Painting Kitchens and Bathrooms

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Painting Kitchens and Bathrooms

Why these rooms are different, preparation, paint types and ventilation

Kitchens and bathrooms defeat ordinary emulsion, and the reasons are moisture, grease and the amount of wiping the surface takes.

Why these rooms are different

Steam condenses on cool surfaces, grease deposits on everything within reach of a hob, and both walls get cleaned far more often than a living room. Standard matt emulsion absorbs moisture, marks when wiped and grows mould.

Preparation does most of the work

Wash walls with sugar soap or a degreaser and rinse, since paint will not bond to a greasy surface however good it is. Fill and sand damage, and treat any mould with a proper fungicidal wash rather than painting over it.

Painting over mould without killing the spores means it returns within months.

Paint types

Kitchen and bathroom emulsions contain a moisture-resistant binder and usually a mould inhibitor, and they wipe clean. Satin and eggshell finishes resist marking better than matt.

For cabinets and woodwork, a purpose-made cabinet or furniture paint with the correct primer lasts far longer than wall paint, and needs a full cure of days to weeks before heavy use.

Tiles and melamine

These can be painted with the right primer, and the finish depends entirely on degreasing and a light key. Expect it to be less durable than the original surface.

Ventilation matters more than paint

An extract fan run during and after showering or cooking is what prevents condensation and mould. Paint manages the symptom.

Tools and technique

A good synthetic brush for water-based paint and a small foam roller for flat panels. Two thin coats beat one thick one, which runs and takes far longer to cure properly.

Cut in the edges first and keep a wet edge, working in sections rather than stopping halfway along a wall.

Curing

Touch dry is not cured. Most finishes take days to weeks to harden fully, so treat painted cabinets and woodwork gently at first.

Colour and light

Paint looks different in a north-facing room and under artificial light. Buy sample pots, paint a large piece of card rather than the wall, and move it around the room at different times of day.

Two coats of the actual colour on the card, since a single thin coat misleads.

Storage and disposal

Store tins sealed, upright and frost free. Never pour paint down a drain — let it dry out or take it to a household waste site.

Mask sockets and switches rather than painting around them freehand.

Working safely

Ventilate while painting, keep lids on between coats, and never pour paint or washings down a drain.

Let leftover paint dry out or take it to a household waste site.

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