Painting Over a Dark Color with a Light Color: A Guide

If you want to replace your forest-green wall with a misty aqua color, you might be afraid of that forest green showing through your desired lighter color. I understand. Painting over a dark color with a lighter color without the hue from the base layer bleeding through and affecting the new look can be tricky.

But contrary to popular belief, it can be done and it’s not as difficult as you think. All you need to paint your wall a lighter color without the old dark color shining through are a few supplies and some time and energy. Choose a white (not grey) primer, a good paint roller and tray, maybe a little caulk or spackle for any wall damages that need repair, and then follow three steps:

1. Fill Holes, Sand, and Make the Surface Even

In this case, you’ll want to treat the surface like any other that you would paint. Fill any holes in the wall with caulk or spackle, depending on the size of the holes, and sand the spackle or caulk smooth again. Look for rough patches on the wall, uneven surfaces, holes, etc.—anything your new paint won’t bind to like it would a normal wall. Make the wall surface as even and flat as possible. If you see your old paint flaking or peeling off, scrape it, and remove it.

2. Prime

Neglecting to prime is a common mistake people tend to make when painting. It’s important to use a white primer when painting over a dark color with a light one. If you were doing the opposite—painting over light colors with dark ones—you’d use a grey primer. The reason why priming is especially important when painting over a dark color is that it acts as a protective layer between the dark and light colors. When dry, you’ll see your light color come out true to what it’s supposed to look like. Dark base layers can mute your new light colors. A white primer helps mitigate this common problem.

3. Roll it Right

Now it’s time to roll on the new paint. When you’re rolling, use wide ‘M’ or ‘W’ shapes. This helps mark which spots need to be filled in and helps ensure even coverage of the surface. When you re-load the roller, use the slanted part of the rolling tray to remove some of the paint from the roller. This gives you a more controlled stroke when you’re painting and helps prevent drips and uneven sections. When using a roller, there’s a risk for what painters call ‘roller lines,’ which are exactly what they sound like. Controlling how much wet paint is on your roller is one way to avoid these lines. After you’re done rolling over your wall, let it dry.

4. Second Coat and Touch-Ups

It’s up to you and your powers of observation to decide if you want to put another paint coat on. You may only need to touch up a couple of areas. Anywhere the dark paint is still showing through or affecting your latest coat, paint over again. It’s important to let the first coat dry before you decide if you need a second coat. Paint colors change as they dry, and you won’t know what the finished product looks like until the paint completely dries.

These four, easy steps should ease some trepidation about painting a light color over a dark color. There’s no reason why your paint color choice should be affected by the hue you already have on your walls.

 

Need help with your upcoming painting project? Contact Colortrends to get an estimate for your home.

 

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