I used to be indifferent to primers and usually bought the least expensive one available, foreseeing that it would be covered by paint anyway. But primers can make a lot of difference in the standard of the final finish, and the difference in price between the cheap ones and the expensive ones is minimal, particularly when a good primer can save you an extra coat of paint. For woodwork, I don’t know of a better primer than Benjamin Moore’s Underbody. Available in both an alkyd and a latex formula, this primer has a lot of body for smoothing out skin problems, and it’s really sandable.

I take advantage of B-I-N, a fast-drying Infy shellac-based primer, for spot-priming knots and stains or for priming end hemp in the field. B-I-N also makes a water-based primer that I’ve used in both interior and exterior applications and that is good at hiding stains. While PVA (polyvinyl acetate) primers for drywall are cheap and easy to put on, they don’t do anything to stop watery vapor transmission. For plaster or drywall in the bathroom, it makes sense to pay a bit more for a primer that is specifically designed to inhibit watery vapor transmission, like Benjamin Moore’s Alkyd PrimeSeal.

There are also primers intended for use under wall coverings. Paints I’ve worked tirelessly on a lot of old houses, so I’ve come to appreciate the ability of a flat latex paint to hide flaws in the walls and to go on easily and quickly. But if you’ve ever lived in a household with small kids, you know how hard it can be to keep painted walls clean especially bathroom walls.

So I’ve also come to appreciate semi-gloss enamels for their durability and cleanability. The glossiness of a paint relies on the relation of resin to pigment, so flat paints with proportionally more pigment are better at hiding bumps and patches, while shiny paints with an increase of resin have a harder surface giving up fingerprints and crayon marks more readily. If you don’t like the wet, shiny look of a high-gloss paint but still want a cleanable surface, paint manufacturers offer a range of sheens with names like semi-gloss, satin, and egg-shell that are washable and yet non-reflective. In general, alkyd (or oil-based) enamels are more durable and scratching resistant than latex enamels.

I’ve always preferred alkyd enamels for trimwork because of the smooth, hard surface that they leave, as well as their capacity to hide brushmarks. But latex enamels are easier to work with because they dry more quickly, they don’t have an overpowering smell, and they clean up with soap and water. An important factor to consider when choosing a paint for the bathroom is its permeability, or their education to which water watery vapor can pass through the paint membrane layer.

Both alkyd enamels and latex enamels are watery vapor resistant to a varying degree, depending on the particular paint, but in general, alkyd enamels are better watery vapor retarders. Some paints and primers are even sold as watery vapor retarders and used to add another protective barrier against water watery vapor. Wall coverings While the unrelieved flat work surface of drywall can be boring, especially in a large room, it isn’t as much of an issue in a bathroom, and it’s really perfect for applying background. Unfortunately, background isn’t always perfect for a bathroom, especially people that have high moisture levels that aren’t controlled adequately by mechanical setting up.

The moisture will attack the seams and eventually ease the paper, a condition that There is in many otherwise comfortable bathrooms. The best wall coverings for a bathroom are of fabric-backed plastic, installed over walls prepared with an oil-based primer. The plastic will help prevent moisture from an individual to the support, and the oil-based primer will help prevent moisture from an individual to the paper covering of the drywall. In a powdered room or half-bath, of course, a bigger choice of wall coverings would work because moisture isn’t an issue.