how to paint a bathroom

How to Paint a Bathroom

If you're looking to paint a fresh coat on the bathroom walls, then read how to paint a bathroom in the following article. The steps mentioned will help you transform your bathroom...

Before You Begin The first thing you need to do is―decide what color(s) you want for the bathroom. Since we will be painting the entire bathroom, you need to figure out whether the walls, ceiling, and the cabinets will be of the same color, or you have some other ideas and combination in mind? To move things along, and help you make a decision, get a few paint samples. The second step is to de-clutter the bathroom. Empty the cabinets, remove all the items off the shelves, and thoroughly clear the area. Don't leave any corner of the bathroom; remove small shelves, toilet paper holder, towel bars, hooks, mirror over the sink, fan grates, and shower rod. Once the bathroom has been emptied and cleaned, lay plastic sheets on the toilet, bathtub, sink, and the floor. If there are baseboards around the walls, place tape around the edges where the walls meet the ceiling. This is only needed if you are painting the ceiling and walls with different colors, though. This way, you can easily protect the rest of the bathroom from becoming a mess after you're done. Now, you need to clean the walls properly. Although the bathroom walls may not require a lot of cleaning, there are few things we need to take care of like mold and mildew. Use a mild ammonia cleaner or mold removing products to treat mold effectively. Also, when you apply the new paint, the walls will be free of mold infestation and dirt. If the walls are damp, for any reason, keep the windows and door open so that they can dry completely. You don't want to apply fresh paint on damp walls. And finally, if there are gaps in between the bathroom cabinets and walls, tub, and shower enclosure, then caulking should be done. Make sure that you use a high-quality silicone caulk which can be painted on. After all these precautions are taken care of, we can begin painting. Painting the Walls and Ceiling Wear hand gloves, place a face mask on, and keep the windows and door open at all times.
  • Let us first target the corners and tight spaces near the fixtures. With a paint brush and not a roller, we will paint the area which has been taped off. This way, you won't splatter paint all over the place.
  • Finish off the areas behind the toilet, the space underneath the cabinets, around the tub, sockets, etc; you are basically coloring the outer lines, and then filling the color inside.
  • When you are done with the outer lines, use a paint roller to fill the color on the walls. Add a bit of paint in the tray, and dip the roller in it.
  • Roll it in the paint so that it is completely covered. Make sure you use an even pressure, and move the roller vertically on the walls.
  • Finish all the walls, and let the paint dry properly (this can take a day or two). If you want, you can apply another coat and let the second coat dry completely as well. Once the paint is dry, remove the tape.
For the ceiling, if you are applying the same color as the walls, I would advice you to paint the ceiling first. You will require a ladder to reach the ceiling. It would be a good idea to have someone there with you when you do this because you don't want to keep climbing up and down the ladder to get the paint. Now on the other hand, if you are applying a different color than the walls, then make sure you tape off the edges so the colors don't interfere with one another. Learning to paint a ceiling is not different from learning how to paint the walls. So just follow the steps mentioned above for the ceiling as well. Painting the Cabinets Painting cabinets can be a bit tricky, but with the right guidelines, it can be taken care of. First of all, remove the screws, hinges, pulls, and knobs off the cabinets. We need a clean slate to paint on. Empty the drawers, and remove all the items from the cabinets. Keep the cabinet doors in the next room till you have to paint it. Remember which door goes where along with its hardware, or you'll be confused as to what goes where. Place plastic sheets on the floor before you begin to paint.
  • Purchase a tri-sodium phosphate solution to clean the cabinet area. With water and clean cloth, rinse the surface properly and let the area dry completely.
  • In place of the hardware, fill them with putty and let it dry. This is because the paint might dry in the holes and make it difficult to put them back in place.
  • Now use a 150-grit sandpaper and sand the surface with it. We want the surface to be absolutely smooth.
  • First paint the frames on the outside. Use a small roller, dip it in paint, and use vertical movements to paint.
  • Once the frames are finished, paint the insides of each door. When the doors are done and left aside to dry, paint the front of the drawers.
  • Let the drawers dry properly and till then, paint the other side of the doors. Let the doors dry again.
  • See if you require any additional coats. If yes, then use a 220-grit sandpaper and sand the frames, doors, and drawers.
  • Now apply the second coat in the same manner we did before. Once the paint is completely dry, replace the doors and drawers along with the hardware. Make sure you are not too rough or apply too much pressure when you do this or the paint will chip off or get spoiled.

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