ᐅ Ceiling above the shower – recessed LED spotlights

Created on: 22 Feb 2017 10:31
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xola123
Hello,

our bathroom is nearly finished. Next week, the tiling will be done, and then the plumbing company will install the sink, toilet, and heating.

The shower we are talking about is walk-in, with the floor already installed.
The ceiling above the shower (76x86 cm (30x34 inches)) had to be lowered because we wanted to install empty conduit pipes in the wall next to it. In the end, it wasn’t possible without lowering the ceiling by 8 cm (3 inches).

In this lowered ceiling, I would like to install LED spotlights—3 or 4 units. The wiring and electrical setup are already prepared.

The lowered ceiling above the shower currently consists of a simple green drywall (gypsum board).
Now I am wondering how best to finish this ceiling. I believe the current trend is to smooth the boards very finely with joint compound and then simply paint them.

However, since this is directly above the shower (so a “wet room” in the strict sense), I’m unsure if that is advisable here. The distance from floor to ceiling is about 240 cm (94 inches).

Of course, I have already searched the internet. The most suitable paint seems to be a silicate dispersion paint. It is vapor-permeable, allowing water vapor to pass into the drywall and then evaporate again (important for indoor air quality). But the paint is quite tricky, if I understand correctly (alkaline, etc.), and not easy to find. Also, I don’t need a 5-liter (1.3 gallon) bucket for such a small area.

However, this might be irrelevant if I apply a primer first so that the drywall does not absorb the paint unevenly.

A pure dispersion paint is said not to be completely impermeable, so it could also work. But again, with a primer, that concern might be addressed.

What experiences can you share about painted ceilings in wet rooms?
What is the best way to prime? What is the best way to paint?
Are there any suitable alternatives to painting that also allow for mounting the LED spotlights?

Thank you in advance.
Best regards, xola
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Nordlys
23 Feb 2017 09:32
My brother is a master painter... trust me when it comes to latex. Use Herbol Zenit PU or a similar product. They also use Herbol in their company.
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souly75
23 Feb 2017 09:56
So, I don't have drywall, but a regular reinforced concrete ceiling. There is no condensation visible on it after showering, and of course, nothing is dripping. With drywall, you really need to make sure it doesn’t get too wet... in that respect, I find Nordlys's comment to be logically sound.
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xola123
23 Feb 2017 10:04
Does latex paint not drip?
@Nordlys, sorry, but this paint is just too expensive for that one square meter. Thanks for the suggestion, though. I might use this paint for the living room...

However, the LED spotlights definitely require drilling into the drywall. That is definitely a weak point.
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Nordlys
23 Feb 2017 10:47
Don’t you have any wall surfaces in the bathroom/guest toilet? This color is not suitable for the living room. It is scrub-resistant. You don’t need that in the living room, but possibly in the kitchen instead of a tile splashback.
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xola123
23 Feb 2017 10:51
But I do have wall surfaces, although they will be plastered. At least, that's the plan.

The kitchen is already finished. I only have tiles on the floor. The kitchen backsplash is a panel with the same finish as the countertop.

Okay, the color is indeed not suitable for the living room. It’s more appropriate for the hallway area, due to the level of use.
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Nordlys
23 Feb 2017 12:46
And a small amount... you go to the master painter with an empty 1000 g (2.2 lb) yogurt container with a lid, get some latex poured into it, hand him a ten-dollar bill, and that’s that.