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Wet room mural: What varnish should I use to protect the mural?

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April 16th 2020 048

Alan Irvine

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Hello,  I am new to this site and this forum but have been a professional artist and illustrator since 1980, ploughing my own furrow I suppose.   I'm not new to mural painting, having been commissioned to create several over the years, but for the first time I've been asked to paint a Tuscan scene on a wet room wall and the obvious question is...How do I protect it from water spotting and/or steam absorption? A clear, dry, matt varnish seems the obvious answer but I wondered if anyone had painted one before in this situation and has any suggestions or general tips. I would be very grateful as the client wishes me to start as soon as possible. Thank you for any help anyone can be...
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Lord luv a duck - sooner you than me..... I presume you're going to be using acrylic paint - I can't think of anything else that would work.  And I suppose that suggests an acrylic varnish - because again - I can't think of anything else that would work.  Snag is - I'm not at all sure that it WOULD work, at least in the longer term.  Are you painting on plaster, into wet plaster, onto dry plaster....?   Somewhere in my library, I have a book that deals with murals; I'll search it out, and see if it has any useful suggestions.  The big issue here is that which you've already identified - the damp, the humidity, the fact that acrylic paint is actually quite soft, and somewhat porous.   There is a US artist who specializes in murals, going by the name of Mural Joe, on YouTube - you might find it useful to take a look at a few of his videos and, if possible, to contact him.  He tackles most things - and you never know, he might have ideas about this.

Steve Andrews

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Maybe look at marine varnishes?  If they can be used to protect wooden boats then they should be okay.  Only problem would be getting something clear enough.
April 16th 2020 048

Alan Irvine

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Thank you Robert. It will be onto dry plastered and already painted walls. I have been doing some research and it appears that using matt emulsion for bathrooms, limited though the colour range maybe, is quite effective and can have marine varnish used over the top but there is no guarantee as to 'yellowing'. This is one I will have to think about a little more carefully than Id thought. I would still like to hear from anyone that has undertaken such a commission before. 
Moi 17

Linda Wilson

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I haven't tried murals, but i have painted the outside of a couple of houses.  I've used stabilising solution to waterproof surfaces.  I suggest a little experimentation.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Alan - I'll send you links when I can find them - this being the weekend, I'm very tired!   Well, drunk frankly - but do check Mural Joe: and speak to him, too - he's very expert, and seem to be a kindly young man.  
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Alan - I'll send you links when I can find them - this being the weekend, I'm very tired!   Well, drunk frankly - but do check Mural Joe: and speak to him, too - he's very expert, and seem to be a kindly young man.  
April 16th 2020 048

Alan Irvine

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Thank you Robert. I look forward to receiving the links. I'll buy the next one!
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtJQcvgU224 This is one of Joe's demonstrations, which you might find of general interest, though it doesn't bear specifically on your question.   Matte emulsion, protected by marine varnish (that's going to cost, mind you...) does look to me like your best option, at least in terms of the work's survival.   I have something of a headache today - can't THINK why - and when that ebbs will search out the book which deals with murals; but I don't think it'll help much in this specific case, because most people would avoid painting wet-rooms.  The Romans would decorate their baths, of course, but tended to use tiles rather than paint - the upside is that you could become the world's leading authority on painting wet-rooms, if your work lasts........

Alan Bickley

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It’s one of those commissions that I would grossly overprice in the hope it was a deterrent!  Frankly it’s thwart with far too many unknowns, and that could be a problem looming in the future if it all starts peeling off.   Personally, I wouldn’t go near it with a barge pole, never mind a paint brush... My wet-room is tiled throughout, that’s normal practice where water and steam are present - however, good luck if you do decide to go for it.
April 16th 2020 048

Alan Irvine

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Thanks Alan...I am actually getting quite a nice sum for doing it otherwise I might have shied away from it, but I like a challenge. More research needed I can see, but the result should be interesting. Someone out there must have painted one before. I can't be the first....can I?
April 16th 2020 048

Alan Irvine

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