OK, Paint Gurus, can you help with this?

Question

I want to paint this room to a more neutral color. How do I begin? Do I start with a primer.. is there anything out there that can help me cover this color without having to paint 3 or 4 coats? Any help?

Thanks!

http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q480/flowergarten/granthouse.jpg

Answer 1

Looks like you're going to have to do some spackling, so I'd go with a primer tinted to close to the colour you plan to use. Chances are very good that you'll need two coats of colour after the primer no matter what you do, but it's worth trying for one coat. Use good quality primer and paint.

Answer 2

Primer is for bare surfaces or some specialist primers are for problem surfaces e.g. unstable.  You do not use a primer to obliterate a difficult colour.  It will not make any difference and is just an added expense.

Buy good quality paint, like Dulux.  These have more pigment in them.  Use Dulux trade if you want to use a more concentrated version.  If you had lots to cover you could put a coat of pale grey first and then follow with the neutral colours of your choice.

Quite honestly, just use good paint and get stuck in to do three or more coats.

Answer 3

I'm guessing you want a much lighter color than that blue, and the bad news is that you will need several coats to cover that correctly.

When you go to the paint store, make sure you get a base that was made for light colors. Paint starts as a base, and then they add thick dyes to add color. If the color you want is dark, they will match it with a thin base so it won't get too thick, if the color is light, they will pair it with a thick base so the paint isn't too thin.

The good news is that you shouldn't need to prime it. Paint tends to go on paint really well.

In a best case scenario, you'll need 2 coats to cover it correctly. I would guess that you'll need more than that, probably 3 coats.

Answer 4

yes you will need a primer...i recommend Kilz.....you can find it at any HD or LWES...and one gallon should work enough to cover most of it...and unfortuneately you will need to have 2 coats if you use the primer...if no primer you will need 3 coats...some paints have primer in them....

FYI....buy a quality paint...cheap paint=cheap results

Answer 5

I would suggest buying a tin of cheap white emulsion and undercoating your walls with that. then your top coat will be a lot easier. There is no need to use a primer as this is mainly used to seal new wood before undercoating.

Answer 6

Talk to  the folks at a home improvement store, but if it were me, I'd say two coats of heavy primer (or one coat if there's one on the market made for covering dark colors) and then 1-2 coats of your new color.  

I'd also recommend "spot testing" before you paint the whole room twice.  If you find a dark-color primer, test it on a spot, then cover it with the new color and see if you can get away with only a single coat.

But primer IS essential.

Answer 7

Yes, you definitely will want to start applying a primer, since it is a dark color.  Get a high quality primer and hopefully that will cut down on the number of coats of paint you will need to apply.  Your room will look totally different when you lighten it with a neutral color.  Good choice and I know it will look great when you have finished the project.  It may seem a little overwhelming at first, but once you get going and see the results, you will be happy!

Answer 8

Get it done with ONLY TWO COATS total:

Interestingly, reds and really bright colors like bright yellow are the hardest colors to cover. Darker colors like the dark blue that you have aren't as hard to hide even though intuitively it seems like they would be.

With a good thick quality paint you could probably succeed with doing just two coats of paint of the color you want.

But to be safe, you can prime it first. Take note of this: primers can be tinted. This isn't always common knowledge, and even people working at paint counters often won't mention it or offer it as a helpful suggestion.

Get a primer tinted close to the color that you're going to paint the wall. If it's not the exact color, that's okay--it'll hide the blue, and then with a high quality paint you should be able to achieve full coverage with one coat of paint, having primed it with a color close to the color of your paint.

When you go to the store, explain to them that you want to get some primer tinted. If the person at the paint counter is unsure about that, just ask them if they can get someone else to come help too. It can be done, and it in no way changes the quality or function of the primer.

A few of the top rated paints, according to Consumer Reports are Kilz (sold at Walmart, ranks #1), Behr (Home Depot) and Valspar (Lowe's and many other hardware stores). A lot of the really expensive paints, such as Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore ranked mediocre. The bottom two spots on Consumer Reports chart went to Sherwin Williams paint. You don't need to spend more than $25 per gallon for the best interior paint out there.