Tips for Painting Walls Red
Deep Decorations
Red is a bold and
daring color, typically chosen by people who have a thirst for adventure
and a strong sense of creativity. Red is fearless, creating striking
distinction and a fierce contrast to the standard neutrals of a basic
living space.
Red paint, however, is a whole other world. It
looks pink when it's wet, and the amount of color required to obtain
such a strong tint creates a translucent mixture. Many people who
experience red paint for the first time find themselves uneasy, unsure,
and wondering what on earth the teenager at the paint counter had given
them. Fear not, my bold friend, it's the nature of the beast, and I
will tell you all that I know to set your mind at ease.
Think Ahead
First,
you need a good base when starting out with light colored walls. This
is especially important when you're painting on new construction. There
are a lot of different theories and advice when it comes to choosing a
base, but I'll give you the real deal - from experience.
If
you're working with new construction - and that doesn't mean unpainted
drywall, that means construction grade painted drywall (they use the
thinnest, cheapest stuff they can get. Hey, they're getting paid more
to keep their costs down, who can blame them?) - best thing to do is
find the cheapest can of 'Oops Paint' in a flat finish or tinted primer.
You may ask, "What is 'Oops Paint'?" Well, from time to time, a can
of paint will get tinted and it won't quite match the color that it was
intended. There are many variables associated with this, but that's a
whole other story. Long story short, a color was incorrect, so it can't
be sold for full price. Therefore, the home improvement store will
mark it down to about 25% of the original sale cost. Last time I
checked at The Home Depot, they were selling 'Oops Paint' for $5 a
gallon, no matter what the brand was. That's awesome for you, because
you can get some high quality Behr Paint for really cheap! And you're
going to cover it up anyway, so who cares what color it is? But, the
darker the better, because it will save you some time in the next step.
The Base Coat
Next step - and by
this time you should have already chosen your color. If you've painted
the new construction, or if you have walls that have been painted over
several times, the best thing to do is to use a tinted primer as a base
coat. Tinted primer is different from paint because it tends to be
thicker, so it gets better coverage, but it usually doesn't go as far as
paint, and it doesn't have the "stain blocking" capabilities of paint.
You basically have five choices when it comes to the tinted primer.
First - you could get lucky and find some 'Oops Primer' (it's rare, but I've seen it before).
Second
- you could use the store rep recommended gray primer (I do NOT
recommend this! Gray will alter the color of the finish coat).
Third
- you could use a flat finish paint of the color you have chosen for
the final finish (this will still require a few coats, so it's not
ideal).
Fourth - you could use the same brand of paint and tint the
primer as much as it will hold (I do not recommend this, either. Most
primers, unless they specifically state that they are deep tint primers,
will not provide the base that you need for adequate coverage).
Fifth
and most highly recommended - use a deep tint primer, preferably the
Ralph Lauren brand. You're probably thinking, "What? Are you kidding
me? Use a designer brand primer? You're out of your mind." I might be
out of my mind, but I am right about this primer. It's really not
expensive, and it does the best job. The cost is about the same as Behr
primer, but it can get the deepest tint, closest to the color that you
want to end up with. It also is very smooth, covers very nicely, so you
don't have to use more than one coat (unless you have very porous
walls, as with new construction).
Choosing the Right Applicators
So, you've got your
primer, now you can avoid the biggest mistake that people make when
painting ANY color - using the wrong nap roller. The thickness of the
roller cover is referred to as "nap", which is available in 1/4" to over
1". There is a purpose for this, and some people think that it's just
to give you more paint in the roller so you don't have to keep going
back to the paint pan. Not entirely true (but an interesting thought).
The truth of the matter is that the different naps are designed for
different surface textures and paint thicknesses. You don't want to use
a 1/4" nap for painting a thick coat on a concrete block wall, nor do
you want to use a 1" nap for painting a watery thin coat on drywall.
Here's a good rule of thumb - the smoother the surface, and the thinner
the material being applied, the thinner the nap.
So, in this
case, you'll be using a fairly thin material - the deep base primer - on
a smooth surface - drywall. I know, drywall is not perfectly smooth,
especially compared to plaster, but for the purpose of which roller to
use, it is considered a "smooth surface". For this application, I would
recommend either a 1/4" or 3/8" nap roller, depending on how smooth
your wall surface is, and which primer you decide to use. You can
usually tell by looking at the primer, and if you go to the counter to
pick it up after they mix it, just ask them to open it up so you can see
how thin it is. If it looks like tinted water, then use the 1/4" nap.
But, if your walls have a lot of imperfections, patched areas, nicks
and such, then maybe you should consider a 3/8" nap.
Plan Ahead
Now, in preparation
for painting the walls, keep in mind that you will need to do a few
coats in order to complete this. One problem with latex paint is that
it is just that - it's latex. It's liquid when it's wet and it's like a
stretchy sheet when it dries. This is important to know because
another common mistake that people make is that the think they can tape
up the baseboards and trim once and paint all of their coats with the
same tape. This is not a good idea, because it has happened where
people have gone to remove the tape after several coats of paint have
dried, and it peels the paint right off the wall. That's never fun, and
it's not the prettiest thing, but maybe you can convince your house
guests that you are an artist and this is just another creative venture
for you.
I have a neat little trick that I've only shared with a few people, but I'm feeling generous today, so here it is: Tape up your trim and baseboards with at least 4 layers of tape
The
reason for this is that when you finish one coat, before it dries you
can remove one layer of tape and you don't have to re-tape every time.
Just make sure that you remove the layer of tape while the current coat
is still wet to avoid "latex tearing".
Trimming Out
Those have got to
be the most dreaded words spoken when it comes to painting, but fact is,
it must be done. Now it's time for another one of my tricks: When
you're brushing in the corners and edges, keep a small, dry "mini"
roller in the other hand, and as you brush in, roll over the brushed
areas to smooth them out.
One
complaint that I've heard from people is that the corners look lighter
than the rest of the wall. Again, you could fool people into believing
that you have this insane creative side, but they'll probably believe
only the insane part. Fact is, the brush will cause a different look
because it is a different texture, and it is applied differently than
the roller. It almost sounds like common sense, but honestly, most
people don't realize this. Avoid the strange glares, and try my tip for using the dry
roller. Another thing you can do to make it easier on yourself is,
once you get all of the corners and edges done and dry-rolled, use that
small roller to cut in a little further into the wall. By working your
way in from the edges, it will give you a much more uniform look. Plus,
you really shouldn't re-use the roller from primer coat to finish coat,
so you might as well get a good use out of it.
After that, go
nuts! The primer coat really won't be seen, so it doesn't matter how
smoothly you roll it out. I would also suggest that you buy the primer
and apply that before purchasing the paint. There are two main reasons
for this. First, to make sure that you really like the bold red look
(some people paint the whole room then realize that it is totally not
for them - don't be that person!). Maybe you would rather have a deep
blue, or a sunset orange. Find out sooner rather than later, because
this is the point where you can change your mind without losing your
mind. Second, because there is a long waiting period between applying
the primer and applying each finish coat. The primer, while it may be
dry to the touch within an hour, really should sit for at least 6 hours
before applying the paint. This is the "curing time", where it actually
continues to darken slightly (although it's mostly there after about an
hour) and it sets into the wall. When you paint the finish coat on a
primed wall that has not cured, it will peel the primer off. It's not
fun, so better be safe than sorry. On humid or rainy days it could take
even longer.
Choosing The Paint Sheen
So many choices,
what to do, what to do? Well, first, consider where this is going. If
it's going to be in a bathroom, then semigloss or high gloss are the way
to go. If it's in a kitchen, then satin or semigloss are good -
depending on how close it's going to be to the cooking and cleaning
areas. If you're going to paint this behind your counter tops, then you
should use a semigloss because it's less likely to fade with being
splashed or wiped down more often. If it's a kid's room or play room,
then consider satin finish. For dining rooms, hallways or foyers,
eggshell finish is usually the best. Living rooms or adult bedrooms are
typically okay using flat finish.
Keep in mind that the finish
affects several things. While high gloss and semigloss have a harder
finish and are more resistant to staining, fading and moisture
penetration, they will show imperfections more clearly and will be more
likely to streak when applying the final coat. If your walls are
littered with dings and dents, then you may want to consider the lowest
sheen that you can get away with, or maybe even consider a "faux finish"
to cover up the imperfections (this is a neat trick that I have done on
every room of my house - which I'll tell you about later). Flat or
eggshell finishes have a softer finish and are not very resistant to
staining, fade more easily when wiped down, are not moisture resistant,
and can even rub off more easily if bumped, but they hide imperfections
more than the shiny finishes. This is because the shiny finish will
reflect light across the surface, so every time that reflection is
altered, it causes a shadow or change in reflection. The flat surface
does not reflect as much, so the imperfections are less noticeable.
Applying The Finish Coat
The finish coat is
the one that you have to be the most meticulous about. One thing that
you might notice is that the paint will start to dry as you apply it.
This is especially the case with Behr Paint, although it is the highest
quality that I have had the pleasure of using, it will dry as it's being
applied, so you have to be mindful of how you are applying it. You
can't zig-zag across the wall then come back and fill it in, because
you'll be able to see streaks from where you applied the first zig-zag.
Instead, use a technique that is suggested by Behr and other paint
companies, which I like to call the "Large 'V'". If you're starting on
the far right side of the wall, position your paint roller in the top
right corner of the wall. bring it down and slightly left so that when
you stop, you have gone about 1/2 of the width of the roller toward the
left, and you have moved downward to a reachable, comfortable location.
Then bring the roller up and to the left so that your ending point
barely overlaps the left edge of where you started. Then move the
roller straight down to the comfortable, reachable level, and bring it
back up and slightly right, so that it ends centered between the
starting location and the ending location of the original "V". Continue
to go across the original "V" until you have smoothed out the roller
lines, then move over to the next section.
Don't Get Discouraged
When you're
finished with the first coat, you may look back at the wall and say,
"Dear God, what have I done?" Normal reaction, but don't worry, because
if you walk away and come back in four hours, it will look completely
different. Then in four more hours it will look even more different.
The fact is, red paint has a curing time just like the primer does, only
the paint will look more streaky and more pink for a longer time than
the primer. Most applications require at least two coats of paint with
the proper primer, or seven coats without the correct primer. Realize
also that the paint will take much longer to cure than the primer, so
although you may have hoped to get this done in a weekend, you may have
some extra work to do Monday night after work, unless you got started on
Friday night, in which case, you have a very good chance of finishing
up on Sunday. I always suggest to wait 12-24 hours before applying
another coat on top of the paint. You could do a test area after 12
hours, somewhere in the corner where you'll have an end table or
something in the way. You just lightly touch the paint. If it feels
dry, then touch it a little bit harder. Keep doing this until you
either feel that it's sticky, or when you press your finger into the
finish, it leaves an imprint. If you get the imprint, or if it's still
sticky, then it has not finished curing. Or, you could just skip the
test area, and wait 24 hours from the previous coat. I can't stress how
important this is. This paint will peel very easily if you try to move
too quickly. No matter how impatient you get, it's better not to cause
more work for yourself.
So, if I have not completely
turned you off from painting your room red, I certainly hope that you
enjoy your bold new room. It really is a classic look, and given the
right setting, it can give you the designer room that you see in home
improvement magazines. Hey, maybe you can even submit your room
pictures to one of those subscriptions! Just don't forget to tell them
who advised you. ;)
Comments
Beware on April 21, 2016:
this is a terrible article full of misguided information - please read with caution!
JT on October 22, 2010:
Painting two accent walls in my living room. Used no primer. Painted two coats over an off white color paint on the walls. The first coat looked awful. The second looks better but you can still see different colorations. Will try a third coat in a day or two when I have some more free time... Hope it looks better!
Nicolas Simons from San Francisco on August 21, 2010:
Excellent hub! Red is a tricky color to paint with. Nice job discussing all of the issues that usually come up.
