water closet and run it for 48 hours to properly cure and dry the paint.
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wrighthouse
13 years ago
For the most part, I agree with paint guy and and Faron. But to be safe, I'd prime with Zinsser Bin Shellac based primer, and follow that with at least two coats of a good quality latex semi-gloss.

Make sure the coats do not go on too thick. As Faron says, even a very thin coat of latex will take days to cure thoroughly. It is also wise to de-gloss between coats of a high sheen paint to ensure the best adhesion of the second coat, which I do with a sanding block loaded with a really fine sand paper. If I'm doing a really big area, I will get some tinted primer for the first coat after the Bin because there is no need to sand that.
Faron79
13 years ago
The alcohol/shellac-based BIN isn't really geared for moist environments.

DO NOT use any "Liquid Deglosser" between coats!!!
* The VOC's and odor of this stuff will make ya loopy.
* Besides, it only temporarily "tacks-up" a surface. If you can't finish painting within ~15min. after applying this stuff...you're back to square 1. You've also polluted your environment for no purpose at all.
* Even if you used HIGH-gloss paint everywhere....your coats of paint shouldn't go on more than 2-4 hours apart.
* Applied in this time-frame, glossier paints tack to themselves just fine, b4 noticeable surface-drying gets "too dry".
* Even if you had to wait a day between coats, you're MILES ahead lightly scuff-sanding the wall!!. The actual physical profile from sanding is waaaayy better than uselessly introducing the horrendous voc-levels of deglossers, which, again, are only of temporary benefit...if that...

Faron
judithva
13 years ago
Great info! I am getting ready to paint my bathroom, and this really has helped me out!

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