ᐅ Painting the Utility Room – Which Type of Paint? Latex Paint?

Hello,

Our plasterers recommended painting our utility room before installing anything there, such as the heating system, sink, surface-mounted outlets, electrical panel...

They said it would be much easier and look better afterward, because you wouldn’t have to paint carefully around small details. That makes sense.

The question is whether we should use a special type of paint. This is a room where laundry is also dried, the heating is installed, and water is used.

Should we use latex paint because of that, or is regular paint sufficient?

Additionally, the room has only a small basement window.

And the second important question: does the plaster on the ceiling and walls need to be completely dry before painting? If yes, how can I tell if it is dry enough?

The plaster is a roughcast.

Can you simply paint over that? Should we consider using a special paint for that as well?

The screed will only have been laid for a few days, but I think that shouldn’t matter. A cement screed was chosen here specifically because of moisture.

Thank you very much for your advice!

The surfaces must be dry. Concrete should be primed if necessary.

For painting, you can use good quality emulsion paint from a specialized supplier.

Silicate paint is highly recommended. Its advantage is that, unlike dispersion paint, it remains vapor-permeable, allowing the walls to "breathe," even if multiple layers of paint are applied over the years. Additionally, silicate paint has a great consistency that makes it easy to apply and it offers excellent coverage. In our utility room with rough plaster, a single coat was sufficient. In the living areas, we applied two coats of silicate paint for aesthetic reasons.

One small tip: When painting rough plaster, small plaster particles may come loose and end up in the paint bucket via the brush or roller. Therefore, you should never use this paint afterwards on smooth walls, as the loose particles would stick to the smooth surface.

Sorry, that is really nonsense. Silicate paint for basements, especially utility rooms, is not necessary. First, it is very expensive, and second, there are also dispersion paints that are vapor permeable.

Bookstar is right. Of course, you could also use Demeter organic paint, the famous Moonlight White, based on quark, for 200 euros per bucket... phew.
Primer, emulsion paint, done. The plaster must be dry, meaning visually dry; it actually takes about a year to be fully dry.
But that will take time.
Yes, drying laundry... I recommend installing a dryer and making air-drying the exception. Otherwise, you risk bringing mold into the house, regardless of the paint used. K.

Ok, thanks for your answers. I have had good experience with "Schöner Wohnen Polarweiß" and still have half a bucket left, although it’s 5 years old now. It’s probably dried out by now. According to the description, it’s a "professional interior dispersion paint with vapor permeability."

So, can I still use it?

Regarding drying laundry: In my parents’ house, laundry was regularly dried in the "laundry room." It was just a basement room with a small basement window where the heater was also located.

There were never any mold problems there.

Oh, and you always paint the ceiling first, right?