Do I have to paint a wall white before painting it?

Question

Do I have to paint a wall white before painting it?

My wall is regular violet/purple now, and i want to paint it regular green. Should I paint my wall white first before painting it green, or should i just paint with green right away.

Thanks.

Answer 1

You should paint it with a primer first which helps cover it with one coat.

Answer 2

After thousands of gallons of paint, and not strictly advocating PRIMER as a fix it all, all the time, it would seem in your case, it might be the way to proceed.

Beyond the color DARK to lighter perhaps, might also be the issue of the base paint TYPE. IE: Semi gloss/flat/satin/etc. and the substance of the new color.

In the end you may have to apply 2 coats of the new color anyway; but think of the primer, in your case, as a caution best taken, in spending a few extra dollars and hours, to assure that no OOOPS will happen.

Consider this. Green and Purple pretty much create Brown, if mixed wet. You might find that the first coat of green, especially if lighter in tone/shade; than the quality of the Purple,,, EVEN dry,,,might look MUDDY?

Also,,, and with no offense at all,,,PURPLE isn't exactly a color one wants to live with for a long term. A gentle Lavendar might work well, for awhile in a young ladies bedroom, but it's an abstract color choice for a room one has to be in, for hours at a time. Think of it in a psychological sense. Green, on the other hand is a NATURAL color and far more easy to live with.

The choice to spend another $20 on a decent primer, and the labor time involved will allow that you will probably be more satisfied, AFTER the fact.

Steven Wolf

Answer 3

Violet to Green will take two coats Minimum.
First coat you should use a Primer and have it tinted close to the color you are going to paint.
Then Go on with the Paint color coat and you should be done.
If you don't then expect 3 coats of paint and it wont look as good.
You don't have to go to white, just tint the primer
Other things to consider, what is the Paint type on the wall now. Flat, Eggshell, Satin, Semi-gloss or Gloss. If it is anything but flat Prime for sure or expect 4 coats of paint

Answer 4

I read all or most of the "answers" listed.. I'd like to add just one more thing.. First off, it's a good idea to primer the walls especially if you are going from a dark---lighter color.. Also, don't go with the cheapest paint, it will be harder to paint with and not last as long.. *Also, tint your primer the same color you will be painting with or even a few shades lighter to keep the work load down... You'll need fewer cover coats and you're likely to not get any bleeding of colors through the freshly painted surface... Good luck

Answer 5

Violet/purple? This color may bleed thrugh.
Yes, by all means, paint it white first. If the violet color shows through the white, paint it again. You may even need a third coat of white.
And you want green? The next time you paint, you will need a coat or two of white paint to keep the green from bleeding through.
Not good color choices, but hey, it's your room.

Answer 6

if it has much of a sheen finish you could start with a coat of the new color in a flat finish, then if you want a sheen on the final coat it will be more likely to cover. Either way you will have to put 2 coats. The flat, will serve as the primer. If you prime white first, you will probaly still have to use 2 coats.of the finish color. When it comes to painting 2 coats is alot easier than 3.

Answer 7

If the color underneath is darker than the new color you are using, you may want to put a primer. If you don't use a primer underneath, your new paint job might not cover up some of the old color underneath. I have had my home professionally painted before and had this situation. I don't think they even used a primer or white underneath though. They just used two coats of a really good brand of paint(sherwinn williams). I think it also depends on the brand of paint you are going to use, too.

Answer 8

Depends on the color green...is it regular light green or dark green? You can try painting a small area in the corner to see if the color will be true...because deeper colors are harder to cover. If you decide you need to prime you can either prime it with a cheaper paint the same color as the finish you want and then paint with the good stuff or if you want to completely get rid of the current color then use Kilz or something similar to get rid of the color and have a true "green" when you are finished.

Answer 9

It's not just that you paint it white, you need to seal it or the green will not cover the purple. You need a good "primer" which usually comes in white. When you're trying to cover such an intense color it's always good to prime first.

Answer 10

You need to use primer first because if you don't the colors will bleed through. Primer is different than white paint.