About to paint ceiling - please help

The darker the primer the fewer coats of the paint you will need. You can get the primer tinted at the store. Plan for at least three coats of paint and be happily surprised if you get away with two.

[edit] looks like you beat me to it! [end edit]

I've found the Behr Ultimate with the Primer yields great coverage and finish. I've been VERY happy with it. I used a SureLine roller cover a little thicker than I normally would.

If you have new unfinished drywall.

Speaking of drywall primer, how is it different from regular primer?

I didn't know the answer to this, so I googled it.. this is what I found
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...9224721AAkeVjs
http://www.painting-ideas-and-techni...mer-paint.html
http://jackpauhl.blogspot.com/2008/1...l-primers.html

Basically drywall primer is formulated to seal the porosity of the drywall and taped joints so that when paint is applied that the different porosities don't make the paint look different. Other primers are formulated for other reasons. Also drywall is pretty porous and will really suck in that first coat of paint without a primer.

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/PDF/Free/021161060.pdf

The key to painting dark colors especially deep reds etc.... is NOT to tint the primer the same color..

I can't believe that still in this day I hear big box paint depts saying to tint the primer to some fractional formula of the intended finish color. The only explanation I can come to is that it sells a bunch more paint. Tint that primer and you end up with bright PINK.. And you end up with multiple coats of finish coats to hopefully cover it.

The key is to tint the primer GRAY! There's a reason that when they paint a car the primer color is gray. Why the home paint outlets don't get this is beyond me.

All dark colors begin with a dark base.. which has little to no titanium dioxide in it (white pigment) it's that pigment that provides the ability to cover. Your dark deep base colors are almost clear with the deep red etc... very transparent. What you need is a neutral base color under this highly transparent final color.

The only paint supplier that I've been in that actually preaches this is Sherwin Williams. They even had a side by side painted sample of gray primer with same color tinted primer and various coat counts.

Actually Valspar (at Lowe's) has a 5 gray primer tinting system. You pick the gray you want depending on how dark the color is. Actually for given paint color their computer will tell you which gray.

http://www.valsparatlowes.com/en/fin.../tintable.html

click on the video button for a good explanation.

That is awesome... Finally!

Was just strolling through a HD paint dept the other day and sure enough they were recommending tinting the primer red... thought to my self this can't be happening..

If I had a penny for every time I've heard a dark red paint horror story.. first question I ask is did you use gray primer... then the deer in the headlights look comes back.. usually followed by no I used a red tinted primer that that paint store told me to use.

(OK so maybe I'd only be about 12 or 13 cents richer )

I just primered my entire theater tonight with the Behr Premium drywall primer/sealer. I have absolutely no regreats so far. It turned out great.

I had them tint the primer gray. The lady who works there warned me that they are only allowed to put up to 25% of the tint for the color requested in a primer. I thought that sounded strange, but after thinking about it, it makes perfect sense. They don't want you buying the cheap $12 a gallon primer and tinting it to your final color - which basically is turning it into a $35 can of paint and primer in one. I chose the darkest gray they had and it came out about as dark as the second or third gray on the card (still pretty dark).

One coat covered the new drywall with no problems and it looks very even. I rolled it with a 3/4" nap roller. The thicker roller filled in any imperfections there may have been in the drywall mud. This should be a great base coat for the black ceiling.

I had stopped by Sherwin Williams on the way home last night because a friend of mine gets a discount there. Even with the 25% discount he gets, the drywall primer was still $30 a gallon. I personally don't think I would ever be able to tell the difference from the product I used which was less than half the price.

Nick

I'll check when I get home tonight.

OK, I checked and that IS what I used. That SureLine roller cover picks up a LOT more paint than I'm used to with the other cheap covers. It gave an excellent looking 1 coat finish with the Behr paint.

I know you have decided on a color but i painted mine Kodak Gray got a chip from the local paint store took it to Home Depot and they matched it. I have been very happy with this color. my walls are a dark burgendy and it took three coats. some of my friends have done the same thing and been very happy with the results. one person painted his whole room Kodak gray.

MY original color was a Dutch Boy color and I took the chip to HD and them color match it in the Behr Ultimate with Primer. And I guess I should say that I had the drywallers finish and 1st coat in gray.

I wouldn't, personally. But I'm pretty anal about seeing rollers marks in things. Especially with a darker color . . .

YMMV

a few words----


2 Coats-
Mouse Ears Flat
=
Deep Space

Get Kilz 2 ($14.96) at walmart.
Ask them to tint it to "black". The primer will end up grey and it will help a lot when you will paint the burgundy or other dark color.
I used it in conjunction with Behr paints. It helped me to cover the walls with only 2 coats of red and 1 coat of black for the ceiling. The results are amazing.

Once you can't see the primer through the black paint, you should be good. If you want to get really picky, you can shine a light on the ceiling to see if any primer is showing through and hit those spots again.

Doesn't HAVE to be. I used the Behr Matte Finish (or whatever it is that is one step above the flat) for my trim and seems to be fine. At least I'm not distracted by any shiny reflections if they exist. IT had enough of finish that the pieces can be handled without the chalking associated with the flat paint.