No room in a house gets a workout like the kitchen and bathrooms. That’s doubly true for the paint job, which takes a pounding from heavy use, moisture, grease, food, cosmetics and chemical cleaners. Still, a great-looking, durable bath and interior paints help you produce a great-looking, long-lasting finish. Prep it right, control the moisture and you’re done.

It’s not the heat….
Kitchens and bathrooms are different from other interior spaces, largely because of the chronic high humidity they experience. This is particularly true for bathrooms, which are smaller and get daily exposure to water vapor from the shower and bath. Bit kitchens can produce a lot of steam, too. Spattering grease, sauces and other food can also mark the walls, making frequent cleaning a necessity. The same is true in the bathroom, where cosmetics, hair care products, toothpaste and other materials can ed up everywhere, including the walls.

Keep it dry
There are many fine coatings designed for kitchens and baths today. But even the best doesn’t stand a chance in a room that traps moisture. “Without proper ventilation, paint will peel – no matter how much effort you put into the preparation and regardless of the paint you use,” says George Gounaris, owner of Painting Pros in Chicago. “We always try to find some way for the customer to get the room ventilated.” With ventilation ensured, prep can begin. As with any project, the prep requirements will vary with the walls. As a general rule, however, new plaster or masonry surfaces must be allowed to cure 30 days before priming. Then walls should be wiped down to remove every speck of dust. Any trace of dirt, wax grease, dust, mildew or chipped paint on the surface will impede coating adhesion later, notes Daniele Martin, marketing manager for The Muralo Company. Glossy surfaces must be properly dulled with sandpaper. Walls should be patched and sanded smooth, says Rust-Oleum Zinsser brand manager Beth Froncek. Gounaris recommends a vinyl spackle that won’t shrink when it dries.

Going for the gloss
Sheen is an issue with kitchen and bath projects, because walls are washed frequently and regularly exposed to steam. While flatter matte paints excel at hiding imperfections, higher sheens have traditionally performed better in humidity; they also had the edge for washability and scrubbability. That’s not necessarily true anymore, though. “Resin technology today has enabled the ability to offer lower sheens such as eggshell and matte that are able to exhibit good washability and resistance to chemical stains such as lipstick and shaving cream,” says Pease. Revnew agrees, calling durable flats one of the biggest advances in recent years. “These products offer washability, scrubbability and resistance to moisture – all key to a quality kitchen and bath product,” he notes.

Choosing a color
Color choice is more than an aesthetic decision for kitchen and bath paints. Water sports will show up much more easily on a dark color, especially if the home or office has hard water, says Gilbert. He also discourages deep blues or reds. “Something lighter and muted is always best for shower areas,” he advises. All of these issues hold equally true for commercial and residential projects, by the way. Commercial kitchens and baths also need washable, stain and mildew-resistant paint that holds up to regular cleaning. Here, too, better-quality paint will provide easier application, better results, and greater durability. For commercial kitchens, Spillane advises a waterborne epoxy, saying it stands better to strong commercial grade chemicals and cleaners.

This is the first of an ongoing series, a peek behind the scenes at DFW Painting. This is a huge job in McKinney and today’s video is Day One “Prepping”

Thanks to modern technology, the Internet provides lots and lots of places to find color wheels, tips and even places to give your kids a chance to do a virtual makeover.

One thing to keep in mind is that room colors can affect your child, both psychologically and physically. Maturity, cultural influences, personal experiences, light and even physical makeup are just a few of the elements that influence how an individual will respond to color.

Warm Colors – these colors are on the red side of the color wheel. These colors usually give one a feeling of warmth, intimacy and relaxation. However, intense warm colors such as reds and oranges tend to stimulate and excite. If your child is warm and affectionate, you might suggest choosing colors from the red side of the wheel.

Cool Colors – these colors will be found on the blue side of the color wheel. Cool colors often have a calming affect, although intensely cool colors (very dark) have a tendency to depress the viewer. Painting kid rooms, light cool colors such as blue green, light blue, blue-violet and even white have a calming effect and make rooms feel more spacious and elegant.

Earth Tones – Ground colors like grays, browns, and beige (muted yellows) ground you. They are a good choice for hyperactive children, creating a sense of warmth, comfort and relaxation.

Muted ground colors are best. Just look outside for examples of the browns and grays found in squirrels, trees, and the earth.

Black -Black is best used sparingly if at all. Traditionally it represents darkness, despair, sorrow and mourning and subconsciously it is strongly associated with death. When it is used in large amounts it absorbs light and it can generate depression and/or zap the energy out of the viewer.

While discussing painting kid rooms, teens often mention black as a color choice. For them it’s creates a sense of mystery and modern style. The style they want to communicate can still be reached using black in restricted amounts, as accents or accessories. That said, black should not be used in large amounts, especially in rooms that are used frequently.

White – White predominately represents peace, faith, joy, cleanliness and of course, purity. Since white reflects almost 80% of light, white rooms seem brighter and larger than rooms painted in other colors. It’s a great palate that can enhance other colors in the room.

Just because a paint is flat does not mean it’s cheap. The guts of a high quality flat paint can be much better than a junky semi-gloss. High quality flat paints will hold their color and sheen and will touch-up very well.

Recently, I went to a customer’s home in Frisco in which we completed a full interior job, 2-years previously. They were putting the house on the market and wanted freshen up the entire interior. They just assumed, like most, that the stored original paint wouldn’t match for a perfect touch-up. We pulled a can out of the garage, touched it up, and they were amazed that it blended right in. It saved them about $3,000.  If the  walls were originally painted in an eggshell or satin, they would have to repainted most of the walls.

The ballparks are based on a typical kitchen in a 2,000 to 4,000 square foot house.

$1,250
- Repainting the front side of the cabinets and doors with a brush.

$2,500
- Repainting inside and outside with a spray rig.

$3,750
- Painting cabinets that are currently stained.
- Painting or staining cabinets that are bare wood.

$850
Will usually get a one coat faux technique done on the cabinets.

Please keep in mind that every job is different and your job could be more of less. If you are interested in getting a firm estimate. Fill out our request a quote form and tell us a little about your project. Even if your interested in learning a little more about the process drop us a line or give us a ring. We’re always happy to help in any way we can.