repaint a dark wall lighter

We all get bored of our wall paint. It’s only natural!

If you are thinking of repainting a dark wall with a lighter shade, don’t be alarmed, it’s really not that hard. Just make sure to follow our step-by-step guide so that your old paint doesn’t play peekaboo through your freshly painted walls.

Step 1: Clear Your Walls
Even before you open your paint cans and bring out the rollers, clear the walls of wall frames, paintings, and nails. Move furniture towards the centre of the room, and protect your upholstery with plastic sheets or bed sheets .

Step 2: Wash Your Wallsrepaint a dark wall lighter

It’s a given; overtime, the walls in your home will accumulate dust and also get greasy. Clean the walls with a microfiber cloth to get rid of the dust and wash it with some soapy water in case of persistent grime.

Tip: This is probably the best time to check your paint color. So test away, test it under natural light, soft lighting and bright lights. If you are happy with the shade, move to the next step, else run back to the store.

Step 3: Sand Your Walls repaint a dark wall lighter

Wait for the walls to dry before you start sanding out imperfections. Before you begin, fill any holes and cracks with a filler. Use a coarse grit of sandpaper, especially if you are hand-sanding. If you are using a power tool to sand your wall, ensure you choose the right kind of sandpaper. Sanding your wall will remove any flaws or chipped off paint and smoothen the wall.

Tip: This is a dusty business. So wear a mask before you begin, and close the doors of the room to prevent the dust from spreading across your home.

Step 4: Prime To Hide Old Paintrepaint a dark wall lighter

This is definitely the most important step. Neutralise the existing color with at least two coats of primer to ensure your new color doesn’t mix with the old, and also to reduce the number of paint coats. The primer acts as an adhesive for the paint to stick to the wall and increases its durability. Use a white primer for dark walls when painting it light. Remember to check drying times between coats.

Tip: When painting a light wall dark, use a grey primer or mix some of your new paint with a white primer to tint it close to your new hue. Also, as a general rule, purchase oil-based or shellac primers so your colors don’t stain.

Step 5: Apply Your New Paint

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Now, you’re all set to use the paint roller on the new wall that you just created! The duration for drying typically takes around two hours or more. Start your application from top to bottom and move from section to section. If your wall has been primed properly, two coats should give you a uniformly painted, flawless wall.

Tip: When purchasing a roller, check the foam. Pinch and release, if it has a good spring, then it will definitely give you an even application.

We hope these tips will help you scrape the dark paint of your walls leaving you with a brighter happier wall!

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