Bathroom Color: About the use of wall paint in the bathroom
The bathroom is one of the most important rooms in a house. This is where we prepare for the day, spend relaxing hours or get ready for a special evening. Many people turn their bathroom into a real wellness and well-being oasis, while others place great value on a high level of functionality. Even if tastes differ when it comes to bathroom design, they all have one thing in common: In wet rooms, special bathroom paint is required, which is also known as wet room paint. You can find out why this is so important, which bathroom paints are available and what else you need to consider when buying and using the paint in our overview of bathroom paints below.
Why does it have to be a special wall paint for damp rooms?
So-called damp rooms, such as bathrooms, have particularly high demands on wall paint. The rooms have a constantly high level of humidity - and thus a rainforest climate. If you use conventional emulsion paint with a low pH value in the rooms, moisture will quickly be absorbed into the paint and thus provide the ideal breeding ground for mold. In the kitchen, there is also the fat content in the water vapor, which provides the best growth conditions for mold. Mold on surfaces is not only unsightly, but in the long term can even be dangerous to health. If mold spores get into the air, this can lead to allergies and chronic respiratory diseases.
Water-repellent paint for the bathroom
Special bathroom paint has been developed to combat the formation of mold, to prevent it and to avoid excessive moisture penetration. This reliably repels moisture and dirt, is water-resistant and thus deprives mold of its breeding ground. Unlike emulsion paint, it offers sufficient protection against moisture and is also scrub-resistant, abrasion-resistant, breathable and washable.
The mold-inhibiting paint is available commercially under the name BAUFIX bathroom and kitchen paint . Before you use the paint and paint the walls of damp rooms, you have to decide between damp room paints with chemical or natural ingredients.
Bathroom paint with fungicides and biocides
Fungicides or biocides are two chemical substances in bathroom paints that prevent mold and fungi from forming on the wall paint. They offer reliable protection and are contained in small quantities, just enough to ensure an effect. Cheap anti-mold paints have ingredients added to commercially available emulsion paints that can quickly pose a health risk. In general, you have to remember that fungicides or biocides are constantly released into the environment, which can cause problems for sensitive people and allergy sufferers. Leading manufacturers such as BAUFIX use a specially tailored and mild formula for bathroom paint for damp rooms to reduce the risk of mold formation.
The mold-inhibiting paint is available commercially under the name BAUFIX bathroom and kitchen paint . Before you use the paint and paint the walls of damp rooms, you have to decide between damp room paints with chemical or natural ingredients.
Bathroom paint with natural ingredients
Naturally based bathroom paint consists of mineral binding agents and offers protection against the formation of mold thanks to its high pH value, usually over 10. At the same time, the water vapor permeability ensures high breathability, which sustainably improves the air in the room. Moisture is absorbed by the bathroom paint and released again. The healthy, pollutant-free paint is available as lime paint or silicate paint, for example.
lime paint
Lime paint is based on calcium hydrate and is therefore a mineral paint. It is breathable, has a high pH value and is permeable to vapours. These bathroom paints absorb and release moisture. In contrast to chemical wall paints, they are environmentally friendly and ensure a healthy indoor climate. Unfortunately, however, they lose their protective effect over time. Lime paints are also harder to paint, are not scrub-resistant and are corrosive, which is why you should protect your eyes and hands when working with them. The paint also has the disadvantage that it is not equally suitable for all surfaces and is rarely easy to paint over after painting. Paint experts know that lime only adheres well to lime.
silicate paint
Silicate paints are mineral paints and also get their anti-mould and antibacterial effect from a high pH value. They contain potassium water glass, also known as potassium silicate. In contrast to lime paints, silicate paints are scrub-resistant after painting and abrasion-resistant after drying. The disadvantage is that special protective clothing must be worn when painting walls and ceilings with silicate paint, as the high pH value is corrosive. At the same time, the paint is only suitable for mineral surfaces and is only available as wall paint in specialist shops.
latex paint
In addition to lime paints and silicate paints, scrub-resistant acrylic latex paints can also be used as bathroom paint. The latex paints impress with their high wet abrasion resistance after drying. They are water-repellent and scrub-resistant. Instead of being used as bathroom paint, they are more often used in rooms such as stairwells and children's rooms, as the surfaces here are usually subject to heavy wear and tear.
What should I pay attention to when buying bathroom paint?
When buying bathroom paint, you should pay attention to a few important points in order to ultimately get the best result. When choosing the type of paint, consider the following criteria:
wet abrasion resistance according to EN standard 13300
fertility
gloss level
shade
wet abrasion resistance
The wet abrasion resistance is divided into classes according to the EN standard 13300 and indicates how resistant the wall paint is to mechanical abrasion. Wet room paints in class 1 have the greatest resistance after painting on the substrate. So that you can benefit from the property on plaster and walls, make sure that the wet room paint is classified in classes 1 and 2.
ingredients
Warning: When buying paint for damp rooms, look twice in the hardware store or online. High-quality bathroom paint or paint for damp rooms is labelled as bathroom and kitchen paint. Anti-mould interior paint usually has mould-killing preservatives mixed into normal emulsion paints and is sold cheaply as special paints for damp rooms. Very critical toxins are often used for this, which are released into the air when painted.
fertility
How much a paint can cover is determined by its opacity classes. These indicate how many square meters can be covered with one liter of paint. There are 4 classes:
- Class 1: highest opacity with at least 99.5%
- Class 2: Coverage between 98 and 99.5%
- Class 3: Coverage between 95 and 98%
- Class 4: Opacity less than 95%
The higher the opacity of the damp room paint, the fewer coats you will need, or you may even be able to get by with just one coat.
gloss level
The gloss level indicates how strongly the damp room paint reflects external light sources, directing them in a main reflection direction or reflecting them in a scattered manner. Craftsmen know: the less light is scattered, the more matt the wall paint appears. With damp room paint, you can choose between matt and satin gloss as a mold-inhibiting coating.
shade
When it comes to the color of the damp room paint, you can go according to your own taste. Even mineral bathroom paints are colorful these days. If, however, you prefer your own color, that's no problem. Simply mix color pigments that are alkali-resistant into the bathroom paint.
Which surface can I paint with bathroom paint?
Damp room paint is particularly suitable for walls such as plaster or plaster after adequate priming. The disadvantage: Unfortunately, it is not possible to paint woodchip wallpaper with bathroom paint. These are generally not suitable for damp rooms as they have a high cellulose content and the condensation can lead to mold. Vinyl wallpaper or other plastic wallpapers that are permeable to vapour and can be painted with the special wall paint are suitable. Paint with silicate needs mineral substrates such as stone, concrete, lime or lime-cement plaster. However, this should not be used on plaster.
Preparation
It is important that the room is dry and all surfaces are clean before painting with the bathroom paint. You should always remove mold beforehand. We recommend using BAUFIX mold remover . Cracks or holes also need to be closed.
Old wallpaper residues must be removed. For improved adhesion, it may be a good idea to apply a primer before painting. Of course, as with all other painting projects, you should protect furniture, skirting boards and sockets with masking tape.
Depending on the type of bathroom paint you have chosen, you will need different accessories. Damp-proof paints with anti-mould agents and silicate can be easily applied with a paint roller. Damp-proof paints with lime can be easily applied to the surface with a ceiling brush.
The removal of damp room paint also varies depending on the type.
- With silicate paint, the surface must be tapped off. However, the bathroom paint is durable and permeable to vapours, so it usually does not need to be removed. The colours can be painted over with the same type of wall paint.
- Lime paint is usually washable. If this is not the case, first moisten the bathroom paint and then remove the paint with a spatula, a wire brush or a sander.
- Bathroom paint as a special bathroom and kitchen paint can be easily removed with a spatula.
The wall paint is ideal for bringing a fresh and modern look to bathrooms and the like, while still being highly functional. Our BAUFIX bathroom and kitchen paint , which forms an effective film protection on surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom that are at risk of mold, can be mixed with up to 5% tinting colors. The protective properties are retained. Thanks to the selected ingredients, the solvent-free paint offers long-lasting protection and is water-dilutable, permeable to water vapor, low in odor and breathable - ideal conditions for a beautiful coat of paint on your walls.
Generally speaking, dark colors tend to make rooms appear smaller, while light colors make rooms appear larger. In small rooms, use all shades of white, pastel tones and light colors. If your bathroom is very large, you can use rich blue and green tones and other dark colors.
The following color types are currently particularly trendy:
- Neutral tones: Colors like beige, gray and white are timeless and create a calming atmosphere.
- Dark colors: navy blue, anthracite and black give the bathroom an elegant and luxurious ambience.
- Natural colors: Earth tones such as sand, taupe and olive bring an organic and natural look to the bathroom.
- Pastel shades: Soft colors like mint green, light blue and rose create a fresh and friendly atmosphere.
- Accent colors: Bold accents in colors such as turquoise, coral or mustard yellow create modern and vibrant highlights.
Yes, tile tiles in the bathroom can be painted. It requires thorough cleaning, special tile paint (chalk paint/varnishes) and sealing to achieve long-lasting results.
Our bathroom color: BAUFIX bathroom & kitchen paint
- Coverage class II according to DIN EN 13300 at 7 m²/l
- Wet abrasion resistance class III according to DIN EN 13300
- resistant to mold infestation
- for bathroom, kitchen, toilet & basement rooms
- water vapor permeable
- tintable
- washable