Painting bathrooms is one of the most time consuming jobs in home improvement. You have to deal with cleaning and painting fixtures, which are delicate, as well as walls that usually absorb paint differently, depending on where you are painting them (e.g.: near a toilet or by an oven can have different results). Painting a bathroom might be a difficult and tedious job; however there are some things you should do to make your work easier. Painting bathrooms can be fun since you have to make it look like a spa. You should take your time and try to do the job properly; however there are some tricks that will help you save money by doing this job yourself.
Keeping It Clean
You want to start with a clean space for two reasons. First of all because it will be easier to paint since you don’t need to remove debris from the surface like dry wall compound or old paint. And secondly because you probably don’t want any dirt trapped in between the paint layer and the wall.
A professional painter will always tell you to remove any light switch plates, outlet covers, fixtures, or anything that isn’t painted at the moment for several reasons: first of all it makes your work easier since you don’t have to clean those things separately. Secondly these areas take a lot more effort and time when cleaning than they do when painting them. So you save yourself some time by doing this during preparation.
You should also seal any cracks on walls with putty before painting them in order to prevent having unwanted dirt trapped inside the walls. Use a putty knife to fill cracks and voids; then knock off excess compound so it’s flush with the surface being patched. Finally sand until smooth.
It’s Not All About the Paint
You have to make sure that you paint your bathroom walls with better quality paints. I’m not talking about decorative paint, which is cheaper, but has a shorter lifespan than other options. Here are some tips on getting more out of any painting project and using good quality products:
· Start by cleaning the surface properly; then use painters tape to mask off areas that need special attention or different types of paint layers. This will result in an easy application since you don’t have to worry about covering up those areas later on. Tape creates straight edges around trim without slopping over onto smooth surfaces too much as well as provides shapes for corners and other unique architectural features. For reason such as these, painters use different types of tape. There are two basic paint masking products that most home owners will need: electrical and duct tape. You can find them in any hardware store or at a professional supply outlet
· If you want to achieve the best results, hire professionals with good experience in painting your bathroom; however this isn’t always an option since it could be expensive for a smaller project. In this case you should at least make sure that you use high quality paints (at least oil based); their main advantage is that they don’t shrink when drying so they provide better coverage than water based ones. Avoid using latex paints because this type has tendency to shrink away from walls while drying since they dry slower
· Make sure that you apply the paint evenly. Use a quality brush for this, since it will be easier to work with; however cleaning dried paint from synthetic fibers can be a real pain! If you use roller cover to paint the walls make sure that you move in even back and forth motion. This way you will get an even finish in much less time and with better results.
· When using brushes or rollers make sure that they are properly cleaned after each stroke. You don’t want dirt trapped in between layers of paint (in case of painting your bathroom walls more than once)
· Clean up any spills immediately by wiping with wet sponge or rag; then rinse out canvas or cloth towels before using them again
Looking for a team of professional Vancouver painters to handle your next painting project? Give us a call today at 604-505-2745. Or fill out our free quote form here.
