It is rife with opportunities for mistakes in your bathroom decoration project. But remember: don’t let your choice of ceiling paint be one of these mistakes. Why? Because once you choose the wrong kind of paint for your bathroom ceiling, it would fail to adapt to the humid environment and quickly be out of action, and then you have to repaint. Therefore, it is better to start with the right paint. Otherwise, you may find yourself with tougher cleaning duties of your bathroom for the time to come–even need to battle against mold and mildew. So, what is the best paint for a steamy bathroom ceiling?
What Would You Find On The Steamy Bathroom Ceiling？
We all know that the damp environment is most likely to harbor bacteria and mold, especially our bathroom ceiling. It is vulnerable to mold because the moisture generates from taking showers always rises and collects on the ceiling. And if you don’t use the paint that has good performance in mold resistance, you would finally have a ceiling full of mold and mildew at corners.
This is not just a matter of whether it’s disgusting or not. If you don’t clear away the molds, it would end up being the cause of different illnesses. The mold would release mold spores to spread to your entire home through the air. Could you imagine that your home eventually becomes a giant petri dish if you don’t take any action? To solve such a problem from the root, you should choose the best paint for your steamy bathroom ceiling.
How To Paint A Bathroom Ceiling?
Bathrooms are wet, so any painting project in the bathroom can be a bit tricky but is quite rewarding. However, there is a right way and many wrong ways to go in regard to painting bathroom ceilings. Here, some tips on preparation and painting are provided.
Preparations For Painting Or Repainting A Bathroom Ceiling
- Make Sure There Is No Asbestos In Your Ceiling: First of all, you should consider whether or not your ceiling contains asbestos. If it does, it would be a bit of chore to prepare. You will need a removalist to help remove the asbestos.
- Remove Fixtures On The Ceiling: Before painting your bathroom ceiling, you need to remove any fixtures, lights and heat lamps on it. These are all obstacles to painting the ceiling perfectly. Remove them and you don’t have to worry too much.
- Scrape Off Any Flaking Paint: One more thing you should do to prepare the area properly is to repair the peeling ceiling paint. You can finish this easily: scrape off the peeling parts with a scraper and sand them down to be smooth. And you’ve done.
- Wash Your Ceiling: You have to wash your ceiling to remove the dirt, dust and stains. In most cases, this is a task as simple as even children could do if they are tall enough. But if you have stains from molds or mildew on the ceiling, you would need to clean that with dilute bleach.
Painting Tips On The Bathroom Ceiling
- Tape Off Areas You Won’t Paint: After the ceiling is aired be dry, what you should do is tape off the edges and corners. Also, you have to tape off anything you couldn’t remove from the ceiling or walls. This would ensure the clean line of your painting to prevent any mess.
- Prime The Ceiling: Usually, it is not necessary to apply the prime because the paint is always a mix of prime and paint. There are two situations that you have to apply prime before painting. One is that your ceiling has been stained badly. Another is that you would like to switch from a darker color to a lighter shade, you’ll definitely need to prime first.
- Easiest Way To Paint The Ceiling: There is the best way to paint the ceiling–with a roller. This tool would bring you a lot of conveniences. When you are painting your ceiling, it is better to start in corners and edges with a brush carefully. Then you can paint the entire ceiling with your roller. Remember to apply at least two coats for light color and three coats for dark color. Finally, let the paint dry in your bathroom in a good 24 hours and ensure there is ventilation.
Best Paint For Steamy Bathroom Ceiling
According to what has been mentioned above, we can draw the conclusion that the best paint for steamy bathroom ceiling must have the features below:
- Mildew-proof Properties: The best paint for the bathroom ceilings should be mixed with anti-microbial additives to resist molds and mildew.
- Tight Structure: The paint that is suitable to be used in the bathroom should have a tighter structure to adapt to the damp environment.
- Moisture resistance: The most important reason why mildew and molds breed on the bathroom ceiling is that the painting absorbs too much moisture. So, it is necessary for the paint to resist moisture.
Oil Paint VS Latex Paint
Finding the right type of paint for your bathroom? In general, there are two types of paint–oil paint and latex paint. Although the oil paint is strong and durable and has the ability to scrub, it dries slowly and would release high levels of volatile organic compounds(VOCs). And as time pass by, it will yellow to be not as beautiful as new.
Latex paint is now becoming a more and more popular option for bathroom painting. Many formulas of latex paint today offer much-improved durability and moisture resistance. But there is one thing that should be considered: which finish is the best?
Finish Of Latex Paint
- Flat:
Flat paint has more pigment than any other finish, which is why it’s also known as concealer paint. It would soak up any light directly on it so it is very suitable to paint in the living rooms and dining rooms. You’d better not choose it for your bathroom because it has poor resistance to moisture.
- Eggshell:
You would feel somewhat flat but with a slight gloss to the eggshell. Eggshell paint reflects more light than the flat. It is also a kind of finish that would decorate your home well but not include your bathroom. Since it is also for places without a lot of moisture.
- Satin:
Satin paint has some sheen to it and It stands up particularly well for scrubbing and regular cleaning. It is fitful to apply in the bathroom to provide an advanced look while still being able to hide a good degree of imperfections.
- Semi-gloss:
Semi-gloss is one of the classic finishes you can use throughout your house and is perfect for any kind of bathroom. The semi-gloss has much more sheen than the satin. It has a good performance on moisture resistance and can be easily scrubbed clean with soap and water.
- High-gloss:
High gloss paint is the paint that is super shiny to have a mirror-like look. It has more luster than the semi-gloss. Also, its performance in moisture-resistant is good to give you a finish that resists absorbing extra moisture that leads to mildew growth. It is best for smaller surfaces or should be paired with another finish.
