Painting a light colour over a dark one

Horace

You might think this is an odd question - bear with me I am new to this painting malarky:D I will soon have my own home and know that various rooms need redecoration - the kitchen has anaglypta wallpaper on one wall which has been painted a horrible maroon colour (it makes the kitchen too dark). I had thought of removing the paper but to save time will leave it up there and paint it a more fetching colour.

Question - if I use a one coat paint e.g. brilliant white or another pale colour will the horrid maroon still show through and make the wall look grubby..will the white or other light colour change colour due to the dark colour underneath?

I do know that I will be using a lot of brilliant white gloss paint as I have a lot of woodwork that needs painting e.g all the internal doors are dark brown wood, the bannisters are pale wood and I think that white looks so much better.

bobthedambuilder

You'd be very lucky to cover the dark colour in one coat of emulsion, even if it's called "One Coat". I would be planning on 2 or 3 coats. Don't thin the emulsion or you will get bleeding through of the underlying colour.

On the positive side, emulsion goes on very quickly, and dries pretty quickly too. You could get 2 coats on in a day (depending how big the room is).

I wouldn't necessarily paint everything Brilliant White, that can be quite cold-looking. I tend to use a warm white for woodwork, and I also go for an eggshell finish - so much softer on the eye than gloss. But that's just my preference.

victor2

Ideally strip the wallpaper off, but you then risk finding the wall underneath it cannot be painted and will need to be replastered or covered with a lining paper.
Even with one coat type paints, you'll need two coats to go over a dark colour.
You won't use the same paint for woodwork as you will for walls. Emulsion for the walls and interior gloss for the woodwork.
Avoid the "own brand" paints. They might be half the price, but you need more than twice the number of coats!

Horace

I was thinking white gloss for the woodwork in any case. Thanks for the tip about several coats to cover the awful maroon paint. I am not keen on anagylpta wallpaper but think that if I do remove it then the plaster is likely to fall off with it and I cannot afford to have the wall replastered. I had thought of a light colour maybe white with a hint of colour because the kitchen is fairly small - thankfully there isnt much wall to paint in the kitchen.

My parents are telling me to redecorate the whole house but I can put up with the wallpaper that is already up on the walls even though some of it is a bit flowery (an old lady lived there) other than the dark doors, the bannisters and the dodgy maroon paint the house is in good condition.

Is it possible to get an eggshell finish without the paint stinking to high heaven? I am allergic to the smell of eggshell paint as it causes me to have breathing difficulties (I am ok with other types of paint).

bobthedambuilder

Horace wrote: »

Is it possible to get an eggshell finish without the paint stinking to high heaven? I am allergic to the smell of eggshell paint as it causes me to have breathing difficulties (I am ok with other types of paint).

IMO gloss paint smells more than eggshell. I think you can buy both as oil-based and water-based, and it's the oil-based ones that are smellier (but more durable). I would definitely use oil-based for exterior work.

Edwardia

The main reason for putting up thick embossed wallpaper is to hide rubbish walls. So your idea of painting over it as a first step is a good stopgap idea.

The best way of painting this stuff, I've found, is to use a vinyl silk emulsion. When painting it, don't be tempted to slosh paint on as you will lose the detailing (a) because the extra wet paint makes it a tad soggy (b) the harder you press when painting the more you flatten it. If you take your time, you get a sharper detail which looks better. No idea how many coats it might take depends on the paint. If you let first coat dry thoroughly, touch up any bits missed and let that dry you'll have an idea.

Only specific low odour eggshell I know of and have used is Brewers Albany www.brewers.co.uk which is available in British Standard colours. The staff are really helpful and will advise you. What you are looking for is an eggshell or eggshell finish with low VOCs. Eggshell finishes are water based and I find them runny but certainly not less smelly and I wouldn't use them on exterior either.Gloss is smellier than eggshell and takes longer to dry.

You could go to HSS and hire or go somewhere like Screwfix and buy a mask with filters that is fine enough to cope with aerosols and therefore paint smells. I suggest you ask for advice though.

spadoosh

Allergic to the smell of eggshell?! thats an odd one, not heard that before.

Its probably the VOC's in it which you will find in gloss aswell, gloss and egshell are very similar its just the 'thickness' so to speak of the paint, there both oil based is what im trying to say.

Tap the walls, if it sounds hollow dont remove the wallpaper, if it sounds like a brick wall the plaster should be ok but youll never be sure until you strip it.

With the dark colour i would buy the cheapest white matt emulsion you can buy to get rid of most of the existing colour, then topcoat it with the colour of your choice. Either way your doing 2 or 3 coats and personally think its better doing 2 coats of cheap stuff and 1 coat of good than doing 2/3 coats of good stuff and using loads of expensive paint. That and brilliant white is always cheaper than any coloured emulsions.

Sounds like your goning to be having lots of fun anyways. My top tip, get a heat gun and strip any woodwork then undercoat and gloss, will look 1000 times better than glossing over whats already there. O and buy a good sander.

Getting close to finishing our house (to a comfyish standard) we bought in june. Sandings a !!!!! (female dog), glossings a !!!!!(female dog), stripping (wallpaper)'s a !!!!!(female dog). ENJOY!! :-D



This forum can be so anal about swearing some times.

spadoosh

O and dont forget the PBW on the ceilings, will make it feel fresher. well worth it for an hour or 2's work. In case you werent thinking of doing it anyway!

Horace

Thankfully no need for exterior paint as the house is double glazed. Might do the door to the lobby and thus to back garden (guess you could say that was exterior).

I say an allergy to the smell of eggshell paint because I once worked in an office where redecoration was going on around me and they were using eggshell paint which resulted in me having breathing difficulties - Occy Health then said that I was asthmatic yet my GP saw me away from work and said that I didnt have asthma - never had the breathing difficulties since and it can only be down to the paint.

I am looking forward to painting..sanding I don't mind at all - I always have varying grades of sandpaper anyway because I like to buy cheap wooden furniture from charity shops that then gets sanded using the varying grades of sandpaper before being stained and revarnished.

I have been looking at all types of paint although I feel sure that I will be buying from B&Q because I have £40 of vouchers to use up (I knew that the shopping site where I enter my shopping or not each week would come in handy - 10000 points means a £10 voucher of my choice).

2 coats of cheap white paint over the maroon sounds like a good idea and then I could use a colour of my choice - I am thinking white with a hint of yellow as it is a west facing room and the current colour makes the room look very dark.

Having a house that I can call my own is all very exciting.. I know that I shall have fun in there..and will be learning about radiators (never had them before) and wallpapering and painting etc.. I want to do as much as I can so that I don't have to employ anybody.

keystone

Horace wrote: »

2 coats of cheap white paint over the maroon sounds like a good idea

Sory but I don't thin k so. You need a high opacity paint to cover it and thin as pees sheds own brand cheapo emulsion won't cut it and after 4 coats you'll still not be happy. Splash out on an obliterator (Dulux Supermatt or Crown Covermatt as two examples) to get rid of the offending. Do it in magnolia rather than white too.

I want to do as much as I can so that I don't have to employ anybody.

You want to be careful writing things like that.;) Lots of pros on here from all trades and a continual drip feed exercise in brain picking to avoid paying for the job to be done might just result in a drying up of advice.

Cheers

Horace

I would employ trades to do stuff but at the moment I am not financially in a position to do so therefore I will do as much as I can myself. If I need a gas fitter, plumber, electrician then I know I cannot do that myself and will employ.

The painting tips have helped enormously - thanks.