Painting Problems

[jms0310]

I finally got bold and decided to paint an accent wall in my bedroom a dark maroon color. I love the color but we needed a second coat so I rolled on another coat this morning and I see even more brush strokes. I don't understand what I am doing wrong. I've never really attempted a color so dark so maybe that is the problem I am running into. We used a satin paint which may be the problem (instead of flat) but I'm not sure? Also, how do I correct this so the brush strokes disappear? I keep finding info on how to paint but now that I probably did something wrong how do I correct it???
Jessica

[Chefzhat]

Sorry! Your problem is probably solved by now but I'll pop in anyway to check if you can still see brush strokes now that both coats have dried.

Where are you in the process?

Debie

[jms0310]

Both coats are dry this morning and I have done some touch up on the trim but I can still see roller marks on the wall. I actually made it worse with the second coat but since it is such a dark color I had to apply a second coat. Now, I'm just trying to figure out if I should do another coat or not to correct my problem! Thanks!

[TamiKnight]

Jessica, I asked DH, who works for a paint company. You're probably not going to like this! He said one problem is the Satin paint; with flat, you probably wouldn't have had the problem. If you want to get rid of the roller marks, you're going to need to rent a paint sprayer and spray the wall. A roller, because of the texture, will always leave "stipple" marks, at least. A brush also has its own texture issues. If you don't want to use a sprayer, look at the nap of your roller--the thicker the nap the more marks it will leave, so get a thinner napped roller. A mohair roller, according to DH, will be your best bet if you don't want to spray the wall.

Paint sprayers can usually be rented at paint stores or home centers. Good luck! I'll be out of town for a week, but I'll check when I get home and see if it helped.

[sammeybella]

I can't imagine what would be causing the roller marks without seeing how you paint.

If the marks are raised (ie. thicker areas of paint) I would lightly sand over them and them apply a third coat.

Make sure you are not rolling straight up and down or straight across. I've aways been told to paint in a "W" type shape. Also, don't put a lot of paint on the roller. It's better to keep having to go back to get more paint.

Make sure the area you are painting is very well lit so that you can tell while you are painting if distinct lines are developing.

I'm sure these are all things you've thought of but it's all I can think of to perhaps fix the lines.

It may just be that because you have gone with such a dark colour that it requires 3 coats. When I put a really dark colour on the wall I always have my primer tinted with the colour I'm using in my base coat.

T

[jms0310]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I think I am going to try a 3rd coat but I know it probably won't work! I don't think I had used too much paint on my roller but I think my roller strokes weren't correct. I should have painted in a W and then filled in from there. I took one section at a time but I don't think I filled in the way I should have and instead used more straight lines. This is what probably made the strokes more apparent. I probably will need to do a primer and start from scratch with a flat paint but I figure I will try the third coat first. Thanks again for all your advice, I appreciate it!
Jessica

[Beth]

I painted a dark blue satin over white in my son's room and that took three coats. Two got pretty good, but still had placed where it was lighter. The third coat did it. I didn't use a tinted primer, but for only one wall it was cheaper to use three coats out of one gallon of paint than to buy a gallon of paint and a gallon of primer. For a whole room, I would get a tinted primer.

Make sure you are letting the paint dry enough before putting on another coat -- if the paint is not fully dry, the next coat can actually lift off some of the paint.

BTW, we have used a lot of eggshell and satin paint on both smooth and textured walls and have never sprayed any of it -- but I read your questione to be about the streaks and spots that show through, not about bumps. If you want a mirror smooth finish, you might have to spray -- a fin foam roller also work well for smooth surfaces -- look at thoe mini rollers (only about an inch across rather than 2-3 inches). They make a fine white foam for smooth finishes and the mini rollers are really easy to work with.

[funnybone]

We've painted a dark color like that before but used a tinted paint primer. It was an awful fuschia color, but helped keep the coats and improved the color depth. We were told that any dark reds were quite transparent and sometimes 5 or 6 coats won't cover it up unless you use a primer. The people the paint store should be able to tell you if you need one or not based on the color. We use Brnjamin Moore and their paint chips always has sumbols on it that let you know if you needed a primer or not.

[Robyncz]

I've been told that darker colors require more coats. We've chosen a very deep red for our dining room and the guys at the paint store as well as a professional painter have both told me it will require a minimum of three coats. Using a primer can really help, but you're past that stage. I'll bet you see the results you want after the 3rd or 4th coat.