I’ve had this question multiple times in the last few weeks… so this may help someone else out who has thought the same thing but not asked. This is for you!

Q: Painting over old paints. Can you, should you?

A: YES. Yes you can paint over old paints. 

I’m assuming your walls are ‘normal’, IE not crumbling apart, peeling or flaking, and you just want to repaint your existing wall paint in a new colour, or just for a refresh, and the paint on there right now is just ‘standard high street paint’.

One of my favourites for overpainting is the Grafclean Premium Emulsion, why?

Super easy, easy to apply, great eco creds, no toxic and natural, with great coverage and a customer favourite with literally no bad reviews at all. I used it recently at home. Can recommend!

Have a look here, tester pots are available (use the size select box) and also colour charts.

Can I overpaint existing paint with paint?

Can I overpaint existing paint with paint?

What about prep for painting over existing paint?

Just clean the walls to remove any dirt, grime and grease, let dry, dust and you’re ready to go.

No primer needed, just water thin the paint 10% for easier application and better coverage.

This paint can go over old paints, plastic chemical paints as well as existing natural paints or plaster.

Can I paint over plaster and what about mist coats?

Bare gypsum plaster just water thin 20% and use this as a mist coat (or the Graphenstone Nevada for a cheaper option for mist coat)

FYI You’re not just limited to Grafclean though, the Auro 555 works in the same way if you prefer Auro over Graphenstone. There is very little in it, they are both fab.

Does natural paint ‘seal in’ the chemical paint?

No, natural paint is breathable, so can’t seal anything.

If I paint my standard chemical paints with breathable natural paint, do my walls become breathable?

No, the wall is only as breathable as your breathable wall paint. It stops at the plastic paint! You’ll need to remove the existing paint if you want it breathable.

That’s it for today, I’ve taken up enough of your time already.