What Type of Paint Should Be Used in a Bathroom

Best Paint for a Bathroom

What type of paint should be used in a bathroom? A 100% acrylic satin or semi-gloss with an anti-microbial additive, in two coats. A color change, a deep color or a rough surface may need an extra coat. Kompozit PRO is 100% acrylic paint and primer in one with that additive. We mix it to any brand's color in Brooklyn and deliver it across New York and New Jersey. In our 5 by 8 foot example, one tinted gallon of satin covers the walls above the tile and the ceiling, $73 delivered before tax. Semi-gloss for the door and trim is a second gallon.

What type of paint to use in a bathroom, surface by surface

You use a 100% acrylic satin on the walls and ceiling of a bathroom, and a semi-gloss on everything you grab.

  • Walls: PRO Satin. Satin takes wiping better than flat.
  • Ceiling: PRO Satin again. Steam rises, so the ceiling gets more of it than the walls.
  • Door, trim and a painted vanity: PRO Semi-Gloss, where wet hands and towels hit.
  • Behind the toilet and above the tub tile: satin, cut in with a brush. These spots stay damp longest.

PRO comes in Flat, Eggshell, Satin and Semi-Gloss, so walls and trim can share one color. Our guide to flat, eggshell, satin and semi-gloss covers the rest of the house.

Why 100% acrylic satin suits a bathroom

PRO is a 100% acrylic paint in satin and semi-gloss, and PRO Satin carries 44% solids by volume. Its anti-microbial additive protects the paint film from mildew. VOC stays under 50 grams per liter, which counts in a small room with one door.

What type of paint should I use in my bathroom if it has no window?

Use a 100% acrylic satin with an anti-microbial additive, the same as a bathroom with a window. The difference is drying. Clean the exhaust fan grille first so it pulls air. Paint in the morning and keep the door open and the fan running while it dries.

Clean off mildew first

  1. Fix the leak or the source of the dampness first.
  2. Spray mildew spots with a household mildew cleaner, or scrub them with detergent and water.
  3. Wash soap film off the whole wall. Paint won't grip soap.
  4. Rinse with clean water and let the wall dry completely with the fan on.

Prep

  1. In a home built before 1978, test old paint for lead before you sand or scrape it, and follow EPA lead-safe practices if it tests positive.
  2. Scrape peeling paint and patch holes. Sand the patches smooth.
  3. Sand glossy old paint dull so the new coat grips. Wipe off the dust.
  4. Seal brown water stains with a stain-blocking primer.
  5. Tape the tile edge and the tub.
  6. Wear gloves, goggles and a mask as the label directs, and keep the room ventilated while you paint and while it dries.

Paint

  1. Work between 50 and 90°F.
  2. Brush a cut line along the tile and the ceiling, then roll the open wall.
  3. PRO is dry to the touch in about an hour and takes a second coat after 2 to 4 hours, at 77°F. Cooler or damp air takes longer.
  4. Two coats is the plan. A color change, a deep color or a rough surface may need an extra coat.
  5. Keep the fan running while it dries. Avoid heavy use for 24 hours.
  6. Don't wash it for four weeks while it cures.

How much to buy

A gallon of PRO covers 300 to 400 square feet a coat. Example one is a 5 by 8 foot bathroom with an 8 foot ceiling. Tile runs 4 feet up every wall, the door is 3 by 7 feet, and there's no window. The walls above the tile come to 104 square feet and the ceiling to 40, so 144 in all. Take out the 9 square feet of door above the tile line and 135 is left. Two coats come to 270 square feet, so one gallon of satin covers the walls above the tile and the ceiling. The door and trim in semi-gloss take a second gallon.

Example two is an 8 by 10 foot bathroom with the same ceiling, tile and door. The walls above the tile come to 144 square feet and the ceiling to 80, so 224 in all, or 215 after the door. Two coats come to 430 square feet, so buy two gallons of satin. An extra coat for a color change, a deep color or a rough surface brings the totals to 405 and 645 square feet. Plan on 300 a gallon and that's two gallons for example one and three for example two.

Price and delivery

PRO is $58 a gallon and $285 for a 5 gallon pail, in any of its four sheens. One tinted gallon delivered comes to $73 before tax, and a gallon each of satin and semi-gloss comes to $131. Local delivery in New York and New Jersey is $15 per order, free over $150. Three gallons or a pail ride free on our own truck. From November to March a forecast of 32°F on the delivery route holds the order until we call you; details on our delivery page. Made in Deerfield Beach, Florida, 100% acrylic, low VOC, with an 18-year limited warranty to the original buyer printed on the can. Custom tinted orders placed before 2pm on a business day are normally mixed that day.

Order PRO Satin: gallon $58

Questions we get

Can I use flat paint in a bathroom?

Flat can show water spots and turn shiny where you wipe it. Use satin on the walls and ceiling and semi-gloss on trim.

Is satin or semi-gloss better for a bathroom?

Satin on the walls and ceiling, where its lower shine shows patched plaster less. Semi-gloss on the door and trim, where hands and towels hit.

What type of paint do you use on a bathroom ceiling?

The same 100% acrylic satin as the walls. Steam rises, so wash the ceiling along with the walls before you paint it.

Do I need a primer in a bathroom?

Not with PRO over sound painted walls or new drywall. Its first coat works as the primer coat. Water stains are the exception: seal them with a stain-blocking primer first.

Can I see the color before I buy a gallon?

Yes. Get a PRO color sample, paint a patch by the mirror and check it under your bathroom light.