Guide to Painting a Lighter Color Over a Dark Wall in Washington, MI

Painting a light color over a dark surface is one of the most tedious and tricky painting jobs you can do.

The darker color’s strong tint is just difficult to conceal and paint over with a lighter color.

If not done correctly, it can mix with the darker paint, making the lighter color a shade darker than it was intended to be.

But difficult doesn’t have to imply impossible; with the correct supplies, and a can-do attitude, even something as difficult as painting a lighter color over dark walls can be an easy brisk walk in the park.

So, without further ado, here’s a Guide to Painting a Lighter Color Over a Dark Wall in Washington, MI.

1. Start By Getting The Right Materials

If you’re doing something as rigorous and tedious as painting over a dark wall, it is important that you are geared with the right and appropriate materials to ensure that your painting project will be a success.

To do this, you can start with knowing what paint roller you’ll need for the project.

The paint roller you’ll need will depend on the type of surface you’re painting on: if you’re painting on a rougher surface, it is recommended that you get a thicker roller since it can hold more paint and can easily fill through the tiny crevices and gaps in your surface.

If you’re painting on a smoother, more even surface, it would be best for you to go with a thinner paint roller or foam roll, as this will give you better, smoother coverage and is ideally recommended for the indoor interior.

Lastly, make sure that you stray away from cheap materials and invest in high-quality ones since this will ensure the quality of your project.

2. Prepare The Surface

Prior to painting, you should make sure that your wall is clean and free of any dirt and grime first.

It is basically a general rule in painting to do proper surface preparation first prior to painting, as it ensures that your paint job will have a smoother, cleaner finish.

Most painting problems also arise from a lack of proper surface preparation, so to avoid the hassle of getting them fixed, it is vital for you to do a surface preparation prior to painting.

Additionally, you should also start to put up painter’s tape on areas and crevices that you don’t want to include painting, and drape your floors and surrounding areas with drop cloths or newspapers to avoid getting paint drips and spills all over them.

3. Invest in a Quality Primer

Investing in a good primer is the key to painting a light color over a dark wall successfully.

Primer will offer greater coverage on the surface you’re painting on, resulting in a brighter and more vivid paint finish on the surface you’ll paint on.

Additionally, primer now comes in a variety of shades depending on what you’ll use it on; when moving from dark to light, you’ll want to use a white primer, and when going from light to dark, you’ll want to use a gray primer.

4. Apply Multiple Coats of Primer

Normally, a single coat of primer would suffice to prepare the surface for painting, but when painting over a dark color, experts recommend using two or more coats to guarantee more comprehensive and complete coverage.

Applying two coats of primer also creates an additional layer between the darker and lighter colors, minimizing the likelihood of the darker color leaking through the lighter coat of paint.

Just make sure the primer is totally dry before painting over it, to avoid paint problems such as blisters and peeling, and you’re all set!

5. Don’t Be Shy To Go Thick!

When you’re done ensuring that the darker color is covered with thick coats of primer and it is now dry, you can now apply a coat of paint to the wall, with the general rule being that the thicker the coat, the better.

Since you’re painting over a dark wall, you’ll need more than one coat of paint to completely cover the prior hue.

Normally, this is not recommended, but in this case, thicker coats of paint would be preferable to guarantee that the darker color is entirely covered.

Additionally, since you’re painting thicker layers, painting in an M or W pattern rather than an up-down motion will allow the paint more time to dry rather than covering it up again right away.

If you need professional help with your interior painting project, Eason Painting can help.

Our home interior painting services are available in Washington Township, Rochester, Romeo, Shelby Township, Harrison Township, and Clinton Township, MI.

Call us today at 586-465-5081 for a FREE painting estimate.

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