Spruce Up a Bathroom With a Fresh Coat of Paint

Rejuvenate any bathroom in your house with exciting new paint colors. It’s like getting a whole new room without spending a lot of money and it’s relatively easy to do.

There are two main phases: 1. Preparing the walls. 2. Painting. Be prepared, wall prep takes longer than the actual painting, but it's the most critical step. Painting is much easier, looks better and lasts longer if you prepare the walls correctly.

Visit the paint department at your local True Value store to find Idea Cards with the latest colors and palettes. And consider the finishes of the paints you choose - placing various finishes side by side is a great way to add texture and elegance to your walls. Keep in mind that more durable paints, eggshell, satins, semi-gloss and gloss sheens with mildewcides are recommended in high moisture rooms.

Caution: Breathe Fresh Air

Make sure you paint in a well-ventilated area - you don't want to inhale paint fumes all day. Also, take some breaks after finishing walls so you can stretch. Just don't take a break in the middle of painting a wall.

Step 1: Preparation
Before you begin, remove all towels, bath mats, shower curtains and other bathroom essentials. Once you've cleared out the room, determine whether any drywall or plaster repairs are required. If so, plan to allow time to make these repairs, including a day or two for the compound to dry. Be sure to clean surfaces that will be painted with mild detergent and water, and allow to dry. Then, mask off the areas you won't be painting - baseboards, windows, doors and electrical outlets - with painter's tape.

Safety Alert!

If you scrape, sand or remove old paint, you may release lead dust, which is toxic. Exposure to lead dust can cause serious illness, such as brain damage, especially in children. Pregnant women should also avoid exposure. Wear a NIOSH-approved respirator to control lead exposure. Clean up carefully with a HEPA vacuum and a wet mop. Before you start, find out how to protect yourself by contacting the National Lead Hotline at 1-800-424-LEAD or log on to www.epa.gov/lead

< back to top

Step 2: Prime Walls
Unless the existing finish is a flat sheen you'll need to apply a primer coat to make the new paint adhere. On flat-painted walls with minor repairs you may simply choose to spot prime. For walls with larger areas of patching plaster, use True Value EasyCare^® Stain-Killing primer. Priming doesn't require as much care as painting, but it's done the same way, with either a brush or a roller. Start with the ceiling, first covering the perimeter and unpainted areas around the fixtures.

Helpful Tip:

If you're using latex paints, Master Painter® polyester or nylon brushes work best. Use natural bristle brushes if you are working with oil-based or alkyd-based paints.

< back to top

Step 3: Apply Brushwork
First, mask the perimeter of the ceiling with painter's tape. Then, use True Value EasyCare^® Paint to paint the upper perimeter of the walls as well as all areas that cannot be covered with the roller. Because they're moisture resistant and more durable, we recommend going with an eggshell or satin finish. An angled sash brush works well for cutting in. Get as close to the area as you can and lay on the paint about 1/4 inch away from the edge of the surface. On the second pass, apply more pressure to carefully push the paint into place. Paint the second coat in the same way you painted the first coat.

Helpful Tips:

When using latex paint, ''cut in,'' or outline, an entire room before you start rolling on the paint. When using oil-based paint, only ''cut in'' what you can roll over before the cut-in area dries.
When doing the ceiling brushwork it is easier to have the paint in a smaller can, like a coffee can. That way you don't have to lug a heavy paint can up the ladder with you.

< back to top

Step 4: Rolling the Walls and Ceiling
Paint in 6-ft. square sections. Use a series of overlapping ''W'' strokes from right to left, then back from left to right. Spread the paint evenly using horizontal strokes.

Helpful Tips:

Feather the edges of the squares -- this means to use less pressure when you get to the edges. This prevents creating a line when the paint overlaps from another square. Keep working with the squares until the surface is complete. Without using more paint and using light strokes, re-roll from the bottom of the wall to the top (or across the ceiling) to insure that everything is even.
If using any other finish than flat, go over the entire surface (for very large areas do two square sections at a time) once again with one-directional, overlapping, non-diagonal strokes to blend the paint.
Be sure to choose a roller cover that suits the surface texture. Our Master Painter Roller Covers are designed to meet specific needs, like a "popcorn" or textured ceiling. Your True Value paint expert can recommend the right roller cover for your project.
Use the brush to paint wherever the roller doesn't reach - in the corners and next to the doors, windows and molding. Again, only dip one inch of the bristles into the paint.
Paint the second coat the same way you painted the first coat.
Roll closer edges without making a smeary mess. Put your hand inside a plastic bag then grasp the paint-soaked roller handle cage so it extends about one inch past the end of the roller. This allows you to roll right up to edges and hide any brush stroke messes.

< back to top

Step 5: Paint the Trim, Doors and Windows
For base molding run your painter's tape along the floor. (We recommend Scotch 3M Blue™ Tape.)

For a door you need to take off the handle and the strike plate. If you have inset panels, paint them first, then the horizontal bars and then the vertical.

For windows paint the top part of the outside sash and the inside sash. Make sure that you open and close the window every so often so the window doesn't stick. Don't worry about getting paint on the glass. Just wait a day and use a one-sided razor blade to scrape it off.

< back to top

Step 6: Clean Up
The last step is to clean up. Good brushes will last for many years if you treat them well. Use a brush comb to separate bristles that stick together near the heel of the brush. Rinse the brush out in water if you've used latex paint, or paint thinner for oil or alkyd based paint. When it clears thoroughly shake out excess liquid. Put the brush back in its protective sleeve OR hang it on a nail or hook. Don't throw the used paint thinner down the drain, some states won't allow it. Find out where you can dispose of it. Throw away the roller sleeves and clean up the trays. If you used tray liners, just toss them away.

Pick up the drop cloths, replace the switch and outlet plates and door hardware. Wipe off the lip of the paint can and replace the lid. Save the paint for touch ups.

Helpful Tip:

Before you put on the cover plates, put a piece of masking tape on the back. Write down the name of the paint color. Now you'll have the name of the paint color whenever you have to do touch-ups.

You're finished! Now step back and admire your new bathroom.

For more projects, go to TrueValuePaint.com. >

< back to top

print project | email