Paint that needs to be tinted will say so on the can.

Paint typically is available in some premixed stock colors like white.

Thanks it does say white not base. But do u think this is a white that will look good?

Not for the fireplace or woodwork inan old house. Instead you want a white that is slightly creamy, otherwise it will be too stark.

You might want to get yourself a BM Classic Colors fan deck. They might be $15 or so, but you'll have it forever. If you buy enough paint, maybe they'll just give you one. ;)

I think we need more info before assuming the white won’t work in fact IMO a simple non creamy white will look awesome with the wall color.

Cp do you have a shade you'd recommend?

The walls are Light Pewter. Here's a pic. I will be keeping the mantel wood toned. The window trim is still up for grabs (may or may not paint).

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It depends, If the off the shelf white has excellent hide when wet it's fine. If not, then tint it to a white on the palette.

Which line is it from? These days, when I need white interior paint from Benjamin Moore, it has to be tinted.

It is Regal line

I did all of my trim and ceilings in the BM base. no tint added. it's fine. its a nice, bright white. no need to tint. The base white can be used as is.

All of my trim is just white BM but I did my fireplace brick in BM White Dove.

What finish is it?

I have it in semi-gloss.

I’m confused…is it the brick you want white?

I would stain brick rather than paint it. I, personally, don’t like the look of paint settling in the little nooks and crannies. Staining is easier, as well.

Don’t forget to prep with TSP/water and a scrub brush.

That looks nice Beth. Judy, yes I'm painting it. I have another thread where many advised on this and there was no consensus, of course. But I like how it looks painted. How do I prep?

Erica, you should clean the brick with some soap and water, let dry. They have paint made for masonry and bricks. you could use that if you want. or you could stain the brick as Judy mentioned and just leave the mortar joints as is.

I just got a primer and regular paint. I was told that's fine by the store...

yes, it will work. clean the brick, dry, use a stiff brush to brush off any grit. when using the paint, you don't need a fine nylon expensive brush. get a 3" brush that's a bit stiff. it's going to take a few coats. if you want more a transparent look, water down the paint a bit.

It is latex?

If a can of paint simply says "White" on the label, you can be assured that it already has been slightly tinted to increase its covering ability. Paints that are intended to be tinted are generally labeled " !, 2 or 3 Base" or "Tinting base". Behr simply says "Ultra Pure White" on its white tinting base. It is a very pure white with only the natural white of the titanium dioxide pigment.

David, that's not entirely correct. I use plain white Base 1 Ben Moore paint all the time. The paint does not have to be tinted for coverage. Tinting just adds color. The actual paint is the base itself. And using the base white is just fine. Some people, myself, do not want any color undertones to their white paint. That's why I don't get it tinted. I just want a pure, untinted, bright white.

I'm just not sure if I want that type of white? How do I know? Will it be very stark? That's my challenge.

Erica,,,just take it home and paint with it. if you think it's too bright, take it back and have them tint it for you.

or, try a sample of the BM Simply White.

here are some others

Great thanks! So many whites. Probably I'm overthinking it because it took forever to get the right gray. Maybe white isn't quite so difficult a color!

Beth,

Actually. I am entirely correct. You are using BM Tint Base one, which has no tint at all in it. Of course, it is not neccessary to add any tint to it at all if you want a stark white. Most people don't want that stark a white, but it is only personal taste. BM actually has a formula for "Extra White" which merely adds more white pigment to the Base 1 to increase its hiding ability. It does not make it more white. You should inquire about it.

As I said, if the label of a manufacturer's white paint merely states "White", it has been dulled down with lamp black and or raw umber because just a few drops dramatically increases its hiding ability, yet still looks white against most stronger colors. "White" is not normally used as a tint base because clear pastel colors cannot be obtained from the somewhat dulled white. "White" looks terrible up against a pastel color. It looks very gray in that case.

During my 4 decades of paint contracting, Ben Moore products were my primary paints.

David, I think you may have misunderstood what I meant. It sounded as if you said that Base paint isn't meant for painting without adding tint. That's all I was saying that I use Base 1 for my white. I don't happen to think it's stark. I like a clean, crisp white for my trim. So that's what I use. And yes, I've seen the added white pigment you're referring to.

Yes, I'm aware that base paints are meant to be tinted. I wouldn't use a base 4 untinted base for my white trim, as that's meant for darker tints. But I understand what you mean about the coverage and adding a few drops of tint to increase the hiding ability.

A lot of people on here look for a nice white and don't want the undertones. I've been using the untinted base for years. I think it looks just fine on my baseboards and casing. I will advise people to inquire about the Extra White formula. thank you

Yes the white is going to look too stark which is what we've been trying to tell you but you're hell bent on ruining the brick so go for it.

Also I hope you have no intention of lighting a fire in the fireplace. If you still intend to use it as a fireplace, then I would strongly suggest getting fireplace paint.

cpartist,

Conventional house paints are fine for the face brick on fireplaces. You are correct that the interior of the firebox should have a high temperature paint

As to the white, I would use the same white as the woodwork in that room. Straight Base ! is too stark for my taste, but do whatever pleases you. There is no right or wrong here.

Beth,

I wish I had a dollar for every customer who has asked me what mid- or deep base means! Or the customer who grabbed a mid-tone off the shelves without asking and then came back complaining about how poorly it covered! Duh! It is lacking half the white pigment. Go figure!

So, I was right. There is no stock white Benjamin Moore color. You are using Base 1.

I have the base 1 white paint on all my trim. Getting ready to paint (well, not me) my kitchen cabinets and I’m concerned it will be too white. Thinking about simply white. Any opinions on using simply white with the base 1 white trim? Probably overthinking but I just don’t want it too look like I mistakenly used the wrong white! Thanks!

Lisa, all of the white color tints will use base 1. Simply white is fine. I used it on my trim and cabinets

Thank you!

I’m an interior designer. Many of my clients want all white walls and trim these days, but also want a serene feeling. If that is their preference, I use BM Sea Pearl in rooms with Southern light and White Dove with Northern light. You can even use that logic when where the light transitions. Following those rules, you cannot tell that you have changed colors, but the tone of the rooms feel the same. I as well have used BM Base 1 white for years. If you like a white with a pop, that’ll not disappoint. If you don’t want a pop, and prefer more serenity, I’d recommend BM White Dove for your trim. It’ll go well in all lights for trim.

I just saw this thread. Went to BM store and asked for untinted base white. The guy said they cant do it, i must choose a tint, I asked him 2x, he said it can't be done. I should have went to HD, instead I got him to tint Chantily lace for trim.

As I recall, Benjamin Moore "Super White" is merely the Base 1 with several extra ounces of Titanium Dioxide ( white pigment) added. This would not whiten the white, but merely make is cover slightly better. Straight white without any darkening agents, such as lamp black or raw umber, suffers not covering as well. You certainly may use a Base 1 right out of the can, just be aware that you will probably be doing an extra coat to get it to cover well.

I always tell people that if you find a paint at the paint store that simple says "White" on the label, that it has been darkened and dulled slightly to enhance its ability to cover well.

likestonehomes, that's ridiculous. they pull the Base 1 can right off the shelf and hand it to you. there is no rule it must be tinted. but like David said, they can add a few squirts of the white pigment for you. not a big deal.

David, I've only used the untinted bases straight over the white primer (on baseboards or ceilings, never to cover another color)

@beth, I am wondering if its cause you cant return a tinted can, even if its not used. I bought it just in case, I ran out of a can i already had.

Incorrect! White base MUST be tinted. It is a base and it need the extra pigmentation for proper coverage. It is like using skim milk vs whole milk. I worked for a major paint company for several years and one of the TOP complaints was lack of coverage from using an untinted Base paint.

I use untinted BM white throughout my house on walls and trim with slightly higher sheen for contrast. MUCH better coverage than Chantilly Lace which required 3 and sometimes 4 coats when we remodeled our office. It was SO frustrating. BM's untinted (straight off the shelf) white is a bright, clean white and often requires only one coat over primer. My opinion.

When you go to a paint store and by a paint that merely states " White" on the label, they have usually been dulled down a little with lamp black or raw umber. Just a few drops of these colorants will dramatically improve the coverage, yet still look white against most other colors. The exception is against a pure white or clear, pastel colors. Against these, you will she the dull or grayish hint, which does not look good.

The "organic" tints; lamp black, raw umber, etc., darken and dull colors. They block light rays, and therefore increase coverage. The inorganic primary colors unfortunately do not block light well, therefor clear, bright colors cover poorly. This is true across all manufacturer's lines of paint. It is not necessarily the quality of the paint per se , but rather the nature of the colorants in them.