Everybody wants a beautiful bathroom. Nevertheless, the bathroom also tends to be viewed as one of the most challenging and potentially problematic rooms of the home to paint.

Which it can be, but it doesn’t have to be.

Bathrooms have a lot in common with kitchens when it comes to interior painting. Specifically, the fact that there is pretty much no margin for error and you cannot simply make things up as you go along. If looking to produce an outstanding and lasting result, you need to be proactive and mindful of the decisions you make and the actions you take.

If you have previously endured the unpleasantness of a disappointing result when painting the bathroom, don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re certainly not in the minority. What’s more, by learning from the collective mistakes of those who’ve fallen foul before, you stand every chance of ensuring that the same thing doesn’t happen again.

So with this in mind, what follows is our own top-five pick of the most common bathroom painting mistakes you might want to avoid at all costs:

1. Ignoring Sheen Choice. If there’s one thing you cannot afford to overlook when it comes to bathroom painting, it’s paint sheen. Roughly translated, how glossy or otherwise the final result will be. Paints with a comparatively high level of sheen are typically far more durable and resistant than their counterparts. They are also considerably easier to clean, as and when required. The only real downside being that glossy paints also make it borderline impossible to hide imperfections on the surface being painted. Which means you’ll need to ensure your surfaces are adequately prepared, if going for an eggshell or semi-gloss product – the best choices for most bathrooms.
2. Mold and Mildew Protection. Or should that be, a glaring lack thereof. Given that the walls of your bathroom will be exposed to heavy and on-going moisture, they are far more likely to develop problems with mold and mildew than the other walls around your home. These days, many specialist paint products are designed to actively inhibit the growth of mold and mildew, making it far easier to avoid these kinds of problems in the first place.
3. Wet Walls. It’s pretty much impossible to state or even guess how long any given bathroom is going to need, before being dry enough to paint. It all depends on its size, shape, current wall coverings, ventilation and so on. The general rule of thumb however being that whatever length of time you believe is appropriate, add at least 50% onto it…or double it. After all, it’s impossible for any bathroom to be too dry to effectively paint, but even a hint of residual moisture in the worst possible place could put a real crimp on the final result.
4. Drying Time. Of course, the same can also be said on the exact opposite end of the equation. The very worst thing you can do is make the mistake of attempting to use your bathroom as normal, before giving that final coat of paint sufficient time to dry. Once again, it’s advisable to allow whatever drying time you believe to be sufficient and then add a little extra on for good measure. If looking to produce the best possible results, perfection can’t be rushed!
5. Ignoring Imperfections. A crack here, a small damp patch there, a sign of mold somewhere else – all the kinds of minor imperfections you may or may not come across when tackling your bathroom. In all such instances however, it’s never a good idea to simply ignore them. Particularly due to the nature of the bathroom environment, minor imperfections are largely guaranteed to slowly build into severe problems with time. This means that given how you have every opportunity to correct them right now, do so or risk rather unfortunate consequences!

Of course, the very best way of ensuring that your bathroom comes out looking like a dream is to hire the professionals. Contrary to popular belief, working with the pros can actually prove more cost-effective than investing in all the gear and accessories required to get the job done manually. As it costs nothing to find out, it’s always worth asking!

To discuss any of our painting services in more detail or to arrange an obligation-free quotation, get in touch with a member of the Homm CPS customer support team today.