Do I need primer??


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Old 10-10-05, 06:14 AM
S
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Do I need primer??

I want to repaint our bedroom- Right now it's like a green (pea-soup) color.
I want to paint a neutral color like a light brown or tan. Do I need to paint the whole room first with a white primer?? Can I buy a top quality paint and just paint over the darker color?
 
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Old 10-10-05, 07:28 AM
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Primer is cheaper than paint. Because it still might take two coats even with great paint, I'd prime first. Check into getting your primer tinted as well.
 
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Old 10-10-05, 08:22 AM
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Priming is not required. If the walls are flat or eggshell and do not have any gloss level to speak of I would clean them, go over them with a spackle knife to remove andy garbage, and then paint them with 2 coats of quality paint.


J.M.C.'s suggestion will work too, but the primer is usually not tinted to the same exact color as the finish paint and if the finish paint doesn't cover in 1 coat you are still going to have to put on 2 finish coats.

Although putting on 2 finish coats does not guarantee complete coverage it is more likely in my opinion since paint is made to cover and primer isn't.
 
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Old 10-10-05, 08:52 AM
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K thanks- it's eggshell now- So it doesn't matter what color the original walls are as much? Always thought you used primer to hide the darker color but I really do not want to take the time and prime the whole thing- when I will be applying 2 coats of top notch paint anyway
 
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Old 10-10-05, 09:16 AM
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Put the paint on at the suggested rate. It should cover in 2 coats. The best option is to put on a primer sealer such as Zinsser Bllseye 123 tinted toward the new color than 1 probably 2 coats of paint. If it takes 3 coats of paint,and I doubt it will, I wuld rather have 3 coats of paint than 2 and a coat of primer.

It is veryimportant to use a quality paint and good brushes and rollers. Purdy comes to mind for both. Using cheap equipment is not a good idea no matter what you are doing,but especially painting. It also is not a bad idea to scuff sand the walls a little. I don't think it is required,but it can't hurt. A pole sander is the tool of choice=very quick and less than $10 in the depot.
 
 

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