Painting Plaster Walls In Bathroom

Plaster walls in homes built before 1978 may contain residual lead based paint which the u s.

Painting plaster walls in bathroom.

The solution for previously patched plaster small cracks bumps and cracked and flaking paint even for old wood paneling and sand finish plaster is to use a wall liner. How to paint old plaster walls. Make sure the plaster is dry. A time honored tradition wall liners smooth away defects so that almost any wall can accept new paint or wallpaper.

They argue satin is more durable and shinier than eggshell and is ideal for a bathroom it s also easy to clean. Don t take short. You are now ready to apply the fresh paint coats. When the plaster peels or cracks mildew can actually grow beneath the top layer.

Follow these steps for perfect results every time. Using colored plaster rather than painting over a textured plaster finish ensures the color won t chip scrape or peel off even if the wall takes some abuse. Use it for the walls ceiling and even the trim because many satin finishes are tougher than they once were. Use a plaster based filler and sand to a smooth finish when dry.

It is worth the wait though to do it right. Do not scrape or disturb old painted surfaces until you have used an epa recognized lead testing kit to confirm that the walls are lead free. This could mean waiting a few days or even weeks for a room to dry. Old plaster walls are more temperamental than drywall so you have to put a little more elbow grease into the preparation work before you paint.

In terms of the actual paint finishes consumer reports recommends using either satin or semi gloss. You can at this point feather fill any edges of paint that came off when scrapping down and sanding the walls. After this apply a water based sealer coat such as zinsser bulls eye 123 all purpose primer and allow to dry. Satin and eggshell finishes are very popular and lighter neutral shades of cream and white are ideal if resale value is a concern.

Once plaster walls are properly patched and primed they can easily take any color or finish. The high humidity and wet conditions in a bathroom make its walls a prime breeding ground for mildew. Southwestern and spanish colonial homes are naturals for textured paint but you can adapt the imported italian technique to any architectural style if you keep it subtle. The best kind of paint for plaster walls is whatever color appeals to you.