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Paint

Paint

The experts in our full-service paint department can help you color match an existing wall or find the right paint for the job.

Meet our Paint Expert

We can walk you through every step of your project—from picking the right color and finish to advice on how to prep the surface you want to paint. Our top-quality paint brands, Valspar and Pratt & Lambert, offer great coverage and finish quality.

What Every Pro Painter Needs

We’ll help you find the right paint tools and paint accessories for your project.

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The experts in our full-service paint department can help you color match an existing wall or find the right paint for the job.

Meet our Paint Expert

Paul can walk you through every step of your project—from picking the right color and finish to advice on how to prep the surface you want to paint. Our top-quality paint brands, Valspar and Pratt & Lambert, offer great coverage and finish quality.

What Every Pro Painter Needs

We’ll help you find the right paint tools and paint accessories for your project.

Paint FAQ

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How much paint do I need to paint a room?

In general, one gallon can of paint will cover 350-400 square feet, which is the size of a small bathroom. If you are painting on unpainted drywall, you will need slightly more than one gallon because more of the paint is absorbed. You will likely want to apply two coats of paint, especially if the existing walls are a dark color or if they are heavily patched.

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How do I prepare for painting? 

For repainting an existing wall, be sure the surface is clean and dry before you begin. If you have patching to do, you will want to spot prime those areas. For bare metal or wood, you will need the proper primer before you paint on the surface.

We can help you find all the supplies that you will need before painting, such as brushes, rollers, drop cloths, specialty glues, painter’s tape, and more.

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Should I use Oil based or Latex paint for my project?

For most home applications latex paint is the preferred product. It has many DIY advantages including quick drying time, easy water cleanup, and a lower odor emission. The downside to latex is that it often requires multiple coats and is often less durable than oil-based paints.

Oil-based paint has the advantage in durability, is more moisture-resistant, can be applied in a single coat, and allows for a longer ‘work’ time for brushing or smoothing before it dries and sets. But it is messier to work with and over a long duration can yellow with time.

Latex is the recommended product if you are a novice to painting, as it is easier to work with and more forgiving in its application.

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Do I really have to use primer before I do my paint coat?

The goal of primer is to create a clean sealed surface that is optimal for accepting a new paint coat. Primers have a greater level of solids and have additives to help with adhesion, all things that make the application of paint go more smoothly. However, the new generation of paints are higher in quality, and some of them are even engineered to be ‘self-priming’, so the necessity of the use of primer is less today then it might have been with older generations of paint. With all that said, there are still times when you definitely want to use a primer:

  1. If the surface has stains on it – this indicates the presence of foreign substances on the surface that can inhibit a paint’s ability to adhere properly
  2. If the surface is absorbent – surfaces like fresh drywall that are absorbent will compromise the finished paint coat if not properly prepared with a primer
  3. If you are drastically changing the color of paint – If your walls were a dark or extremely bright color before (like a dark blue or bright red), and you want to go to a very light color (like white or light grey), then a primer will definitely help in the process. The darker pigments of the original paint will want to show through the lighter pigments, and you often don’t get the desired result. A primer with its thicker base of solids helps to cover up the original dominant pigments and prep the surface for your lighter paint tone.
  4. If the original surface has a high-gloss – A high-gloss surface results in an environment that paint doesn’t adhere to very well. Primer definitely will help in this application, along with a recommended prep-sanding to scuff the gloss surface for better adhesion.
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I have an old paint color I am trying to match – what is the best way to do that?

That happens a lot, and we can help! Bring in a paint chip or photo of the desired color. For paint on an existing wall, you can cut a thin, one-inch square sample from your drywall with a utility knife.

We have thousands of colors in our computer system. Our color-matching technology can find the exact color and your perfect match.

Watch our videos below and get more tips and advice from Paul, Gerretsen’s paint expert.

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