I am going to paint a small bathroom w/shower and the paint that is on the walls now will come off if washed. Since I haven't painted walls before I have some questions.
1- Should I put a primer on the wall after washing them? 2- What type of paint? Flat, gloss, semi gloss? etc, etc? 3- As I have Multiple Sclerosis (Always looking to save my energy), is there truly any such thing as a one coat paint?Any suggestions welcomed.
Thanks Stone
Where do you live? I'd be happy to come over and help you if you're close enough.
Do you mean it peals off or kind of washes away. What you paint over will determine if your job will succeed.
That depends a lot on the existing finish. If it's not gloss, and not a dark color, you can probably paint directly over it. If it's gloss or a dark color, a primer is a good idea.
Semi-gloss, definitely.
IMO you should *never* use flat paint in a bathroom that has a tub or shower. The surface absorbs moisture too readily, and provides a breeding ground for mildew. This is particularly important on the ceiling.
Gloss isn't the best choice for walls because (a) it will show every little imperfection in the surface, and (b) it glares. It's great for trim, though.
Mmmmm. Sorry to hear that. One of my wife's friends has MS, so we know it's not easy to deal with. She has good days and bad days; I hope that your good days outnumber the bad ones.
Get the best paint you can afford, and you might manage. I've always had good luck with Sherwin-Williams top of the line (SuperPaint, I think they call it). If you apply it carefully, and the existing paint is not too dark a color, you may get one-coat coverage. Two coats is always better, though, because there's almost always a spot that gets missed in the first coat, or a place where it rolled on a bit thin...
-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)
Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?
Ok, went back in and looked it over, seems that one area of the wall around the end of the vanity by the light switch was repainted with cheap paint and the rest of room is semi-gloss. So, just the one wall about 6' wide is of concern. It just kind of rubs off when I try to clean it.
Stone
Yeah, I figured two coats. I have good days and bad but usually get things done even if it takes me a bit longer. The walls are currently white and will be painting them white. The walls were yellow before the previous owner painted them. Upon closer inspection one wall (entry wall) was repaired and repainted with a cheap paint and the rest of the room, I'll assume is semi-gloss and does not rub off. The room is small about 6' x 8' so cost of the paint isn't going to be much of a factor, might as well go for a good quality paint as your suggest.
Stone
how long do you want it to last before you have to do it again? if the answer is more than 3 years, i would prime, then double coat paint it. the last coat of paint will go on very easy, but will be the difference between a job that lasts, and one that doesnt. i realize you have MS, but the paint doesnt care. if you want to save energy, do it right, once, then forget about it for 10-15 years.
eggshell. you get most of the benefits of more glossy paint, but can still be somewhat sloppy applying it.
randy
Yes
As others have said, semi or gloss as needed. Get a good paint for both primer and finish coat.
Yeah, but it is
a) expensive b) sold in 5 gal buckets for industrial types of usage, where labor is very high c) works ok, but not as good as the old two coat (primer and finish) method. With a two part method, you can touch up the primer coat as needed if you miss any spots.
I'll add that you should get a quart can of "de-glosser" or "gloss remover", which is a pre paint cleaner that removes any previous gloss (semi or not), and cleans any oil from the hands off. Removing the gloss roughens the old paint, allowing the new coat to stick better. Clean off the old paint as best as you can, then use this stuff on a rag as the final cleaning step.
Go to a paint store, such as Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams rather than the big box store, as I'd trust their advice more.
OK, thanks to all for the advise. Will take the time and do it right with the higher quality paints as I will be here (hopefully) a long time.
Stone
Huh? Any paint that comes off like that has to be totally removed, and you have to figure out what's making it come off. Once you're down to solid paint or some substrate (like good drywall), then...
Yes, there is one coat paint, and if you use a quality paint, and don't have to paint a color like bright red, you can usually paint in one coat without a primer (the paint itself acts as primer.) This type of paint is more expensive though. But what is more expensive, paint that costs twice as much that needs one coat, or paint that costs half as much and needs 2 coats (so you need twice as much of it?) Obviously the more expensive paint is cheaper in terms of labor. One such paint is Sherwin Williams SuperPaint. There are others from other companies. I'd go with satin or eggshell in a bathroom, or possibly semi-gloss if you like that extra shine (which I don't).
Not true (it is sold in 5 gal buckets, but also 1 gallon buckets and often quarts as well, such as SuperPaint.)
That is what I was told by my painters.
That is not suprising, is it? :-) First, they might be trying to protect their interests (make it sound like only they can reasonably afford such things.) Second, they might just be totally clueless, which would be fairly typical of "professional" painters.
As I also have MS, it is more like "I don't want to eff with it". If I did, I'd go with Benjamin Moore, and a 2 layer job. I found it on the web, it was one of Glidden's industrial paints.
I've never seen interior paint that would "wash off" or chalk like exterior paint. If it washes off, have someone wash it. Sounds like it would be worthwhile to use a primer after it is clean and dry.
I like semi-gloss alkyd paint for kitchen and bath for washability and durability. I consider prep - washing, patching and sanding - to be the most strenuous part of painting (after shopping for all the gear). Do you have a friend or housemate who will help with the chores? Good way to sort friends from the riff-raff is by asking someone :o) Then, break it down into small parts - tape one day, brush in borders the next, roll a coat, rest a day or two, roll another. As for asking for help, I have friends who understand when I need help and for whom I can reciprocate. I have also had some mighty darn proud friends who trusted me enough to ask for help and whom I was very happy to oblige.
Not aware of any connection between BM and Glidden. Glidden is owned by ICI Dulux, which sells their own paint as well.
I'd use BM. The painters used Glidden, worked fine, I've no problem with it, and didn't specify any specific paint to be used.
You need to clean off whatever comes off -- paint, soap film, etc. I'd use a primer on the bad spot you mentioned. Someone mentioned a de-glosser -- though it's a good idea, i find it unnecessary. At most just use some sandpaper to scuff the surface. Never flat in the bath. I would go with at least an eggshell, probably a satin, maybe a semi-gloss.
Any one-coat paints are going to be high end commercial stuff. Count on
2 coats, and if one coat covers yell "yay!". Oddly enough, covering white with white is typically a 2 coat job.HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.