If you are thinking of making a dramatic statement in your room, painting your wall red might just be the trick. The color red evokes passion and excitement. In China the color red signifies happiness and prosperity. Whatever reason you may have for choosing to paint your wall red doesn't matter, but you should be armed with some information before going forward.

You may think that all you need to do is pick out the color you like and paint it on the wall, just like you would any other color. WRONG! Anybody that has ever painted their wall red for the first time will probably tell you they will never do that again. Why? Because they had to paint so many coats on to make it look even and hide the roller marks. Ok, now that I just changed your mind about that red wall, don't fret. This article will give you some sound advice that will allow you to go ahead and be daring and bold and paint that wall red!

What you need to know about the color red is that some reds are translucent and some reds are opaque. Translucent reds require more coats for good coverage. Opaque reds will cover well in fewer coats. This should clear up in your mind why your neighbor had no problem painting their wall red in two coats and it took you five. You are not crazy!

So how do you know which red is translucent and which red is opaque? You may ask your paint professional that is mixing the paint for you. Find out what colourants go into making that can of paint. Reds that require a lot of red or magenta to make it, will require multiple coats on the wall. If the red is made up of red oxide and other colors, it will cover well. When paint is mixed, some colors require colourants made up of "clear" tints and other colors use "opaque" tints. If the red color you choose is made up of tints that are clear ones, it will be a multiple coat paint.

Also, keep in mind when choosing your paint color you may wish to choose a paint one shade lighter than you really want because once it is on the wall it may appear darker than expected depending on how much light you have in the room. Do a test first to make sure you will be happy with the color. Some stores like Benjamin Moore offer samples you can buy for a couple of bucks. Dark reds can make a wall look black if there is no direct light in the room. If you are painting an accent wall try to paint the wall opposite the windows if possible. When choosing your finish for your paint remember that the glossier the paint the more apparent imperfections on the wall will be because of light reflections.

If you are from the old school of painters that are used to priming your walls with white paint, you may want to rethink that process. Sherman Williams recommends priming with grey paint with reds or darker colors and will recommend the correct color primer for use with your color. The grey primer helps to reduce the number of coats required for good coverage on the wall. Other professional painters suggest priming your wall with black paint when painting with jewel tones. The real purpose behind the darker color primer is to ensure good coverage on your walls and to cut down on coats which saves you money and to help hide imperfections.

One of the biggest complaints people have when painting with the color red is how poorly it looks on the wall because you can see brush and roller marks. Many times this is due to poor application processes or not enough coats of paint.

When you are ready to paint make sure you do your prep work. If there are any bumps on the wall, make sure you sand them and wipe them with a damp cloth. Fill in any holes and sand and wipe them down too after they dry. Tape up areas where you don't want paint and put down some drop cloths. Prime your wall with the suggested primer color.

Now that you have done the prep work and you are ready to paint, here are some tips to help you get a nice even coat of paint on the wall:

1. Cut in ceilings and around doors and windows with a two inch angled brush.

2. When you are finished with that, load your roller with enough paint so that it is full but not dripping. Make sure you are using a nice thick nap roller which will hold more paint. Purdy rollers are a good quality product so I would recommend that brand roller. Don't press down really hard to spread the paint on the wall as this will leave roller marks on the wall. You will end up with some areas that have thinner spots and the outside edges of the roller will leave a thicker amount of paint on the wall.

3. So don't be afraid to load your roller then you won't have to put so much pressure on the roller to get the paint off and on the wall.

4. Paint in w's and fill in. Expect to put at least two coats of paint on the wall.

5.  If you don't feel really confident in your painting ability, you may want to consider using a product  called "Floetrol" that you can mix it with latex paint. Floetrol is a conditioner for flat or semi-gloss latex paints and enamels. You need about a half a pint per gallon. Don't put too much in your paint as it will impede coverage. This product is highly recommended to give your paint job a more professional finish as it allows the paint to flow on the wall easily. This will minimize brush and roller marks to make your paint job look better with less effort.

If you follow the advice in this article you will have a beautiful new "RED" wall with a professional looking finish. Happy Painting!