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Problems with red interior paint

06:38PM | 09/20/01

Member Since: 09/19/01
2 lifetime posts

Problems with red interior paint

Tags: Painting

I decided to paint my living room red and have run into big problems. I bought a high quality paint (a Consumer Reports best buy) and had it color matched to a Ralph Lauren color chip. Being fairly inexperienced, I let the employees at Lowe's talk me out of tinted primer in favor of just an "extra" coat of paint. Well, after two coats of paint (over a white wall) with a paint roller, I had major lap lines. I went back to Lowe's, got tinted primer and more paint. I have now applied two coats of color, a coat of primer and two more coats of paint and still have lap lines and uneveness. I have really tried to paint in small areas, always keep a wet edge and never take a break in the middle of a wall. It has been a full week that I have been painting and it is about to put me over the edge. Do I slop on more coats? Do I try some type of faux technique like a colorwash or ragging? HELP!

BobF

03:09AM | 09/21/01

Member Since: 10/19/98
223 lifetime posts

First - You don't buy quality (especially HIGH QUALITY) paint from a big box or discount house. Buy quality paint from a paint store. You get what you pay for. Same thing is true about advice.

2nd - some colors are hard to get to look right. Red is one of them. These colors have more pigment in them and its hard to get that pigment evenly distributed.

3rd - don't use cheap tools. Quality tools (again you get what you pay for) hold more paint and allow the paint to flow better.

Finally - at this point, put on another coat or two. Putting on the tinted primer caused you to 'start over'.

Jay J

07:38AM | 09/21/01

Member Since: 10/26/00
782 lifetime posts

Boy, do I agree with BobF on this one. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Buy yourself paint from a Paint Retailer (found in the YELLOW PAGES under PAINT - RETAIL.) PAY some money for it because, as you see, you're having to spend MORE $$$ on the stuff you have now. Buying good paint at a good price is money well spent.

The same goes for the tools you use. Buy your rollers from the Paint Retailer too.

(I think you've gotten beaten up enough about it. I just have a personal 'peeve' when it comes to paint. As I/we said, "You get what you pay for.")

My best to ya and hope this helps.

Jay J -Moderator

PS: God Bless America!

mljacobs

10:26AM | 09/21/01

Member Since: 09/19/01
2 lifetime posts

Well, mission accomplished, I feel pretty beaten up. I thought that using the highest rated paint from a reliable source like Consumer Reports would be ideal. They compared over 50 brands, including the "paint store" brands. I guess I owe them a letter of complaint. I am not the type to skimp on quality for the sake of saving money, which was why I took the time to research paint brands and bought what I thought was the best.

Regardless, I guess I'll put on one more coat and hope for the best.

05:54PM | 09/24/01

Member Since: 09/23/01
242 lifetime posts

If the paint is mixed in a clear base and is a very vibrant color all I can say is good luck. Personally I have had the same problem and after 6 coats of color I said close enough and quit. Professionally I know of a job where the painter did 2 walls one red, one blue not only did he tint the primer, it took 8 coats to get the finish right and then when it was dry if you rubbed on the wall it would mark. Major paint chain just said it shouldn't do that and threw their hands up. Two more coats and a clear coat finally fixed it.

tbbennett169

08:05AM | 10/17/03

Member Since: 10/16/03
1 lifetime posts

I also used a red paint that i cannot get to even out. I would like to colorwash it to give it an uneven appearance ON PURPOSE. Can anyone tell me how?

MrPaint

04:55PM | 10/17/03

Member Since: 02/03/03
196 lifetime posts

Ok..........J.........nice to see you back - it has been rather quiet on here without you........you always provide me with a good reason to post.

The mistake here was NOT buying RL in the first place.

RL guarantees that the color of the paint will match the chip - as long as you use RL paint - and - if necessary - the RL Deeptone Primer.

I have personally used a great deal of RL paint in a few of their reds - Hunting Coat - Dressage Red, etc.

They have all covered well in two coats over the Deeptone. So for anyone who is counting - that is THREE COATS OF PAINT!! Guaranteed!

Can't beat that with a stick!!

Try it........it works........

Mr. Paint

ps - get off the "big box" hating band wagon folks.....THD and ******* are the #2 and #3 RETAILERS of paint in the U.S.

........that's a lot of paint.........it can't all be bad

5slb6

02:15AM | 10/18/03

Member Since: 07/28/02
1356 lifetime posts

The problem is that most reds are made out of a paint that is basicly clear and that is how you get the really dark vibrant colors but it also does not cover well. The way to get it to cover is to use a red base to make the color and I know Duron has it it a satin and a semi-gloss and I think that Martin Seynour has one as well.

Now I agree that you should buy your paint at a paint store not a big box, and it is not because of the quality of the paint it is the quailty of the advice you will get. At a paint store you will be waited on by someone that all they do is paint not something else like plumbing or garden center in addition to paint. The person at Loews that made that red should have told you about the amount of coats it take would so you either would pick another color or go on with knowing what you were getting into.

Your walls with look fine but it will take more coats and you should be using as short a nap roller cover as you can get such as a 1/4" as i have found that it really helps in the coverage.

Enjoy your new look it your living room as it will be worth it when you are done.

retisin

05:38AM | 10/19/03

Member Since: 05/19/03
457 lifetime posts

Sounds like you are really fed up and maybe to get this done without anymore frustration is to call someone to take care of it for you?
Just a suggestion.

Lawrence

12:45PM | 10/25/03

Member Since: 11/14/00
333 lifetime posts

As others indicated, primer does not have better coverage properties; it has better ADHESION and SEALING properties. Indeed, it often has far WORSE coverage than normal paint, and will almost always look pasty and translucent. Primer's purpose is to adhere to bare wall better and (ironically) does not penetrate a bare wall as much. If you do not use primer, it will end up "bubbling" or otherwise failing down the road, and you will likely need two coats of paint to replace the one coat of primer because the first two coats will soak into the wall: especially on bare drywall or bare wood. In your case, using the primer a second time only ended up in you needing to coat it again with regular paint.

Spraying instead of brushing and rolling can give you better and more even coverage. I have painted a deep, brick red over white with a Wagner Power Sprayer and covered it completely and evenly in just one coat. I then re-painted a section BACK to white with the Wagner, and it, again, covered in one coat. In comparison, the touch-up spots (in the corners) that I needed to do with a brush took two or three coats to cover the white.

I used Ralph Lauren Paints both times.

If you roll, make sure that you apply the paint horizontally, then do the finish rolls with a damp--not dry and not drenched--roller. Do not press too hard on the finishing strokes or you sill squeeze paint out of the roller and create new lines. All final strokes should be downwards (for uniformity).

Finally, you might be seeing the roller lines from several coats of paint back show up.

[This message has been edited by Lawrence (edited October 30, 2003).]