Have you noticed the number of color changing DIY products that have hit the shelves in your local home improvement store? The concept is that the color of the product is pink when it is applied, but it changes to white as it dries. The formula that creates the color change is a closely held trade secret, but I assume that there must be a chemical in the product that evaporates and causes the color change.
As I was repainting our half bath, I thought it would be fun to try out some of these products so I picked some up during one of my many visits to The Home Depot. No one asked me to do so, but I’m a former science nerd who just loves this kind of stuff! The first one that I tested was the DAP DryDex Spackling. I will be replacing the accessories in the bathroom, such as the towel ring and toilet paper holder, so I went ahead and spackled over those holes before I painted. As you can see, the spackle went onto my wall bright pink.
This product dried pretty quickly. It probably took it about 30 minutes to turn from pink to completely white. The below photo shows it almost dry. I apologize for the poorly lit photo, but I had already taken down the light fixture in the room to prep the ceiling for painting when I took this shot.
Speaking of the ceiling, I wanted to change it from builder’s beige to bright white. I primed it with Kilz primer (because I always prime), and then I used the Glidden Pink to White Ceiling Paint. The ceiling paint works the same way as the DryDex Spackling did. It wasn’t quite as pink when it was applied, but it definitely had a pink hue to me. It was nice that I could tell if there were any spots I missed while painting.
The Pink to White Ceiling Paint took longer to dry (i.e. turn white) than I figured it would. I can normally count on latex paint in my house being ready to be re-coated in about 30 minutes. Instead, this ceiling paint took about 2 hours to dry. Even with priming, I still put on 2 coats of the ceiling paint – I’m also always a 2 coat painter. The finished product is a beautiful bright white.
It’s worth noting that these products may not work great for all DIYers. My husband is red/green colorblind, and he couldn’t see a color difference in the Pink to White Ceiling Paint. I think it’s because the pink in this product isn’t all that bright. He had an easier time seeing the pink in the DryDex Spackling.
Have you tried any of the pink to white products? What did you think?
We’ve been using the pink to white spackle while fixing up our house and love it. I wish we had known about the ceiling paint!!
I’m always a nerd when it comes to this stuff too. I don’t have anything to try it on right now so it’s nice to see it worked for you!
We use the pink to white spackle too. I love it. I’m always impatient and want to sand too soon, and this keeps me from rushing things and making a mess.
I have never used the pink to white paint (or blue to white I have seen) because I have never had a problem painting a ceiling, wet is painted dry is not.
I have used the pink Spackle as it was all that was available but was neither here no there. I worry about the chemicals they use in these products and about potential bleed through in the future.
I’ve definitely used the spackle before. My brother used the colored primer when he painted the ceilings in his house. I think that is probably the best thing about it, the ceilings! I wished I would have used it when I painted mine because I see all kinds of spots I missed. I’ve also found that 3 coats is the only way to deal with textured walls. Primer then 2 coats of paint. It’s a lot of work, but the end result is always worth it.
A few years ago I used the pink to white CIL ceiling paint in our kitchen and main bathroom. For the kitchen, it was great. However, I’d NEVER use it in a bathroom again. Every time someone took a shower, the moisture caused the paint (just around the walls and around the fan) to go pink again. I guess because I had cut in first and then rolled it, so it was thicker around the edges than in the center of the room. Or maybe it was because that corners of the room get more humid. Anyways, this happened for more than a YEAR! Yes, a YEAR of seeing a pink-ish ceiling every single time we showered. Not cool!
Oh, wow! That is so interesting. I never would have thought that the moisture would have done that. Thanks for passing that along! Did it end up working itself out, or did you have to repaint?
We never re-painted back then. Eventually the pink stopped appearing. It’s not like it was a really bad thing and we’re the only ones who shower in our house, so we’re the only ones who saw it. LOL. But I still warn people about using that type of paint in a humid place!
(I shouldn’t say that we never re-painted the ceiling because we just did last week. But it’s been about 5 yrs. This time I learned my lesson and talked to the staff at the Home Depot paint counter about it. They agreed that the pink to white stuff isn’t ideal for bathrooms. They recommended an exterior paint for trim (so it’s not completely flat, I think it’s satin) that’s mildew resistant and should stand up to moisture much better because it’s intended for exterior use. Here’s hoping that it was a good choice!)
You used the pink to white ceiling paint in your bathroom… is it a bathroom with a shower/tub? If yes, have you had the same problem that we had? (If not, maybe the pink to white products have been improved in the last 5 yrs!)
That’s so interesting! I have never had a problem with the paint mildewing in a bathroom, but I can see why they suggested the exterior paint for trim. We did use a pink to white in a bathroom, but it’s just a half bath.