I'm getting ready to paint my new apartment and am trying to figure out the logistics.
I'm using Benjamin Moore's Regal Eggshell paint (latex). One room is currently painted dark orange, the other lime green (both also with BJ latex paint), and I'm planning to repaint both of them to light cream. The third bedroom is standard white, and I"m planning to paint that one a soft, baby blue. All three rooms are small (110-160 sq. ft) with high, 9.5 foot ceilings, and don't get much natural light (especially the orange one).
My plan is to use primer tinted close to my topcoat, and follow that with only one coat of paint. The paint stores near my house charge an arm and a leg for paint and I'm on a tight budget, so I'm hoping this is doable.
My question is: Can I get away with using high-quality tinted primer plus just one coat of paint? I'm especially concerned if that's possible in the orange room.
I'm not looking to do a perfect job, just a decent one that I'll be happy with for the year or two I'm living there. Any advice/experience is much appreciated.
Its very possible you'll need a second coat to cover the darker room. It might work if you apply enough paint. Many people roll too much before going back for more. Try one of those rollers with the built in pump for fast and even coverage. I noticed that the dark colors mixed in the deep base were worst at hiding.
I suggest you buy enough for one coat and start while the paint stores are still open, It should be evident if a second coat is needed as soon as you put up the first. You'll have time to get another can before the stores close and force you to work into a second day.
A good high hiding white primer should be fine, you don't need tinted unless the topcoat is a medium or dark color. Light cream sounds close to white.
Because he said he wanted a quality paint that would minimize the painting work. If you think about it paint is probably the least expensive part of the job so it pays to use a quality paint.
Primer is much thinner than the finish paint. It's designed to soak in, seal surfaces and act as a bonding agent for the top coat. In other words, it's not really a good choice if you're looking for coverage over a darker paint. Tinting it won't improve the hiding ability. The worst thing that could happen is to use primer and a single top coat, then find out that it didn't cover to your satisfaction so you'd be forced to buy more of the expensive top coat anyway. In other words, you'd have totally wasted your time and money on the primer.
Before I'd skimp on the top coat, I'd look into getting a less expensive paint than Benjamin Moore. I'm shuddering as I type that. In general, you get what you pay for in paint, so a less expensive paint won't hide as well and won't last as long. The expensive ingredients in paint are the solids and resins - you won't get as much of those in a cheaper paint. But, since you're only looking to get a couple of years out of the paint, the cheaper paint will suffice.
Primers like PVA type primer fit your description but stain blocking primers like Kiltz cover up quite well. The difference shows in the price too.
One of the reasons Behr paint is less expensive is that it sells in higher volume to cost consious consumers from a discount hardware store rather than meduim volume to pros and elete consumers from specialty paint stores. Lets not forget Sears (and sears owned OSH) where Glidden and Dutch Boy also have good premium and high hiding versions. The Dutch Boy, Kids Room line touts one coat coverage as a feature and they have those cool plastic paint cans with the screw on lid.
I had a job with behr paint, yellow over very pale purple (lavender?) - took FOUR coats!!! behr SUCKS - it will cost you 4 times what it should in paint and time.
With the top of the line benjMoore paint you MIGHT even get away with one coat, no primer!
Unfortunately, cheaper paint is not really an option for two reasons: (1) Having read about the unreliable quality of cheaper paints, I'm really hesitant to try a cheaper paint, especially because I'm a novice at this; and (2) I live in Manhattan and I don't have a car, so I'm stuck shopping at one of the paint stores near my house.
The paint I want to get (Benjamin Williams) runs $42/gallon, whereas their primer is a little over half of that, hence, the temptation to use a coat of primer and one coat, instead of two coats of paint.
I've heard that as a general rule, you should always use primer before you start, but given that (1) you said primer will offer poor coverage of the old, darker colors; and (2) at least two of the rooms (the orange and lime green ones) were painted with latex Benjamin Moore, do you think I should just skip the primer and do two coats of paint?
For a light color, you don't need a tinted primer. Use white primer. That will allow you to see areas you didn't cover, or didn't cover well, which would be much more difficult with a tinted primer.
One coat may be enough, butr if not, just put on a thin 2nd coat.
Do I wait for the first coat of paint to completely dry before I put on the second coat? Would this take a few hours, or should I wait a day?
And when I'm applying the second coat, do I cut in around the edges and walls first with a brush, like I'm planning to do with the first coat of paint? Or should I just use a roller the second time around and paint as close to the edges as possible (would that cause lines to appear between the first and second coats around the edges because I didn't cut in)?
Apologies for the ignorant novice questions; I've never painted before. I tried asking the sales clerk at the paint store for advice about these details, but he more or less doesn't know (and unfortunately, doesn't care, either).
Yes, I think you can probably get by with two coats. I would use masking tape to tape off a small area - few square inches - in an inconspicuous part of the room - in a dark corner near the floor - and give it two coats with a sponge brush. This will give you a very good idea of how it will turn out. $42.00 a gal. is high - check the 'oops' bin for light shaded neutrals.
I've painted many a room and this is what works for me.
Cut in first. Roll on one coat of paint. Don't be sloppy, but don't try to stretch the paint either. By the time you get the first coat on, it is dry enough to put a second coat.
If you did a good job of cutting it, you won't have to go over it again. Maybe a light spot will show up, but that is minimal. The second coat goes fast and does not have to be as heavy. An average sized bedroom takes a gallon of paint. If you have high ceilings and large rooms, two may be needed.
It may look uneven at first, but when it dries, it will look OK. If you have paint left over, put some in a jar and seal it well. This will be handy if you need a touchup in the next few months.
I'd separate the first and second coats by at least a half day, if it's dry outside and the humidity is low. Open a window and let some air in to speed things up. If you have three rooms to paint anyway, just move on to the next room. What has not been said is that you should use a 1/4" nap roller or even a foam one if the walls are smooth. The shorter the nap, the better coverage you'll have. I'd not fool with a tinted primer- use two coats of paint. Figure about 400-500 sf per gallon for the two coats. You'll probably use a bit more on the first coat and less on the second.
If you're a novice, mask off the important stuff. Use the blue tape and remove it while the second coat is fresh. If the paint sticks a tad, use a razor knife to get a clean "cut edge" against the tape as you peel it off. I also recommend getting many of the cheap, disposable 9 X 12 Visqueen drops and taping them down to keep spatters off the floor, radiators, cabinets etc. It's cheap, and you'll thank yourself. Painting is 25% of the job, the rest is preparation. For goodness sake, remove the cover plates from the plugs and switches and tape over the switch and receptacles. It's also a good time to buy new cover plates- it really makes a job look spiffy.
Yes- cut in first with a brush for each coat, then roll out the rest. Don't fiddle around with a "pump-type" roller. Just get a good 12" roller and pan from the paint store. The roller cover is most important, so get a good one with the shortest nap that will fill any voids. With the high ceilings, you'll also thank yourself if you get a roller extension handle. It's also time to invest in a 6' step ladder, if you don't have one. Keep a lot of paint in the roller and roll SLOWLY to reduce spatter. With a full roller, roll about a foot beyond the last paint, then blend it back into the wet paint. Finally, roll out everything for about 3' again- slowly and avoid any lines of paint build-up by rolling again when the roller is out of paint.
Or should I just use a roller the second time around and
Don't do that. Do it right- cut in each coat and roll out the rest. When you cut in, I never use less than a 3" brush and generally use a good 4" one- except for tight spaces. Use a good tipped and flagged artificial bristle brush with a water based paint. My typical cut-in is about 3" or more. Be aware of how your roller will "fit" into the corner, around the window and down around the baseboard.
That's a shame. If you're paying $42 a gallon for BM paint, you should expect to get good advice at the store.
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