does wall paint dry darker or lighter?

Question

when painting a wall will the paint dry darker or lighter

Answer 1

hi gina...

you've gotten a lot of responses so far...and unfortunately, none of 'em are entirely correct.

assuming the paint is mixed correctly, a dried sample of the paint should match the color strip. some paints will go on dark and dry up to the color, while others will go on light and dry down to the color.

why and how paints do this is determined by the pigment structure of the particular product. paints that go on dark and dry light are called "dry hide" paints as they are completely opaque when dried, but somewhat transparent when wet. dry hide paints are typically inexpensive, often times described as second tier quality or commercial grade. apartment paints are almost always dry hide products.

paints that go on slightly lighter then dry down to the color are referred to as "wet" hide products as they are as opaque when wet as they are when dry. wet hide products are almost always higher or premium quality paints and are typically more expensive.

certain performance assumptions can be made based on this information. a dry hide product will not have the same level of washability or stain and burnish resistance as does a wet hide product. wet hide products may be spread at a greater rate than dry hide products by as much as 20 - 30% or more - e.g. a dry hide product may cover approximately 250 square feet per gallon, while a wet hide product may cover 350 square feet per gallon*.

* all interior latex paints recommend a spread rate of 400 square feet per gallon - this rate is theoretical, based on application at a consistent 4.0 mils wet film thickness and is rarely obtained.

all latex paints are comprised of essentially 2 types of pigment - PRIME and FILLER. for interior paints, the most common PRIME pigment is titanium dioxide. titanium dioxide is very expensive (3X the cost of filler pigments) and its primary function is to provide hiding (opacity) and impart color.

FILLER pigments are inexpensive. the most common types of FILLER pigments are calcium carbonate (chalk), magnesium sulfate, diatamaceous clay and many others. the function of FILLER pigments are to absorb resin (sheen levels are determined by the amount of resin absorbed by these pigments), and create (or control) film build.

very simply, when mixed with water titanium dioxide remains opaque and stays opaque when the water evaporates - while all the other pigments listed will turn transparent and only become opaque again when the water evaporates.

to illustrate this mix a spoonful of baking soda (calcium carbonate) into a glass of water - as it dissolves you'll notice it becomes clear and the water appears to be clean. if you were then to pour the glass of water onto a dark fabric, the white calcium carbonate would only be visible once the water has dried.

another way to illustrate dry hide is to think of a wet t-shirt. completely opaque when dry...complete transparent when wet (i love that illustration).

so, there you have it - a product that is has a higher ratio of prime pigments (titanium dioxide) to that of filler pigments (calcium carbonate et al) will be more expensive and will hide better (at least while wet)...

a product that has a higher ratio of filler pigment to prime, will be more transparent (when wet) and more of the resin will be absorbed (diminishing the overall structural integrity of the paint film)...

if you haven't fallen asleep yet, i hope this info answers your question and i'm sorry it's so lengthy (believe me, this is the abbreviated version)...good luck on your projects.

ric

Answer 2

My experience is that latex paints always dry a wee bit darker. I have never had any go lighter and am not sure of the type of paint the others have used. Staff at paint stores also suggest that paints darken after drying. The best thing to do is try out the paint you have on a piece of wood and see. You can always add a bit of something to darken it if you find it to light. I have taken paint to stores and asked them to darken it up. I always offer a few dollars for their time and effort. Peter

Answer 3

Lighter

Answer 4

I'm pretty sure lighter...My parents bought a light brown/sandy sort of color to paint their dining room and were really disappointed when it dried the exact same shade it was before - really really light, 'creme' white.

I'd go at least a shade darker than what you want..

Answer 5

Lighter.

Answer 6

depends on the lighting-black paint will look lighter in the sunroom than it does in the basement dungeon with no windows and only one light bulb. before you pick your color, look at it in the room you are going to paint. the paint will not dry any lighter or darker than the chip you pick out. if you dry ppaint on the sample chip it should match. if it doesn't the paint store goofed. the color that you see is TOTALLY dependant on the lighting in the room

Answer 7

I think the paint will dry lighter, so if you're hard set on a shade, buy one that's one or two shades darker than what you want.

Answer 8

The paint will always dry darker then what you actually see on the example paint chip.

Answer 9

I think paint dries darker. Ask at your paint store.

Answer 10

I just painted my entire home... It depends on how much natural light you have in the room .. i.e windows... if you have alot of light in the room with high ceilings the paint will stay true to color... However, if you have low lighting the color will appear darker..

Answer 11

Magnolia Paint Color