HACKING RED

Do you suffer from ​Dread of Red like I did for many years? Doesn't it seem that if you are going to have problems with a colour, it is likely to be with red? 

One of my first bad spills was with a can of Benjamin Moore Collections in a deep red...right down this particular hallway actually, in the middle, on brand new carpet. I was so excited to impress a bunch of realtors, thinking this might be a great opportunity to make an impression and get some referrals. Well I think I succeeded in making an impression alright.
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​I've learned too that red paint, when you open the lid, can look pink. That can fool an in-experienced painter into marching back to the paint store assuming there was a tinting error. But we learn that the magenta dries out of the paint and it actually looks red, not pink, once dry. 

And fast forward a couple of years where I experienced the dreaded 'red feature wall' that most painters encounter at some point in their career...the one that requires 8 or more coats of red, and still doesn't look good (poor or uneven coverage, 'picture framing', texture build up, slow curing...).

Over the years i've tried several things to try and solve this vibrant red coverage issue...cutting and rolling small sections at a time to keep a wet edge, putting the paint on heavy, different naps and sleeve materials, different brands and bases of paints, pink primers, etc...

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Then one day I was doing some painting for my local Home Hardware. I was painting some trim on the exterior of the building in an intense bright tomato red. They manufacture their own paint in Canada under the Beauti-Tone label and were providing the materials for the project. One of the paint experts at the store suggested I use a grey primer as a base and that I should be able to get great coverage with just 2 top coats of the vibrant red. Let me tell you, I was pretty skeptical. Skeptical of using grey, and skeptical that 2 top coats would be enough. Well I have been a true believer now for about 5 years.

Using a 3 coat system that starts with a middle-toned grey primer is pretty fool proof for most reds that I have since come across.

For extra measure, consider using a Red Base paint - one that comes pre-tinted red from the factory. Clear Base formulations sometimes can't get deep enough and they take forever to dry.

General Paint HP2000 Red Base (may be avail at select Sherwin-Williams stores in Canada)
This paint comes factory tinted red in eggshell and semi-gloss sheens and can be tinted to the desired shade of red. It is not usually kept on the sales floor, so you may have to ask for it specifically.

​Farrow & Ball reds come pre-tinted in various beautiful shades of red. The matte clay based emulsions make for very deep and rich colour (they claim to use more pigment in their colourants) that refracts light, rather than reflecting light - giving the wall a 3D  or 'surface-less' look that is just gorgeous in natural light.
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Shed that dread of red and impress your customers with a professional solution!



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