How to paint a bathroom?

I'm really pleased with the way the bathroom reno's are going. Almost there for repainting. Please excuse the poor paint job (not my work).

We are close to picking the colour scheme ( we decided to just stick with white) as it goes with everything as we may do a complete refit late down the track.

The question is what to go with? I would preferably like a versatile paint that can be used in other parts of the house.

In the bathroom we do have heat lights and the fan. From memory I think we have a primer but not sure if it will be suitable for the bathroom.

So looking for suggestions for our next trip to Bunnings for paint.

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EricL

Hello @Innov8tive

I propose looking at the Crommelin 1L Flat Aquablock Waterproof Primer Undercoat as a primer for your bathroom. It is specifically designed for bathroom and kitchen use. For the topcoat, I recommend looking at Dulux 4L Interior Paint Wash&Wear +PLUS Kitchen & Bathroom Low Sheen Vivid White - 4L. It is made specifically to withstand humid or damp environments. Low sheen is a good choice for all interior walls including high traffic areas. Recommended for use on walls, doors, window frames, skirting and architraves in the kitchen, laundry and bathroom.

In regards to your question of usability, yes, they can be used outside of the bathroom and onto other sections of your home.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Innov8tive

Hi @EricL

Thanks for the response. It has been a while since I painted so these look like good choices. My question is about using this primer undercoat before the top coat. On a few walls we are having feature walls with a specific color in mind. I would like to know what your advice is around this is. Can we use the undercaot you referred to and then when ready do the top coat in whatever color we have chosen?

MitchellMc

Hi @Innov8tive,

You can topcoat over the Aquablock in whatever colour you choose. However, this primer is specifically designed for moisture-prone areas. If you are looking to undercoat other walls in your house, like living rooms or bedrooms, then cost-wise it would be worth switching to a standard primer like Dulux 1Step Prep Primer, Sealer & Undercoat 4L - 4L. It comes in larger containers and is less costly than the Aquablock.

Mitchell

Innov8tive

@MitchellMc

Hey thanks. The entire house is being painted so I'm sure we will be getting a few of these for the primer. I think cost wise we should go with this option. Thanks for your input.

Innov8tive

@MitchellMc I'm going to go with the Dulux 1 step prep primer - 4L.

Putting aside colours for feature walls - there are some rooms that will just be white.

What paint (cost effective wise) would you recommend for a top coat - keeping in in mind that cost does matter as this is for the whole house and not just one room.

I'm trying to get together a cost/budget for painting.

EricL

Hello @Innov8tive

I suggest looking at the Taubmans 4L White Low Sheen Easycoat All Walls Interior Paint and British Paints Clean And Protect White Low Sheen - 4L as alternatives. They can be tinted to a great number of colours, and both are water-based. Both have reasonable cost when purchased in the 15L buckets. Coverage is stated at 12 square meters for Taubmans and 16 square meters for British paints.

If you need have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Innov8tive

@EricL

Thanks for that. I will check out both of these. I look forward to having all the colours chosen so I can get on with the job.

Innov8tive

@EricL @MitchellMc

I need some advice for the painting of my whole house. There are 7 indoor rooms to paint. Primer and top coat with colours as a feature wall in some rooms.

I need to do a costing so we have an idea of the total cost. I've painted many times before but never a whole house.

At this stage - we will be painting it ourselves. I don't know if it's a cheaper option to have a painter do it or if it's cheaper to do it ourselves?

Nevertheless a costing needs to be done - what do you suggest is the best and easiest way to do that?

Thanks.

JacobZ

Hi @Innov8tive,

Thank you for your questions about painting your house.

Doing it yourself will almost certainly be cheaper, but you have to take into account the amount of time, effort and the quality of finish you can achieve.

When paying a professional, ultimately, these are the things you are paying a premium for. If you value these things highly, then it's usually better to have a professional do the work for you.

In saying this, D.I.Y. is fun, and painting is a nice, relatively easy task that almost everyone can do. If the time and effort it takes to do the job aren't a concern and you are happy to take the time to get a high-quality finish, then I'd say do it yourself.

To start with, I'd suggest you start by measuring the width, length and height of each room. You can then use our Paint Calculator to work out how much paint is required for each room. It would then just be a case of adding up the volume of paint and multiplying it by the cost of your chosen paints.

You'd then have to add on the cost of things like paint brushes, paint rollers, tape, drop sheets and buckets.

You can get a pretty decent estimate of costs by adding up these things and then comparing it to the quoted price from a professional.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

Innov8tive

@JacobZ

Thank you for the advice. A bit to consider. If I have anymore questions once I've considered things then I will ask.

Innov8tive

@JacobZ @EricL

I've started painting a room. I'm using 4L Dulux 1 step primer - water based. As you can see from the pics it"s looking patchy. And the blue still is present. Is this ok and normal before adding the top coat?

I also used spakfilla to seal some holes and pretty much sanded them back flush with the wall. However painting over them has meant that's coming through on the paint job and I'm not sure why?

Some advice and feedback here would be appreciated. I want to complete the job but not keen to paint further until I know a bit more.

Innov8tive

@MitchellMc no one has replied to my query, can you share any insight?

MitchellMc

I'm so sorry, @Innov8tive, you might have added your question after I had viewed your post.

Blue is a very hard colour to cover, especially stronger blues like the one on your wall, so patchiness at this stage is completely normal. You will usually need at least two solid coats of primer and sometimes even a third. If you reach three coats and the blue is still showing through, you can have the primer tinted grey to help block it out. From your photos it looks like you are getting decent coverage already, although the striping simply means some sections have a thinner layer of primer than others. One more even coat should bring it up enough for you to move on to your top coats.

The filler showing through is also expected because filled spots never have the same texture as the rest of the painted wall until they have been coated several times. It looks like the filler might still be sitting a little proud, so giving them a light sand will help, although the real blending happens once your roller builds up the same stippled texture over a couple of coats. Once you add your next coat of primer and finish with two top coats, those filled areas should blend much more naturally within the wall.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Innov8tive

@MitchellMc

That's ok. Thank you for the advice. Much welcomed. I bought another can of paint yesterday as I ran out. I thought given the very dark colour I might need two coats of the primer. I will send back the fillers again and pot the next coat on. Is there a reason that two lots of top coat need to go on?

Could you recommend a white paint for a top coat? Perhaps another Dulux brand?

Thanks Mitchell.

MitchellMc

When it comes to top coats @Innov8tive, getting full and even coverage in a single coat is almost impossible. You would have to apply it so heavily that it would risk runs and an uneven finish. If you use a white undercoat and then a white top coat you might feel like you are covering well in one pass, but standard practice is always two top coats so the colour sits evenly and the finish looks consistent across the whole wall.

For the finish itself, Dulux Wash and Wear is a reliable choice for a bathroom, since it gives you a durable, easy to clean surface that holds up nicely in these environments.

Mitchell

Innov8tive

@MitchellMc thanks for explaining. I understand now.

I should mention that this isn't the bathroom. It's just a standard room that's going to be my DJ Studio. So another paint suggestion would be appreciated. However will get that one for the bathroom

MitchellMc

Dulux Wash and Wear also offers a standard interior wall paint, which I would suggest.

Mitchell

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