Today April writes:
Dear Diva, I bought this beautiful color of red paint for my dining room and after painting two coats on the wall it is still an ugly pinkish hue! Did I buy bad paint? Please help!
Unless the paint was old or exposed to extreme temperatures, you probably did not buy “bad” paint. If the paint was genuinely bad, you would likely notice other problems in addition to those you described. A lot of time bad paint looks milky or glassy and it can start to crack or peel off the wall. If you aren’t having these problems, then chances are your paint is actually fine.
So if it is not the paint than what is it?
Did you use a tinted primer before you started painting? If you did not and you are starting on a white wall or using white primer, you will need many coats to get the red to the color of the paint sample. Reds and other deep color paints need more coats than lighter colors.
For example if you’re painting a light pink on a white primed wall, two coats will be enough. However if you are painting a deep burgundy on a white wall expect four or five coats to get the color you saw on the swatch!
This is where a tinted primer comes in. If you use a gray primer or a white primer tinted red, it will cut the amount of coats you need to use in half. Because tinted bases contain less white pigment, it helps decrease the contrast between the primer and paint color and that means the paint covers better with less coats.
It’s important to make sure you have the right paint primer to begin with. Getting a tinted or gray primer for intense, deep or dark colors will help save you money and work. Why? Because you won’t have to apply as many coats of paint!
Do you have questions about the selecting or the installation of: tile, carpet or wall treatments (window blinds, etc)? Then email me your tale of woe (diva(at)homemakeoverdiva.com) and perhaps I will be able to answer your questions right here at the Home Makeover Diva Blog!
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