Best paint for bathrooms?

[michael]

Can any body suggest the best type of paint to use on bathroom walls without resorting to tiles? I suppose the question could also extend to kitchens and other waterborne areas.

In the interests of breathability, I recently scraped off some peeling white emulsion paint from my bathroom wall and redecorated with nice olive green clay paint. This is only on one wall along which stands the WC, Bidet and wall hung radiator. The only problem is any water splashes from the bidet are immediately absorbed by the clay paint and remain there unsightly until the splashes have evaporated away. Also like lime wash the clay paint is very difficult to clean. I accidently sprayed a little bathroom cleaner onto the wall whilst cleaning the WC and when I tried to wipe it off a little of the paint came away as well and left a slight milky stain on the wall. Would emulsion be a better bet in this instance?

 

[skier-hughes]

I find by the time I've walked away and come back to our ensuite or the kitchen any water spalshes have dried up. We've used caesin distemper. It is impossible to clean though

 

[AMc]

I think you're stuck here - if you want a wipeable finish then it will be waterproof in the proper nonbreathable way.
Kitchen and bathroom paint is AFAIK properly plastic - we've painted behind one of our hand basins (no tiles) and the task specific pain is coming away in sheets because the waterproof paint & silicon is stronger than the trade emulsion applied to the walls.
Another room has just the trade emulsion with the silicone stuck to it. The silicone has ripped the paint from the plaster behind it and now the bare plaster is exposed but the peeling isn't as bad in this room despite the sink being more frequently used.
I'm planning to scrap back the paint to plaster, seal with PVA then reapply the silicone then bathroom paint once that's cured. It won't be breathable though - not even close.

Is the reason for breathability to deal with moisture from the bathroom (condensation) or moisture penetration from elsewhere. If it's condensation I'd be tempted to uprate the ventilation/extraction and use waterproof paint on the high contact areas - or as you suggest tile.

 

[michael]

Both
Solid nine inch (exterior) wall so breathability preferable plus bathroom environment so reduced condensation preferable (to stop mould growth) Clay paint seems quite successful in this respect. I think the bathroom is sufficiently ventilated. Extractor fan etc.
I suppose the splash marks wouldn’t show so much if I had used a plain white. Having used an olive green, the splash marks show up dark green

Surely if emulsions and plastic paints prevent breathability then glazed tiles and their associated adhesives and grouts must be even worse?

 

[AMc]

Surely if emulsions and plastic paints prevent breathability then glazed tiles and their associated adhesives and grouts must be even worse?

Yes, if you were to fully tile you'd isolate the condensation but trap any moisture coming through the wall.
If you want a small wipeable area then a small tiled splashback would allow that without affecting the whole wall which would seem a workable compromise. I can't see a sensible way to achieve the same thing with paints but I guess it depends on the room and the decor.

At a guess I would imagine that water vapour from bathroom use generates much more water vapour than any penetrating moisture.
I'm also guessing this is a ground floor bathroom or you wouldn't be worried about penetrating damp any way?