Here's the problem: I'm trying to paint over a bright green/teal color
that hasn't been updated since the 50s, and it's on plaster walls. In
one room I've put on 2 coats of off-white, Classic 99 Sherwin Williams
paint; no primer. In that room the white has covered most of it, but
there is a blueish color leaking through.

In another room I put 1 coat of Sherwin Williams Superpaint in a
vibrant red color over the same green/teal, and this time a different
problem has come up. The coverage was much better on account of the
bright red color, but there are parts of the red walls that came up a
little lighter and splotchy when it all dried. Will another coat fix
this or will the same problems arise?

I've worked for a pro painter for a few years and he has never used
primer. On all my other jobs I've had beautiful results without
primer. However, on this job, I fear that the lack of primer may be my
downfall. I'm using high quality paint and my application methods are
not the issue.

Should I try to cover the green/teal with primer before painting any
more, or does anyone see another issue here that I'm overlooking?

Thanks for any advice!

On Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:16:34 -0800 (PST), Noah Kanter
wrote:

I've worked for a pro painter for a few years and he has never used
primer.

Seriously?!

In article , Noah Kanter wrote:
Here's the problem: I'm trying to paint over a bright green/teal color
that hasn't been updated since the 50s, and it's on plaster walls. In
one room I've put on 2 coats of off-white, Classic 99 Sherwin Williams
paint; no primer. In that room the white has covered most of it, but
there is a blueish color leaking through.

You should have used a primer.

Unfortunately, you're going to have to do this over. Go back to S-W and tell
them what happened. They'll tell you what primer you need. Buy it, apply it,
then apply one more topcoat, maybe two. Done.

In another room I put 1 coat of Sherwin Williams Superpaint in a
vibrant red color over the same green/teal, and this time a different
problem has come up. The coverage was much better on account of the
bright red color, but there are parts of the red walls that came up a
little lighter and splotchy when it all dried. Will another coat fix
this or will the same problems arise?

You should have used a primer.

And you should have used more than one coat. Reds are notorious for requiring
multiple coats, even with a primer.

I've worked for a pro painter for a few years and he has never used
primer. On all my other jobs I've had beautiful results without
primer. However, on this job, I fear that the lack of primer may be my
downfall. I'm using high quality paint and my application methods are
not the issue.

You got it: lack of primer.

Should I try to cover the green/teal with primer before painting any
more,

Yes, absolutely. Bring a sample of it to your S-W store if you can, or find
the closest possible match to it on one of their color charts, so you can show
them what you're painting over. They'll set you up with the right primer.

or does anyone see another issue here that I'm overlooking?

Yes. Primers exist for a reason. They're not needed in all cases, but it
appears that you've somehow acquired the notion that they're not needed in
*any* cases -- and that's just not so. You should always use a primer on an
unpainted surface, or when covering any highly saturated color. Generally
they're not needed when covering a pastel or off-white. Apparently your "pro
painter" hasn't done any jobs for you where a primer was needed, and you
haven't either, which has misled you into thinking a primer is never needed.

You just found out otherwise.

"Noah Kanter" wrote

; no primer.

You wrote your own answer. Did you think those colors would just paint
over? Now instead of two coats, primer and paint, you will have four.
Pretty good coverage I'd say.

Steve

On Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:06:16 -0800, "Steve B"
wrote:


"Noah Kanter" wrote

; no primer.

You wrote your own answer. Did you think those colors would just paint
over? Now instead of two coats, primer and paint, you will have four.
Pretty good coverage I'd say.


The most difficult color to cover is red. Especially true in auto
painting. Trying to turn a red Mustang into white is burdensome :-)
IIRC the primer on red was also red, eventually getting to gray.

House walls painted red, I read to prime with a gray color. Then
paint.

Both cases reduce bleeding when covering red paint.

Noah Kanter wrote:
Here's the problem: I'm trying to paint over a bright green/teal color
that hasn't been updated since the 50s, and it's on plaster walls. In
one room I've put on 2 coats of off-white, Classic 99 Sherwin Williams
paint; no primer. In that room the white has covered most of it, but
there is a blueish color leaking through.

In another room I put 1 coat of Sherwin Williams Superpaint in a
vibrant red color over the same green/teal, and this time a different
problem has come up. The coverage was much better on account of the
bright red color, but there are parts of the red walls that came up a
little lighter and splotchy when it all dried. Will another coat fix
this or will the same problems arise?

I've worked for a pro painter for a few years and he has never used
primer. On all my other jobs I've had beautiful results without
primer. However, on this job, I fear that the lack of primer may be my
downfall. I'm using high quality paint and my application methods are
not the issue.

Should I try to cover the green/teal with primer before painting any
more, or does anyone see another issue here that I'm overlooking?

Thanks for any advice!

I would expect to need at least three coats of white to cover any deep
color as you describe. Unless it is some unusual type of paint, you
probably are seeing inadequate coverage of the blue, rather than "bleed
through". I once painted a dark green bedroom set with white and used
at least four coats - actually lost track.

Deep red paint uses more transparent pigments, thus does not cover with
ease. Some paints include that info on their label. Primer promotes
adhesion and would cost about as much as a third coat of paint. A stain
blocking primer would have been in order to paint over something that
actually bleeds, like oily wood or smoke stains. Check with your paint
store - they may even have a factory rep take a look.

On Dec 28, 6:16*pm, Noah Kanter wrote:
Here's the problem: I'm trying to paint over a bright green/teal color
that hasn't been updated since the 50s, and it's on plaster walls. In
one room I've put on 2 coats of off-white, Classic 99 Sherwin Williams
paint; no primer. In that room the white has covered most of it, but
there is a blueish color leaking through.

In another room I put 1 coat of Sherwin Williams Superpaint in a
vibrant red color over the same green/teal, and this time a different
problem has come up. The coverage was much better on account of the
bright red color, but there are parts of the red walls that came up a
little lighter and splotchy when it all dried. Will another coat fix
this or will the same problems arise?

I've worked for a pro painter for a few years and he has never used
primer. On all my other jobs I've had beautiful results without
primer. However, on this job, I fear that the lack of primer may be my
downfall. I'm using high quality paint and my application methods are
not the issue.

Should I try to cover the green/teal with primer before painting any
more, or does anyone see another issue here that I'm overlooking?

Thanks for any advice!

A Pro that never used primer is no pro, some things just have to be
primed, and he didnt use primer on exterior bare wood or metal?. Did
you paint over a completely flat finish that was washed, because you
painted over oil. Get some stain hiding primer from SW, and if that
50yr old oil was glossy, you might as well strip it off.