If you’re planning to get your walls painted or you just want to rejuvenate your painting, the first question that may come to your mind is- can I use base paint without tint?
Yes, you can. Base paint does not contain enough colorants for even coverage. Even if you want to get white color, only base paint won’t be able to make it ideally. But if you’re going just to rejuvenate your walls and paint over a white color, you can use only base paint without tint.
Then again, there are requirements for using base paint only. This article covered everything on base paint and gathered every possible answer you might be looking for. So, stick around!
Table of Contents
What Does a Base Paint And a Tint Paint Mean?
Before we talk in detail about whether you can paint your walls with just base paint or not, you should know the basic information first. What base paint and tint paint are, How do they differ, and what outcomes will you get if you use only base paint and if you use tint paint.
Let’s start with what base paint is.
Base paint
The base paint is not a complete paint by itself; you can call it a medium to paint a surface properly. Because you need to add color to the base paint, and then you can get the expected hue you want to paint. There are four types of base paint available.
- Base 1: This type of base paint has more white colorants, so it appears white. This type of base paint is best for pastels and making white colors also light colors.
- Base 2: Base 2 appears in an off-white shade. Still, it can be used to make lighter hues like yellow, pink, etc.
- Base 3: Base 3 has a lesser white pigment than base 2. Can corporate more color than base 2. It is best for making colors like blue, green, and red.
- Base 4: This type of base paint has the lowest white pigment, allowing it to incorporate more colorants. Base 4 is best for the darkest hue. Like, black, deep forest green, etc.
Base 3 and 4 are also known as clear bases, as they do not have white pigments, allowing more room for more colorants.
Tint Paint
When we add colorants, condensed paint pigment, to the base paint to achieve the desired hue is called the tinting process. And which color we gained through this process is called tint paint.
You can get your base tinted by yourself at home. But we can not guarantee your desired hue. Because it is very common not to know how many concentrated pigments you need to add to the base. Suppose you know it, but for sure you will not know which pigments are already added to the base paint. So you have to add colorant according to your guess. And there is a high chance of not getting the desired hue.
So, better if you tint your base paint at the store. They use a machine to tint it. You just need to point out which color you want, and they will perfectly create this hue by using the tinting machine. This tinting machine measures the base paint’s colorants to create the exact shade.
We’ll recommend you take no risk. Get your base paint tinted from a store and then paint by yourself.
Can You Use Base Paint Without Tint? What Happens If You Can?
Yes, you can use base paint without tint. Though it is not recommended, one can use only base paint. But you should prepare yourself for the poor outcome.
What happens if you only use base paint?
- Only base paint will not give good coverage.
- Your previous color will bleed through the new paint.
- It will look dull and unpigmented.
- You will not get the desired hue.
- Painting goals will not be fulfilled.
But if you just want to rejuvenate your existing color, then only using base paint will be okay.
Even in the white base paint, base 1, there is not enough white pigment to provide you with enough coverage. You need to add extra white colorant to get the proper white hue.
But if you insist on just using base paint, then you will need a lot of base paint to paint your walls. It will be more costly.
How To Use Base Paint Without Paint
If you want to use only base paint without tint, then you can follow the following steps,
- Choose your base paint
Firstly, go to the store and select a base paint that matches the nearest color you want to get.
- Buy a lot of base paint
If you have decided to paint with just base paint, then you need a lot of base paint to cover your wall properly.
- Get your painting tools
Get your painting tools that are must-needed items for painting, including a painting ladder, painting brush, a cleaning brush, cleaning cloth, etc.
- Start painting
Make sure you have enough base paint and have every tool you need to paint, and then start painting.
What If You Use A Base Without Tint On Accident?
Without having proper knowledge about paint, you can not tell the differences between primers, base paints, or tinted paints. It is normal for you to make mistakes. If you mistakenly or accidentally use a base coat without tint, in that case, there are a few steps you can take,
- Where you used the base paint, let them dry well. Then make a coat with tinted paint. They will not mix with the base paint. So it won’t be a big issue.
- If you have used a smaller portion of your untinted base paint, pack it again and go to the store. Make them understand your mistake and request them to tint the base paint. They will do it for you. Then paint with the tinted paint.
- But, if you have already used a bigger portion of your untinted base paint, you should not go to the store to tint it. The tinting machine will not work on a half can. So you have to get new paint and tint it before painting.
Pros and Cons of Tinted Paint
To have a crystal clear idea about tinted paint and whether you should use it or not, this pro-con list will help.
Pros
- Customizable: You can get your personalized tint paint package to ensure a perfect painting. The service of tint paint is really great.
- Multiple Color Options: You can get your desired hue from tint paint. You just need to choose which one you want.
- Budget-Friendly: The tinted paint saves your money by creating the desired hue accurately. If you use base paint or other paint you have to buy a lot of cans to get the perfect color. But tint paint can ensure you the exact hue within just one can, that’s how the tinted paint saves your money.
- Versatility: You can get any hue while using a paint tint machine. You can operate it independently as the manufacturer does not create a boundary. You can use tint paint to paint your walls, windows, car, and even furniture.
Cons
- Tint paint requires a great volume, and that’s why abrasion resistance, water resistance, cleaner resistance, uniformity, and burnishing may suffer.
- Tint paint takes enough curing time.
- Tint paint is more susceptible than non-tints paint to dew, rain, or wash-out.
- Exterior tint paint may cause surfactant bleed (yellowish, white, or transparent material on a wall)
You better keep these in your mind while deciding which paint you want for your exterior wall.
FAQs
Should I use a tinted primer?
It gives a great result if you use a slightly painted tinter before painting the final coat. It will provide great coverage. Also, it can highlight where you need more color to paint for even coverage.
What can I use to change the color of my paint?
You can make your paint lighter and darker. It is tough and impossible to change it to a different hue most of the time. It will require a lot of concentrated pigments. It’s nothing but a waste of color.
But you can make your paint lighter by using white pigments. Add white pigments slowly to get the exact hue. And you know what to do if you want to make your paint darker. Add more pigments of the desired color. That’s all.
Will 2 coats of paint make it darker?
If you want a darker shade, add a few dark pigmentations. 2 coats or three coats it will not make your paint darker.
But if you want a more vibrant and bright color, two coats may help you to get it. It will give excellent coverage, and your painting will look flawless.
Conclusion
That’s all about base paint and tint paint. Therefore, after reading this article, we hope you won’t ask again, “can I use base paint without tint?”
You have already got your answer. Haven’t you? So get your walls painted with tint paint or with just base paint if you really insist on it.