OT Paint Question....

[Jennifer@Indy.USA]

Hi Everybody....

Well I started painting my living room today....and after the first coat of semi gloss, I'm thinking I should have bought eggshell finish instead. Can I put an eggshell finish paint over a semi gloss? The previous owners used that aweful halfmoon swirl texture on the walls and the shine makes it look like I have hundreds of old LP's all over my walls. They really stand out. The walls use to be white and you didn't notice the texture all that much, but I've really gone out on a limb and painted the walls a deep burgundy and the textrue shows a lot now!

Thanks for any advice.

Jennifer

Since most of us browse the Pond too.....yep, I cut and pasted my question in both places.....I'm Lazy!

[Phil Phelps]

...of course you found out the hard way. Egg shell is a really nice finish for walls. I'd save the semi gloss for the bathroom tub area. You don't have to do any prep to spread the new paint over the old. Just remember to use a drop cloth

[Joe Suelter]

Sure you can!

I'm gonna quote Dad here: "Paints cheap, labors expensive".

Good luck on the second coat Jen!!

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Jennifer. While I can't answer your question about the paint over, it would be my guess that like paints, oil or water based, can be put together. Remember, you can't mix oil and water

What I really wanted to say is if you haven't painted your ceiling yet, paint it with the whitest white semi-glass enamel you can find. It will easier to keep clean, and will help brighten the room.

Did you get much snow in Indy? My dad lives near Dayton and he said that the county has declared a level 3 emergency. That means that only emergency vehicles and offical business cars are allowed on the road.

Glad to hear your son is doing much better

[Ron Jones near Indy]

The good news is that you can repaint. The bad news is that it will require some surface prep for best adhesion. A light sanding with a medium grit abrasive will allow your flat paint to adhere better than just painting over the semigloss. Be sure to wipe down the walls after sanding. Some might say a primer is necessary but I think that priming is not required. Please contact Jason to see if he agrees. Painting is his business you know. BTW---glad to hear that Weston is feeling better!

Did your paint supplier know where and how you wanted to use this paint? They should have suggested a change, IMHO.

[Gary Hern]

If you used latex, you can go over it with latex. If you used oil based, you'll either need to use oil base again or use a primer specific for the purpose. The paint hasn't dryed totally, you shouldn't have any issues. If the paint has cured for several days, you may be best to prime rather than sand. I hate sanding house paint! I actually think it's easier to prime than sand.

[Tony Laros]

Imperfections on the wall will stand out more with darker colors and/or higher gloss. If you want to stay with with the darker color, even with a low-sheen paint, and have no swirls showing, you need to apply a skimcoat of drywall mud, sand and prime before repainting.

[Jason Roehl]

...over at the Pond. I still go there first, but I am definitely liking this site!

Jason

Self-employed Painter

[Ted Shrader]

Originally posted by Jennifer@Indy.USA
Hi Everybody....

Well I started painting my living room today....and after the first coat of semi gloss, I'm thinking I should have bought eggshell finish instead. Can I put an eggshell finish paint over a semi gloss? The previous owners used that aweful halfmoon swirl texture on the walls and the shine makes it look like I have hundreds of old LP's all over my walls. They really stand out. The walls use to be white and you didn't notice the texture all that much, but I've really gone out on a limb and painted the walls a deep burgundy and the textrue shows a lot now!

Thanks for any advice.

Jennifer

Since most of us browse the Pond too.....yep, I cut and pasted my question in both places.....I'm Lazy!

Jennifer -

You sould go w/ matte or flat. I save the glossier stuff for trim and wet areas or areas that need to be scrubbed - kitchen, etc.

I (we) just did our dining room and living room with flat as the base. Used the same color paint in matte below the chair rail in the dining room to add 5" wide self stripes. Real subtle. Looks pretty cool.

Good luck,

Ted

[Jennifer@Indy.USA]

Thanks everyone,

I used laytex so I'll just put the egg shell over it and not worry. the texture is too deep to sand and not have a major headache so I'll just hope for the best with adhesion....I just painted the first coat last night. Tony's idea to skim coat the walls first is a great one and I did think about it......but Tony, that's a another can of worms that I don't want to go near. I can live with the texture....I just don't want it screaming at me

Thanks everybody....


Jennifer