Designing a Nursery

If you have grown tired of your home's dark, dingy walls, you may have decided it is time to freshen them up with a lighter color. However, you may wonder how you can fully cover the dark paint with a lighter color without the old color showing through. If so, use the following four tips for painting your home's dark walls with a lighter color.

Use a High-Quality Roller Cover with a Short, Tight Nap

Before you put on your first stroke of primer or paint, you want to make sure you have a high-quality roller cover with which to apply it. Even if you have top-quality paint, a poor cover cannot give you the even coverage you will need to hide the dark paint. When selecting your roller cover, choose one with a short, tight nap. The tighter and shorter the nap, the more paint will be applied with each roll. 

Once you have located the right types of covers, squeeze a couple of them in the middle. The higher the quality of the roller cover, the faster it will spring back after being squeezed.

Tint Your Primer 

Once you are ready to start painting, you need to apply a coat of primer to the dark walls first. Primer helps cover dark paint and imperfections. It also helps seal any tiny cracks or holes that may otherwise try to show through after the fresh paint is applied.

To help with covering dark walls, add a little of your chosen paint color to the primer to tint it. Having the primer tinted to where it is a lighter shade of your desired color helps to gradually start covering the dark walls. Also, once you are ready to apply your paint, there is not a stark contrast between the primer and finishing color.

Maximize Coverage with Your Rolling Technique

While painting your walls with a roller, make sure you are using the right technique to maximize the paint's coverage. Doing so also ensures each coat of paint goes on as evenly as possible, minimizing the risk of having sections of dark paint showing through lighter layers.

Instead of painting in straight horizontal or vertical lines, roll the paint on in horizontal angles. Not only does this ensure better coverage of the darker paint beneath, but it forces you to go over the lines of the previous paint strokes, evening out any heavy areas and preventing drips.

Depending on the size of your walls, you can start by painting on a "V" or a "W." After the initial strokes, use the same lines to fill in the spaces. Move to the next section of the wall, and repeat the process until each coat is finished.

Let the Paint Dry Completely Between Coats

Between each coat, give the paint time enough to dry completely. While the paint is still wet, the new paint may appear darker, so you may not get an accurate idea of how well it has covered the old paint. Once the paint dries, shine a bright light on the walls to see where the darker paint is bleeding through. Make note of these sections, and apply a little extra pressure while painting the next coat to make sure they are fully coated.

Following the tips above can help you paint your dark walls a lighter color. However, if you still have concerns about doing it yourself and being able to fully cover the walls, you may want to contact a painting service and have them inspect your walls and discuss with them the possibility of having them do the job for you.