What is Bleed Through?
Bleed through is that pinkish or golden color oozing up in spots through your newly applied paint. Usually, you will only notice this when painting lighter colors over darker wood. Mahogany and Cherry are notorious for this.
Bleed is caused from the old varnish/stain being worn or roughed up prior to painting. The moisture from the new paint brings up the discoloration.
When this happens, no amount of paint will stop it, you have to seal it. I thought that if I just let the first coat of paint dry and put on a second coat, it would cover it. No, it will just keep seeping up. There are many products on the market to correct the problem. I have my own favorites, Kilz and Polyurethane. These are my go to products. They are inexpensive and can be found at most Hardware stores. Simply brush on two coats,waiting between coats til dry. Then apply another coat of paint and wait til it dries. Check to see if you see any of the bleed. Generally, two coats of Kilz or the Poly fix the problem. If for some reason you do see the bleed, sand it down and re-apply the sealer. Then start painting again.
I do a test on all finishes that I think may be a problem. I find a really worn spot and paint it. Wait til it's dry and see if it bleeds. If it doesn't I go ahead with the coats of paint. This little test has saved me a lot of frustration and wasted time.
I hope this tip helps you. If you do have any questions or a situation you would like to talk about, give me a call. I'm always glad to help make your transformation experience - fun.
Patti.
