Bathroom Paint: What to Know Before You Buy

When it's time to paint a bathroom, choosing the best type of paint for the room is the most important decision besides choosing wall colors. You want to choose a bathroom paint that is best suited for a room with higher humidity. The best sheens or finishes for bathrooms usually include eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and high-gloss.

Some paint manufacturers label paint cans as "bathroom paint" for marketing purposes, making it easier for people to grab paint off the shelf. However, these specially labeled paints usually have other benefits like mildew resistance, water resistance, and washability. For a premium price, paint manufacturers also make bathroom-safe paints that are matte or flat, which, in a regular can of paint, would not stand up to moisture, but their special formulations do.

Things to Consider When Choosing Bathroom Paint

Paints that perform well in bathrooms have a few key characteristics:

1. Mildew-inhibiting properties: Bathroom paint has anti-microbial additives that help resist (but not completely prevent) mildew or mold.
2. Washable finish: Since bathroom walls need an occasional wipe-down or scrubbing, good bathroom paint is slightly tougher and more resilient than other interior paints.
3. Tight structure: Some paints have a tighter structure, which can make lower-gloss sheens perform as well as higher-gloss paints in high-moisture environments.

Why Bathrooms Are Hard On Paint

Bathrooms are wet. As a result, moisture should be your first concern when laying down a fresh coat of paint on your walls. Moisture affects your bathroom walls in two ways. Damp air from steamy baths and showers collects on the walls. Then, water directly from the shower, bath, or sink gets splashed onto the walls.

Moisture can damage paint when it penetrates the paint layer and contacts the drywall or plaster surface underneath. This can lead to peeling paint and mold growth. The less porous the paint coating, the less moisture gets through.

How Paints Resist Moisture

Long before mildew-resistant properties were added to paint, using high-gloss paints was the most effective way of dealing with bathroom moisture. The higher the gloss, the better the paint finish performs in bathrooms. In older bathrooms, you will often find high-gloss finishes on all surfaces. High-gloss paints do not prevent mildew, but they make easy work when wiping down those drippy, brown stains characteristic of bathrooms.

The Best Paint to Use In Bathrooms

Paint finishes come in a range of sheens, from flat or matte (the lowest gloss) to high gloss (the highest).

Flat

Flat or matte is usually considered the worst option. "One problem with flat finishes in moist environments is that they are porous and tend to trap moisture," said Steve Revnew from Sherwin-Williams. "Glossy finishes, by contrast, practically 'bead water.'"

The rule of thumb is to avoid flat or matte and go more glossy in bathrooms. But high-end paint manufacturers are breaking some of the rules. Some high-quality paints branded as "bathroom paint" have special formulations, including flat or matte options that will resist moisture. For example, Sherwin-Williams' Emerald line and Benjamin Moore's Aura Bath And Spa Matte Finish paint are low-sheen and specially designed for high-moisture areas.

Eggshell

If you think about a chicken egg, its surface looks matte but allows water to bead on it. Eggshell paint is similar; it has a slight sheen, much like a chicken egg. It is more washable and resists water better than flat paint; however, moisture will eventually permeate it. It's best used in a low-moisture bathroom.

Zinsser's Perma-White paint claims to be guaranteed to prevent the growth of mold and mildew for a minimum of five years. Perma-White can be tinted to off-white, pastel, and medium colors. It comes in eggshell, satin, and semi-gloss finishes.

Satin

Satin and eggshell are sometimes interchangeable, depending on the paint manufacturer. It usually has a bit of a gloss, somewhat more than an eggshell. It is another good option for a low-moisture bathroom. A good satin paint finish for bathrooms is Behr's Premium Plus Satin Enamel Low Odor Interior Paint and Primer in One.

Semi-Gloss

Semi-gloss is one of the best choices for a bathroom, repelling water well and keeping the bathroom looking elegant. It edges out high gloss as the top choice for bathrooms since most do not want an ultra-shiny surface on their bathroom walls. Good options for semi-gloss include PPG UltraLast Base 1 Semi-Gloss Interior Paint and Behr's Premium Semi-Gloss Enamel Low Odor Interior Paint and Primer in One.

Glossy or High-Gloss

High gloss is the least porous of the paint finishes, but beware since ultra-glossy paints can cheapen the look in a room. It's best used on wall trim, baseboards, and bathroom cabinets. Valspar Ultra High-Gloss Ultra White/Base A Enamel Tintable Interior Paint is a good choice for glossy paint.

Cost of Bathroom Paint vs. Standard Paint

Paint labeled "bathroom paint" tends to be at the high end of interior paints, excluding overpriced designer paints. You can expect to pay about as much as, or a little more than, premium standard paint, or about $50 to $100 per gallon. The good news is you'll get high-quality paint designed to last in the bathroom. And fortunately, small bathrooms usually take less than a gallon for two coats.

On the other hand, if you don't need low-sheen paint in your bathroom, you should be happy with good-quality satin, semi-gloss, or high-gloss standard paint with antimicrobial additives and a highly washable finish.