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Painting Bathroom

This took me three days partly because I agonized over every detail I think I could do it in two next time but depends on size of the room

Tools + Materials

  • Paint
    • Prefer Farrow & Ball (For bathroom it MUST be modern emulsion - the mould/damp resistant one)
    • Told Little Greene is good too
  • Primer
    • Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3 (water based)
    • Zinsser BIN (shellac) (if needed)
  • Cutting in brush
  • Painters Tape (only use frog tape)
  • Roller (Small, Large or Both as needed) + Tray
  • Sugar Soap
  • Sponge + Cloth
  • White Vinegar Spray (if cleaning mould)
  • Sand Paper Block Coure and Fine (the spongey block)
  • Filler (Bartoline All Purpose over polyfiller)
  • Filling Knife
  • Pipe Caps
  • Rad Bleed Key

Prep

Cleaning

For Mould

  • Spray with vinegar and leave for 30 mins
  • spray and wipe with more vinegar using kitchen towel
  • Mix bicarbonate and 50 degree water in spray bottle
  • spray and leave for 30 mins
  • spray and wipe with more solution using kitchen towel

?? * Sand walls using course to remove old paint, follow with finer, ensure smooth * Wipe down with damp cloth to remove dust * (optional) spray walls with sugar soap spray and wipe down with clean sponge * Leave to dry throuroughly

Repairs

Fill any hairline cracks

  • Rake out cracks, us blade at 45 degree angle to create a hold. ```/ is good, not _/_
  • hoover and brush any dust/debris
  • lightly wet any raw plaster
  • fill using fine filler, I prefer Bartoline (MIX WELL it should be a smooth paste)
  • Sand down using 100g soft sand pad.
  • Spot Prime

Fill any flaked paint or dents

  • remove all flakey paint
  • sand well with 180g
  • fill using fine filler
  • sand with 100g soft pad
  • spot prime

Fill any screw holes or nail damage

  • Sand well down using 180g
  • For drill holes sand just inside to create surface for filler to attach to
  • For blown plaster from nails spot prime FIRST
  • Fill using all purpose filler, I prefer Bartoline (for deep holes you may need to push in and add another layer after dry)
  • sand down using 100g soft sand pad
  • spot prime

Remove Towel Rail

This was scary, plumbing is scary. Its doable and you will get a much much better finish

Draining it take surprisingly long and I chicken out thinking the watter was still coming in. Be aware the water will be filthy.

Recommend watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qFAJLSs1RE&ab_channel=BestHeating

  • Turn rad valves clockwise as far as they will go, make sure tight but dont force it
  • Turn on heating, ensure rad stays cool
  • Remove screws securing it to the wall brackets
  • Put down a coupld towels and a bucket or kitchen sink... bucket
  • Using adjustable spanner undo one of the connecting nuts (use cloth or tape to protect surface)
  • Gently pull rad away from wall and drain into the bucket
  • Once empty undo the other nut, gently pull away from wall brackets and tilt to drain the remaining water
  • Store rad upside down in a safe place
  • Screw pipe caps on (optional but just to be safe)
  • Remove wall brackets makig a note of where each one goes (You can paint around them if you prefer, I did but it was a bit more hassle)

Putting it back on is just the reverse of this PLUS

  • First rad value, as water fills rad boiler pressure will tank. you can leave this value open
  • Open filling loop to boiler to top up pressure, once the rad is full it should climb and decrease (never go above 2 bar max, 1.5 safe)
  • If the pressure is stable the rad is full but including an air pocket
  • Open the bleed key to let air out, use cloth around bleed valve to pretect the fresh paint, again this will decrease boiler pressure. I had to take it in turns opening the bleed value and topping up the boiler until the rad was completely filled.

Method

Priming

Priming is optional and depends on the state of the wall. My bathroom wall was white and already painted so I choose not to prime the whole wall. You definately want to spot prime any damaged areas

  • Zinsser BullsEye is good priming over filler (2 coats)
  • Zinsser BIN is good paint blocking out stains like rising damp or unpainted wood (2 coats)
  • Zinsser BIN is also good for painting over mastic, water based paint wont dry on mastic and sealant without a shellac base

Painting

Im told that you should tape up anew for every coat but this sounds insane. Im prefer to tape up once but this requires extra time and care when remmoving it.

Paint in a well venitlated room. If you dont have windows using a fan might be a good idea but it may mean paint dries faster also

  • Tape up all straight edges (this takes a fair ammount of time)
  • Put down covers
  • Make sure paint is mixed well - be careful if shaking make sure the lid is on tight
  • Cut in edges
  • When rolling roll in all directions, not just up and down
    • Last time I rolled too close to the edge and painted over the tape and on to the ceiling 😭
    • One thing to try next time is using some card to guard against this but im not sure if thats a good idea or not yet...
  • leave to dry AT LEAST the recommended time for recoat, see tin
    • Use cling film to wrap up brushes and roller (and tray if lots of paint left)
  • Cut in edges again
  • Roller paint the rest, again in all directions
  • Leave to dry (honestly im not sure whether to let dry or remove tape at this stage...)
    • See tin but paint will need 24-48 to "cure". Im not sure when is okay to have a shower... We waited 24 hours...

Finishing Up

  • Remove Tape
    • When removing tape be EXTREMELY careful and take your time, if you dont you can tear the fresh paint away
    • Use the edge of a filling knife when pulling tape
    • You can also use a stanley knife but its very difficult to get a straight line
  • Touch Ups, you can use a smaller art brush to get any missed bits or straighten up lines if you have a steady hand
  • Any drips can normally be cleaned off of hard surfaces by scraping with a credit card gently
  • Clean Brushes
  • Water based can be done in the sink with running water
    • Oil based needs white spirit (or just bin the brush)