Repainting a Bathroom

[RockyCJC]

I am planning on repainting one of my bathrooms. It is a smaller sized bathroom with a fiberglass tub insert, toilet, and sink. The walls appear to be drywall but someone once told me that special drywall is used for bathrooms.

My plan was to spackle some of the wall imperfections, sand, prime the walls and ceiling and then repaint in my color of choice. I do have the following questions though.

- Is it safe to use spackling mud in a bathroom or is there a special mud I should use due to the higher concentration of moisture?

- Is there a special primer that should be used for a bathroom?

- Is there special paint that needs to be used for bathrooms?

[Doug Miller]

To avoid mildew on the ceiling:

- use only gloss or semi-gloss paint on the ceiling (no flat, eggshell, satin, etc.)

- best to use an oil-based paint on the ceiling, instead of latex

- install a vent fan, if there isn't one already

- use the vent fan *every*time* the shower is in use

[bamboo]

[cas]

I think that applies to new homes, my walls are plaster/lath.

I just did this. It was easy enough to do.

I used the DAP vinyl spackle. Went on easy enough and looked great after it dried and I sanded it.

I had some mold that I cleaned up (misted the place with bleach, then wiped it). I used Killz2. It's been months since I used it and no signs of mold. If you have mold, make sure it's nothing that is coming in from inside the walls.

Semi gloss. I did everything in it, walls/ceiling. Makes for a easier clean up. You can get stuff that helps prevent mold from growing on the paint too, it's an additive.

If you can put a vent fan in and run it while you're showering. I bought one but haven't installed it (attic is hard to get to over the bath and the outside wall is 3 stories up..I don't have the cajones to stand on a ladder that high). Now I leave the bathroom door ajar or crack a window.

[Al Bundy]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Be nice to also mention that many dry mixes (like Durabond 90) are like rock and not sandable.

[RockyCJC]

I pretty much use DAP Joint Compound (pre-mix) for all purposes regarding fixing wall imperfections, cracks, etc. I am assuming that once I use the mud, sand, and then put the primer and paint over it, it will not matter since the primer and paint are what will protect the spot from moisture.

Thanks for the advice regard> [e-mail] wrote in

[dachief123]

any paint can have a mildewcide mixed into it. made for high moisture conditions such as bathrooms. ask at your local paint store

[Norminn]

I have always used - or as long as I can recall - oil semi for bath, kitchen and wood trim in rest of house. I have paid no attention to whether they contained mildewcide, and haven't used an additive. I have wallpaper in two baths, had same in last house. Wallpaper in unvented kitchen in previous house. No problems. Only time I have ever had mildew growing outside of a shower stall was on the bath ceiling when I had a small roof leak.

We repapered master bath about a year ago and put a timer on the exhaust fan, which helps immensely. The whole master bed/bath stays rather humid if we don't run the fan long enough.

A friend used to keep her bath window open a crack in summer, with AC running. The AC vent was in a corner and aimed at the adjoining wall - caused condensation and a patch of mildew. It just needed to be redirected or the window closed.

There is an amazing amount of water in the air and on surfaces after showers, it often runs down walls and doors - the reason I always paint tops and bottoms of doors and caulk (very fine line) at bottom of wallpaper.

I am obsessive about paint prep - the job I hate - because I want the paint to last. Clean, DRY and free of dust.

[NickySantoro]

Pretty simple. Spackle and prep as usual. Prime with latex. Top coat ceiling, walls and trim with "bath and kitchen" paint in you choice of finish. Two brands which have served me well are Zinsser and Benjamin Moore. Some of the mid to deep base colors cannot be mixed for these paints but a mildewcide can be added to any standard paint, thus providing a reasonably acceptable substitute. All this being said, unless you have a mildew problem, you can just use standard paint. If you do use the "bath and kitchen" paint, add some Flotrol per package directions as this paint does not level well.