I have one of those standing photo screens but it is a really dark color and the paint is chipped in several places. Since I don't like the color, I would really like to just paint it a lighter color like a cream or off white. Can I just paint right over it without the darker color showing through? What kind of paint should I use? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I was given an old dark brown dresser that had seen better days. All I did was sand it a little to rough up the surface, then painted it with white enamel paint from Walmart. That was 10 years ago and it still looks good! Enamel paint is washable so that is an added benefit.
If you want to repaint something, you first have to determine what kind of paint is already on the surface. Is it a dark stain? Is it a high gloss paint? Or is it a a latex paint?
If it is a stain, which usually contains an oil. a new coat of primer probably won't adhere to it without using a lacquer thinner to clean the surface first and doing a little sanding.
If it is a gloss finish, you will need to use a paint thinner to sort of dilute the finish and then sand it. If it is a latex finish, a good primer will work, but a latex will not stay on a high gloss paint. Even after it is dry, the latex paint layer will just peel right off. But sanding a layer of latex paint is a little tricky. Latex is rubber and trying to sand it kind of balls up the paint. So I would advise against vigorously sanding on latex paint. You can lightly sand it so that a new paint layer has something to adhere to.
Any paint that is already on the surface should be sanded so that whatever you paint it with, whether it's primer or paint, has a good bond. Pat T in Nevada
Use a primer but stay away from a product called Klitz. You will be unhappy just trying to cover the klitz with the top coat. Go to a paint store. They can help you with the correct primer to cover a dark area with a lighter color.
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