Bathroom Painting - What You Need to Know

Painting a bathroom is a little different from painting other rooms in your home.  Bathrooms are subject to moisture, as well as residue on the walls from soap and products like deodorant, hair spray or perfumes.  Because of the high levels of moisture, specially formulated bathroom paint should be used, but before you get to applying the paint, it’s important to clean the walls to remove any residues that would prevent the paint from adhering properly.

You’ll want to remove switch plates, towel bars, toilet paper holder and spring-fitted shower curtain rod.  It will be easier to paint behind the toilet if you also remove the tank cover.  Next, use a good quality, paintable caulk for bathrooms.  Look for places that could use fresh caulk around the tub or shower enclosure, where the countertop and vanity cabinet meet the wall, and along baseboards.

Darker colors can be intense in bathrooms, since they are generally smaller rooms.  Also, you’ll need to allow darker colors longer to cure, because steam and moisture can cause darker colors to run in spots and create an uneven look.  Look for a durable paint with a satin or gloss finish that can be wiped down and is recommended for bathrooms.

My House Needs to Be Painted…Again

There are several reasons why your home may need to be repainted sooner than you thought.  Of course,
maintaining a quality painted finish on your house is not only aesthetically pleasing – no one wants to look at peeling, cracked or discolored paint – but also good for the life of your home.  So when you start to see problems with your exterior paint finish, it’s a good time to act.

Even a quality paint job will wear over time, especially in our extreme climate. Rain and snow aren’t really environmental factors that affect paint here in the desert, but sun and high temperatures certainly take a toll on your exterior paint.  The sun’s UV rays can cause paint to break down and fade.  Heat will cause paint and the surface beneath it to expand.  Repeated expansion and contraction can cause cracks that eventually expand and result in peeling paint.

Another reason you may need to repaint your house stems from improper preparation before a previous paint job.  If the surface was not properly prepared, the paint won’t adhere properly.  Quality of paint or choosing the incorrect type of paint can also result in peeling and cracking prematurely.  More expensive paints generally contain higher quality materials and should last longer if applied properly.  One coat of paint may be a quick fix, but you won’t get the wear out of it and your house will not be as well protected as it should be.

If you think your exterior paint is showing signs of wear, call in a qualified professional painter to evaluate the condition, identify any potential problems and provide your home with lasting protection and beauty.