We recently published a piece detailing the five (sort of) simple steps involved in painting the kitchen. As a follow-up, we’ll now be showing you the ten steps involved in successfully painting your bathroom.

Once again, the bathroom tends to be the kind of space that goes overlooked indefinitely. Perhaps largely to do with the fact that it can be a uniquely complicated room to paint. Along with all the fixtures and furniture you’ll need to negotiate, you also need to think about protecting your walls with the right paint.

Still, approach the job like a pro and you’ll be looking at superb results in no time.  It’s all about strategy – breaking things down into a bunch of steps, which you’ll then take one at a time.

So if you’re considering giving your bathroom a new lick of paint in the near future, here’s how to get the job done like a pro:

1. Remove Mold

Right off the bat, you’ll need to get rid of every trace of mold and mildew you come across. These are exactly the kinds of unsightly problems you do not want to make the mistake of painting over. You’ll find a whole bunch of cleaning products at your local store that are designed to deal with mold and mildew.

2. Clear The Room

As always, absolutely anything that isn’t bolted to the ground should be removed. That is, unless it can be easily un-bolted, in which case you might as well take it out! Toilet roll holders, towel rails, mirrors, shelves and so on – the more you remove, the easier the job becomes. Just be sure to hang on to any screws, bolts, nuts and so on you’ll be needing to put them back again when you’re done.

3. Prepare The Walls (And Ceiling)

Preparation essentially means noting any imperfections and doing whatever’s needed to correct them. If the paint that’s already on the walls is chipping, flaking and cracking, you’ll need to remove it. If there are any glossy surfaces, they’ll need to be sanded to a slightly rough finish to ensure the paint adheres.

4. Clean Up

Remove as much residual dust and dirt as you can, before giving the surfaces you intend to paint a good clean. Some mild detergent will usually be more than sufficient, which can then be rinsed away with cold water. Be sure to give the whole thing as much time as it needs to dry, avoiding any activities that may steam-up the bathroom in the interim.

5. Cover Up

Anything that couldn’t be removed from the bathroom – such as the floor – will need to be sufficiently protected. Irrespective of how careful you are, you’re guaranteed to end up with paint all over the place. Use dust sheets, masking tape and protective coverings to safeguard the rest of the room.

6. Prepare Your Tools

Ensure that all the brushes and rollers you intend to use are in good condition.  For the best possible results, choose a mold-resistant paint that is specifically designed for the bathroom.

7. Paint The Ceiling

When painting the bathroom, it’s a good idea to paint the ceiling first. The reason being that you’ll probably splatter a fair amount of the stuff on the surrounding walls, which isn’t a big deal when they haven’t yet been painted.

8. Paint The Walls

After which, you can get to business painting the rest of the walls. Where walls meet woodwork – doorframe, baseboards etc. – overlap the paint by an inch or so. This will help ensure clean and crisp lines are created when finishing things off.

9. Paint The Woodwork

The final step in the painting process is to tend to the more precise features and fixtures around the room. If possible, wait until the paint on the walls is dry before going ahead and painting the woodwork. You’ll be far less likely to mess up your beautifully painted walls while scurrying all over the place, if they’re already nice and dry.

10. Apply Touch-Ups

Last but not least, take a good look over the whole thing and decide if there’s anything you aren’t completely satisfied with. If any touch-ups are needed whatsoever, it simply makes sense to get them out of the way now. No point putting it off onto a later date, when you’re already covered in paint from head to toe!

For more information on any aspect of interior painting or to discuss your requirements in more detail, reach out to a member of the team at Homm CPS today.