Paint experts, do I need primer for previously painted walls?

[Got5onIt]

I'm going to be painting my Home Theatre room and wanted to know if I would need to put a coat of primer down first? The walls are currently painted a light tan color. I'll be painting the ceiling & 2 walls flat black & the other 2 walls a dark brown/gold. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[saleen781]

it would help, go to home depot and get the darkest color you can find in the "oh shit" pile (mis-tints) otherwise you may see light spots appear after painting it black.

[Got5onIt]

Originally Posted by saleen781

it would help, go to home depot and get the darkest color you can find in the "oh shit" pile (mis-tints) otherwise you may see light spots appear after painting it black.

Use reject paint as a primer? Hmmm, never thought of that.

[George G.]

I've never used it...and we always repaint the walls when we move. We just apply two thin coats and a few touch ups to get in the texture where missed and all is well.

[saleen781]

true, and flat black will cover better than satin or semi gloss becasue flat doesn't "shrink" when it dries. Jsut make sure you use a quality paint as well.

[dragnlady]

Whatever you decide, don't use any "reject" paint from Home Depot or any home improvement outlet. Go to Sherwin Williams and they will hook you up with excatly the right paint, tools, etc. You may pay a little extra, but the results will be more impressive than you could imagine. Using the right paint and tools make the job much easier to contend with. How do I know all this, you might ask? I have been around the block a time or 2 and have been involved in many a home improvement project. My rule of thumb is go and ask the pros, there knowledge is phenomenal and the best part free.

[saleen781]

Originally Posted by dragnlady

Whatever you decide, don't use any "reject" paint from Home Depot or any home improvement outlet. Go to Sherwin Williams and they will hook you up with excatly the right paint, tools, etc. You may pay a little extra, but the results will be more impressive than you could imagine. Using the right paint and tools make the job much easier to contend with. How do I know all this, you might ask? I have been around the block a time or 2 and have been involved in many a home improvement project. My rule of thumb is go and ask the pros, there knowledge is phenomenal and the best part free.

the "reject paint" was for primer only, it's the same as any other paint for an interior primer. How do I know this? I managed a store for Jones Blair for 3 years.

[Big Studly]

Originally Posted by Got5onIt

I'm going to be painting my Home Theatre room and wanted to know if I would need to put a coat of primer down first? The walls are currently painted a light tan color. I'll be painting the ceiling & 2 walls flat black & the other 2 walls a dark brown/gold. Any help is greatly appreciated!

from what I remember from working in a paint store several years ago while working through college, you can paint over the old paint, but you must make sure of two things. First, you must apply the same type of paint over it, as in, you can't paint latex paint over oil based, and vice versa. Second, make sure the walls are clean. Any molding is probably oil based paint because it is more durable and molding, except crown molding, tends to take a beating.

The other bit of advice I would have to offer is about your color choice. Dark colors don't cover light colors as well as one might think. In fact, they cover like crap, so be prepared for several coats. The reason being, the base of the darker colors has less in it, because you have to add so much tint color to it; therefore, it has less....whatever the word is...body? That being said, if you end up using a coat of throw away paint as a primer, get a color that is a medium color. Not light, so you wont have trouble covering it up with the dark color, and it will help with the number or coats of the final dark color. Don't get too dark either because it will basically be a waste of time, just go to town with the black if you are going to do that.

Oh yea, and what the other guy said, get the good quality paint, as with anything else, you get what you pay for. You can go cheap and put twice the number of coats as you would with a quality paint, end up maybe spending more, and waste your time doing it all.

just my $.02

[Got5onIt]

Ok guys, thanks for the advice. I was going to use Behr or Glidden. Those are decent paints, right?

[bullet]

Originally Posted by Got5onIt

Ok guys, thanks for the advice. I was going to use Behr or Glidden. Those are decent paints, right?

Behr is better. They have one out now that will prime and paint at the same time. It works ok for drastic color changes but is pricey.

[saleen781]

also make sure you use quality roller covers, this can make a huge difference in amount of paint applied per roll and how long the cover will last. I usually buy purdy brushes and roller covers. have fun.

[lbt]

WOW, That's all i can say........

..........LBT

[lbt]

Originally Posted by dragnlady

Whatever you decide, don't use any "reject" paint from Home Depot or any home improvement outlet. Go to Sherwin Williams and they will hook you up with excatly the right paint, tools, etc. You may pay a little extra, but the results will be more impressive than you could imagine. Using the right paint and tools make the job much easier to contend with. How do I know all this, you might ask? I have been around the block a time or 2 and have been involved in many a home improvement project. My rule of thumb is go and ask the pros, there knowledge is phenomenal and the best part free.

............LBT

[spederman]

we painted our entire house with sherwin williams duration interior paint. never put down any primer, just painted right over the cheap ass paint the builder put down. Its been several years now and it looks like it did day 1. that shit is tough as nails. You can even wash it with a wet sponge. its expensive but well worth it if you are wanting quality paint.

[BlackSnake1996]

I guess its better late than never...
You DO NOT need primer to repaint. The walls are already primes when built. The average room takes about a gallon and a half to paint. That would mean 2 gallons of primer and 2 gallons of finish paint. Why not 2 coat with 3 gallons of finish paint. Smarter and cheaper.

[tHEbEASTpERFORMANCE]

I'd use an airless paint sprayer. Just because i like spraying shit. If you mask off right results look more professional too, expecially around door casings and base. Plus, it reduces the amount of time spent cutting in. And please dont paint the hinges..

[BlackSnake1996]

^^^lol

[Mr_fiux]

Originally Posted by Got5onIt

I'm going to be painting my Home Theatre room and wanted to know if I would need to put a coat of primer down first? The walls are currently painted a light tan color. I'll be painting the ceiling & 2 walls flat black & the other 2 walls a dark brown/gold. Any help is greatly appreciated!

If you are going from a light colour to a darker one, you should apply a dark primer first, otherwise you will get ghosting in the walls. where spots will appear in due time.

[paul_376]

Originally Posted by BlackSnake1996

I guess its better late than never...
You DO NOT need primer to repaint. The walls are already primes when built. The average room takes about a gallon and a half to paint. That would mean 2 gallons of primer and 2 gallons of finish paint. Why not 2 coat with 3 gallons of finish paint. Smarter and cheaper.

Even if you are going from a dark brown to a real light color?

[BlackSnake1996]

Originally Posted by paul 376

Even if you are going from a dark brown to a real light color?

Answer me this...What exactly do you think the primer will do that good paint won't? Primers are made for sealing. Paint is made for coverage. If the walls are already primed/sealed when built, what benefit will you get? 2 coats of a good grade paint will cover far more than 1 coat of primer and 1 coat of paint.

I haven't a clue as to what Mr_fiux is trying to imply. I have been painting for 30 years now and never used primers to 2 coat walls unless there were stains or such that needed sealed. Now the paint stores will tell ya that when going a "red" you need to prime with a gray color (which can be gray "paint") to get the true color, but yet again, I have never had a problem with this. I could go into this deeper, but you don't necessarily need the info unless you are going red over white.

All I can stress to you is to use a good quality paint. Even if you so decide to prime. But a primer is definitely not needed.

[bullet]

Originally Posted by BlackSnake1996

Answer me this...What exactly do you think the primer will do that good paint won't? Primers are made for sealing. Paint is made for coverage. If the walls are already primed/sealed when built, what benefit will you get? 2 coats of a good grade paint will cover far more than 1 coat of primer and 1 coat of paint.

I haven't a clue as to what Mr_fiux is trying to imply. I have been painting for 30 years now and never used primers to 2 coat walls unless there were stains or such that needed sealed. Now the paint stores will tell ya that when going a "red" you need to prime with a gray color (which can be gray "paint") to get the true color, but yet again, I have never had a problem with this. I could go into this deeper, but you don't necessarily need the info unless you are going red over white.

All I can stress to you is to use a good quality paint. Even if you so decide to prime. But a primer is definitely not needed.

The only argument that can be made is that primer is cheaper than paint. But you bring up a good point on the 3 versus 2 and 2.
The other time where you might want to use it is if you are converting satin or semigloss walls to flat.

[bullet]

Originally Posted by Mr_fiux

If you are going from a light colour to a darker one, you should apply a dark primer first, otherwise you will get ghosting in the walls. where spots will appear in due time.

Holidays are caused from dry rolling. Use a good paint and a quality roller and keep it wet and rolled heavy and you won't have that problem.

[BlackSnake1996]

Originally Posted by bullet

The only argument that can be made is that primer is cheaper than paint. But you bring up a good point on the 3 versus 2 and 2.
The other time where you might want to use it is if you are converting satin or semigloss walls to flat.

I won't argue this point, but its painters discretion. Acrylics will bond to each other fine, but sometimes due to age or polished surfaces, a primer might be recommended. When using a acrylic, always prime if the finish you are going over is a alkyd product.