One coat paint worth it?

MiserlyMedStudent

I'm currently renting a flat and am there for another year. The flat's pleasant enough but someone who lived there previously decided it was a good idea to paint the walls and the skirting in the hallway a dark purple colour. The hallway doesn't have any windows and so the place is unbearably dark and claustrophobic.

I've decided to paint over it with a "toffee cream" colour using a one-coat paint. My question is: can I get away with painting the purple walls in two coats of this stuff or will I also need to pay for primer?

I've been given permission to do this btw!

Regards
MMS x

latecomer

dark purple will probably need several coats to hide although a primer might help. You could go to your local DIY store and buy a big tub of whatever cream/white paint is on offer to hide teh purple and then paint over that with the final colour of choice.

shar46y

IME one coat paint is not worth it. We made the mistake of buying it to repaint our first flat and it didn't even cover the light blue colour in our bedroom.

SailorSam

I've always found the more work you put into a job the better finish you'll get.
If you're only in a rented flat and may not be there long term i'd be reluctant to spend as much both in time and money as i would with a house i owned and could sell in the future. Maybe you could get a cheap white undercoat then do your toffee cream.

MiserlyMedStudent

Thanks guys. It's such a disgusting colour, it beggars belief why people paint with such garish colours! The hallway is purple, the skirting in one bedroom is glossy pillar box red and the bathroom was dark pink with silver seahorse motifs. Think (when I've saved enough money!) I'll buy a cheap tin of white and then do the top coat in one coat.

Any particular brand people would recommend? Homebase are doing a BOGOF for their one-coat, but a bit apprehensive about no-frills paint!

ormus

ive never seen any one coat paint actually work.
the old methods are the best.
when changing from a dark color, one or two coats of say white/cream, and then your final topcoat.

keystone

One coat is expensive carp and it doesn't work. As far as walls are concerned you need to obliterate the purple first for such a drastic colour change. Use a high opacity paint. Magnolia gives a better result than white.

Whats the finish on the paint you want to cover? Is it matt, soft sheen, silk or what? Do not try and cover silk with matt directly without initial prep. It will craze.

For the woodwork, prepare as normal to provide a key, (you'll look lovely covered in all that dark purple dust:D). Couple of coats of white undercoat (NOT water based) and off you go with the top coat.

Cheers

Edit: Rats - Ormus got there first but two heads are better than one so I'll leave my post be.

VfM4meplse

When I repainted my home with one-coat this summer, I ended up applying 3 coats. So not worth it!

keith969

Clean the walls with sugar soap before trying to paint it, it will probably save you a coat of paint, especially if there were smokers in the flat before as the tar that deposits on the walls makes it difficult for the paint to cover.

Get a good quality paint and you will probably need 2 coats. Get a cheap paint and you may find you need 4.

savemoney

Maybe it should be renamed 3 coats

I agree with others the old ways are better in order from bare wood for example, primer, undercoat, top coat dont lay paint on thick

VfM4meplse wrote: »

When I repainted my home with one-coat this summer, I ended up applying 3 coats. So not worth it!

MiserlyMedStudent

It's shiny so going to be tricky for paint to cling on! Might have to do it in long laborious steps (something I wanted to avoid doing!) but would rather that than get yelled at for making it worse and have my deposit taken off me!

Cheers guys, definitely keeping clear of the one-coat, sounds like a total waste of money!