Dianne-TX Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 We painted our bathroom and used some paint we already had. We didn't think until later if it was the kind to use in a bathroom or not. Well, it's a "flat" paint and if I remember correctly it wasn't recommended for use in a bathroom or kitchen. But, "recommended" and "absolutely not" are two different things. We originally used this paint for our living room so I don't have any background on it's use in a moisture filled room like a bathroom. From my search online, I've seen more responses to not use flat in a bathroom because of the moisture. However, I've seen some responses that say it's no big deal. My google search only turned up "Yahoo answers" which is like a message board and the responders aren't necessarily home improvement experts. So, those answers don't satisfy me. Can anyone confirm if using a flat paint in a bathroom isn't okay. My dh is out now going to the home improvement store to get another kind of paint just in case, but if it's no big deal I can stop him. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Flat paint isn't really washable. Gloss or semi-gloss is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Just get ready to touch up the paint often. I don't use flat paint anywhere. I use satin in most places. Looks just like flat to me but then I used semi-gloss on every wall when I had 3 toddlers and loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 :iagree:The issue isn't that it's going to mold or something -- but it will show everything and if you attempt to wash it, you'll most likely wind up looking at the drywall underneath, and/or your "wash marks" will appear darker. Semi-gloss would be much better (we use gloss on wooden shelving and mouldings also for wear & tear/washability). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 I used flat on our bathroom walls 9 years ago and nothing bad has happened, other than not really liking the color. And this was applied to pre-finished oak flooring that was applied to the walls horizontally, so if it was going to fail, this would be the application. We have no marks to speak of... our bathroom is not a high wall-traffic sort of area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Growing up (and to this day, I think, although they might use eggshell now that it's an option) my parents had flat paint everywhere. There house always looks great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 The first and last time I used flat paint it had marks all over it with in the month from barely being rubbed against and would not wipe off. Not a pretty sight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 It is very hard to clean and it will 'bleed' onto the base boards/moulding if it gets wet and the color of the flat paint is dark. Hmm...I wonder how she knows that, could it be the beautiful purple flat paint that has turned the base boards pink in my bathroom...no, that can't be it LOL. It does hold moisture and mold grows easier, but a good exhaust fan has kept that from happening for the most part in our bathroom. Congrats on the new look! I love new paint! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 It is very hard to clean and it will 'bleed' onto the base boards/moulding if it gets wet and the color of the flat paint is dark. Hmm...I wonder how she knows that, could it be the beautiful purple flat paint that has turned the base boards pink in my bathroom...no, that can't be it LOL. It does hold moisture and mold grows easier, but a good exhaust fan has kept that from happening for the most part in our bathroom. Congrats on the new look! I love new paint! LOL! Poor Dianne, don't let us scare you. If it's your own bathroom and bedroom it will probably be fine. You may have to touch it up a bit and that's not the end of the world. It's better than repainting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted December 31, 2008 Author Share Posted December 31, 2008 Oh, no, I'm okay! Really. :) My dh actually already got some semi-gloss paint to paint over what he already did just to be safe. He would rather have what is best for a bathroom anyway. Thanks for all the responses. It does look like it's a mixed opinion and no definite answer. And, yes, I agree that the flat paint shows more spots where you wash it and doesn't wear as nicely. We used flat paint in our living room and you can see those flawed areas where it was washed or rubbed against. But, it's liveable and I'm not complaining. We wouldn't be painting right now anyway, but due to the hurricane we had to make repairs. Fun! Thanks again for the responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 We painted our bathroom and used some paint we already had. We didn't think until later if it was the kind to use in a bathroom or not. Well, it's a "flat" paint and if I remember correctly it wasn't recommended for use in a bathroom or kitchen. But, "recommended" and "absolutely not" are two different things. We originally used this paint for our living room so I don't have any background on it's use in a moisture filled room like a bathroom. From my search online, I've seen more responses to not use flat in a bathroom because of the moisture. However, I've seen some responses that say it's no big deal. My google search only turned up "Yahoo answers" which is like a message board and the responders aren't necessarily home improvement experts. So, those answers don't satisfy me. Can anyone confirm if using a flat paint in a bathroom isn't okay. My dh is out now going to the home improvement store to get another kind of paint just in case, but if it's no big deal I can stop him. Thanks! Yes, the semigloss your dh got (in your later post) will be fine. It's also possible to add an anti-mould agent to the paint, but if you keep your bathroom well ventilated & dry, you shouldn't need it. I have gloss in my bathroom because it's easiest to clean (dh humoured me because he doesn't like gloss). Dh prefers the look of flat, but even he would never put it in a bathroom (he's a painter.) Because we have 3 dc, he painted over the flat paint in our house. He did the upstairs before we moved in (new house). By the time he did the downstairs a year later some of it already looked bad because you just can't wash flat paint properly. For this reason, I now hate the look of flat paint because that's what I think of when I see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 My brother is a union painter and never, ever uses flat paint. We use semi here. I would probably repaint because I'm an OCD type of gal who couldn't stand not having the ability to clean up those walls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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