So what’s the deal, really? How long will it take for paint to dry before you shower? Paint can dry in hours but really, it could take more time. Showering right after you paint your bathroom may damage the fresh coat.
Yes, I know it’s an inconvenience.
Table of Contents
- After you paint a bathroom can you shower
- Why does it take so long for paint to dry
- Do you need primer to paint a bathroom
- Why bathroom walls need primer before painting
- What is the best paint for bathroom
- How long does it take water-based paint to cure
- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
After you paint a bathroom can you shower
Painting the bathroom with a fresh coat of paint is an excellent home improvement but comes with inconveniences, especially if you love to shower every day.
A new layer of paint will make your bathroom look beautiful and might even increase your home’s value should you decide to list it in the market in the future.
You have to wait 48 to 72 hours after you paint. This timeframe allows the paint to dry entirely and ensures that it doesn’t streak down the wall or the bathroom floor.
Why does it take so long for paint to dry
The main culprit here is often humidity. When the air is filled with too much moisture, the paint will have difficulty or even refuse to dry out completely.
Do you need primer to paint a bathroom
Whether you need a primer to paint your bathroom or not depends on the condition of the bathroom walls. Clean the walls; a very light or skim coat should be enough if these are still in great shape.
If holes in the wall require fixing before the paint job, consider using a primer, especially for bathroom walls.
To achieve professional-looking results, make sure you clean all areas before the painting starts to get rid of surface contaminants. If there are any imperfections, make sure you sand these down, prepare, and fill them at this point.
Priming the bathroom walls with a single coat of primer can create an excellent base for the topcoat application and help with the color change if your bathroom walls were previously painted.
Why bathroom walls need primer before painting
Despite installing extractor fans, bathrooms are moist due to the steam from showers and baths. If you don’t prime your bathroom walls properly before painting, after some time, the paint will begin to peel or flake because of this moisture.
Small bathrooms with little to no ventilation are usually damp. The constant dampness can result in mildew on the bathroom ceilings and walls. But if you use a suitable primer, you can stop mold development in the bathroom.
What is the best paint for bathroom
Water-based latex paint is considered the best type of paint for bathrooms. Oil paint is known for its durability and the ability to endure scrubbing, qualities expected from bathroom paints. However, it requires using mineral spirits for cleaning up.
This type of paint also tends to dry slowly between coats and even releases high levels of VOCs or volatile organic compounds. Oil paint will likely turn yellow after some time, particularly under low light conditions.
For this reason, latex paint is a much better choice for bathrooms. Most formulas you can find today boast improved resistance to moisture and durability. Just make sure that if you use water-based latex paint, choose a washable paint.
This type of paint often has a tighter molecular structure that prevents water penetration. It means you can scrub away residues without worrying that the moisture from your cleaning efforts will ruin your new paint job.
If you have plans to give your bathroom a complete makeover, the best thing you can do is to look for quicker-to-dry and easier-to-use latex paint. You can use water to clean up spills and brushes. If your space is smaller, you can also breathe easier using a low VOC type of paint.
How long does it take water-based paint to cure
Water-based paint might dry up enough for a second coat in as little as 30 minutes, but this could also take as long as 3 hours. This type of paint must be completely cured in around 30 days.
Curing and drying times are both critical to ensuring longevity.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How long does it take for Dulux bathroom paint to dry
Suppose you are using Dulux bathroom paint for painting your bathroom. In that case, you need to wait for up to 6 hours between coats and at least 24 hours for this paint to completely dry before you subject the room to condensation, such as taking a shower.
How long does it take to paint a small bathroom
The smallest bathrooms in the United States often measure approximately 20 to 30 square feet. Many of these are half-bathrooms with a sink, shower, and toilet. Painting bathrooms of this size can take 2 to 8 hours to complete.
Smaller bathrooms may also be painted in 2 to 4 hours, and a good painter may take over one hour to finish the project. For a medium-sized bathroom measuring 5′ x 8′, it might take 4 to 6 hours to paint it in two layers if you also want to paint the walls, trims, doors, and ceiling. If you only need to paint the walls, it might take around 2 hours.
For larger bathrooms measuring 10’ x 10’, the painting job might take more than 4 hours.
The general rule of thumb here is that for an average painter, it takes about 45 minutes to one hour to paint the ceilings and walls of an average bathroom with the initial coat and half this time to apply the second coat. Professional painters can often complete the job faster.
- About the Author
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John Thompson, Writer and Commentator, EvolutDesign.com
Soldier, writer, researcher, consultant, and bon vivant, John Thompson is the author of numerous columns, op-eds, reports, briefs, short stories and books as the “Felicity Files” and “Spirit Over Steel: A Chronology of the Second World War” (version III). Often found hunched over his computer, or in his garden, and now often found doing both. His diverse talent has led him to work in industries and projects such as energy, security and home construction and renovation. To see the entire team at Evolutdesign.com, visit Our Team page.
