Interior paint help...?

Question

We just bought a new house and will be going in Monday to do some painting. I bought Behr Premium paint with Eggshell finish... the bedroom I am painting has a new (Couple of months old) coat of semigloss or satin (not sure) white paint. Do I really need to prime? And also can I put the eggshell finish over the semigloss without sanding it? Any tips are appreciated...first time homebuyer and haven't painted before.

The new color is a light sage green "Restful" is the exact color. Thank you all and have a great weekend.

Answer 1

priming may not be needed but is not a bad option.  You can have the primer tinted with the color you are painting.  Someone else said it may take 2-3 coats and that is true, but if you prime with a tinted primer, 1 coat should do.  Since primer is cheaper it is better to do 1 coat primer 1 of paint than 2 or 3 of paint.  It will also make the finish look better

Answer 2

You should not need to prime. The reason to apply primer is to cover a stubborn stain or provide a surface so that the next layer of paint will adhere well and not later peel. The interior you describe is likely satin though even if semigloss, primer should not be necessary. Sanding is not needed unless there is an unwanted rough surface that you wish to disappear after the new paint is applied. Also as a general rule for interior surfaces flat paints(used typically on walls) have a softer appearance and are more pleasing than the many gradations of gloss. The more gloss in the paint, the more light reflection. The gloss however is easier to clean and generally used on surfaces that are often touched like moulding and baseboards. Have fun.

Answer 3

I used to do real estate investing; buying houses, fixing them up and re-selling them. I did a LOT of painting!!! LOL

If the old paint is a latex, then you probably don't need to prime. That said, you will still need to put on at least two coats of your sage and maybe three just for even coverage sake..

If the old paint is an oil base, then you will definitely need a primer - and if there are any marks on the walls such as crayon, marker, scuff marks or water stains then you will definitely need to prime. KILZ is the one I like to use better than any other. I doubt you will need to sand, unless it is a high gloss finish. Wouldn't hurt to test a spot in advance, though, just to make sure....

I love the sage color and have used that in our office before, along with a dark brown leather faux finish wainscoat and a chair rail. Turned out beautiful! I also have used it as a color wash faux finish over a pale yellow - also with great results! If you have any questions you are free to email me.

Answer 4

If you are painting inside over a lighter colour then no, primeing isn't necessary (as long as the coat you are covering is in fair to good shape(not pealing)