Finally, Paint Coatings for Each and Every Job
The right kind of coating is vital. If you pick the wrong paint, it will not matter how much effort and money you spend on your job. Too many flawlessly great paint projects deteriorate too early because the wrong primer and paint were used.
A dependable rule of thumb is to match the existing covering. If you're painting or staining over a latex paint, recoat with latex. You might have all sorts of choices if the surface is uncoated, nevertheless, you still need to consider local climate, maintenance, and strength to find the best coating for for the project.
Learn How to Use Primers
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It establishes how well the surface is protected and exactly how long the paint can last. Knowing when to use primers messes up painters about as much as which primers to make use of. Basically, you need to use a primer when you are covering a new or bare surface; changing colors, textures, or finishes; or making a surface more even. About really the only time you don't have to prime is when you're recoating with the same paint and finish over a solid paint, for example, a flat latex paint over another flat latex paint.
To make sure of compatibility, choose something that's part of your paint system. By paint system I am saying a primer and top coating manufactured by the same company. Labels of better paints always recommend specific primers and top coatings for various materials and conditions. Unless you want to cope with reading the fine print, ask to see the spec, or data sheet, on a specific primer. In case a spec sheet isn't available, ask to see what's known as a “specifier’s guide,” although these guides probably have significantly more information than you may ever need and you might need help translating a few of the terms and specifications.
Primers form a good foundation for the top coatings by penetrating, sealing, and bonding to all types of bare surfaces. Without first priming a fresh or reconditioned surface, you'll find that the top finish ends up flaking off much earlier than you would expect. While you can use additives such as Emulsabond, don't make the error of convinced that primers are optional, or can be made out of diluted paint.
Usually in a single coat most primers smooth out surfaces and places that have been scraped and sanded. Sometimes a surface will need a second coat of primer to ensure an even undercoat, but often one will do. The house pictured below serves as an exemplory case of a job where two coatings of primer were used. The bare wood siding was primed with an oil-based primer for extra adhesion. Then, a latex primer was applied over all the siding to provide it a smooth base for the finish layers. Some climates almost demand a second coat of primer. I've heard of one contractor in Florida who always double primes to ensure that his jobs last. In the event that you live near to salt water, I would recommend that you take into account doing the same.
Primers highlight surface conditions by pointing out imperfections such as loose fibers in drywall and raised wood grain in trim. You might think that a primer would smooth a surface, but if you run your hand over a primed portion of wood trim it always feels harsh. That's because primer forces out loose grain as it penetrates. After a dried primer has been lightly sanded, the smoothed surface is ready for layer. (Here is a tip: In the event that you tint your primer the color of the finish coat, it is possible to speed up the painting process by reducing the number of top layers needed. Tinting is mostly used for color changes, although it's also handy for surfaces like bare drywall.)
Amazing Way To Use Primers For Interior Wall Surfaces and Ceilings
I recommend using latex primers whenever we can. Ask your paint dealer for advice on the best primer for interior problem areas, such as the laundry room and bath, that need a good sealant and a water-resistant primer. I've always used alkyd primers in wetter parts of the house, although there are excellent latex primers that seal equally well. I prime most drywall interiors with latex, especially the bed rooms, living room, and closets. I usually spray a latex primer on new construction because new properties have satisfactory vapor barriers. Also, I could paint an oil-based top layer over latex primer.
Older houses call for room-by-room decisions on what primer to work with. If the house does not have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will need a primer that seals the surfaces and keeps water from getting between the surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers would be the response to priming wet rooms inside your home. These quick drying primers help condition areas with water, smoke, and tannin spots, plus they can be recoated rapidly, sometimes within the hour. Pittsburgh's Seal Grip is a superb latex stain blocker with few VOCs and all the benefits of an oil-based stain blocker. Quick drying alkyd primers such as Kilz have pigmented shellac (with high VOCs) that also acts as a stain killer and sealer, but I don't recommend these for latex top coats, the shellac might show through the latex. In case your latex has what's known as “good hold" or hiding properties, it'll maintain an even sheen over primer. You are able to guarantee compatibility by using a high quality latex stain blocker such as Seal Grip.
When it comes to walls, remember that plaster and drywall will vary. Plaster is highly alkaline, specially when it's new, and it can leach alkaline salts if it isn't properly sealed. There are various primers you can use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top coating and finish that you've planned.
Drywall is much less alkaline than plaster. I prime drywall with a latex primer, unless the top coats will be an oil-based paint, in which case I'll use an alkyd primer. (I understand that we now have perfectly good latex primers for just about any kind of top layer, but old behaviors are hard to let go of.) When painting new drywall, I'll sometimes add joint compound to the primer for just a little texture. Blended with primer, joint compound also helps level over any sanding markings or roughness.
Priming Solution For Interior Wood
When choosing primer, you should consider the type and condition of the surface, the sort of paint (alkyd, latex, or epoxy) that is planned for the top coats, and the type of finish (flat, semi-gloss, or glossy).
Frequently I prime interior wood trim with an exterior alkyd primer, which seals new wood and replaces lost dampness in older wood. There's also good water-based enamel primers for interior wood. Special conditions, such as the high moisture common in bath rooms and kitchens, may call for a breathable latex primer if you can't prime all over the wood. If you can completely apply primer the wood before it is attached in place, an alkyd primer will protect the majority of the wood trim from dampness. Assess conditions like these carefully and seek the advice of a specialist if your job has many different variables
Improved Exterior Primers
Even though I favor latex paint for the outside, I still choose to use alkyd primers on exterior wood. They simply do an improved job of priming bare wood. I'll use an alkyd primer if I know that the house does not have any major internal vapor problems and that the wood is in good shape (which often means that it's new), particularly if I have access to the siding and wood trim before it is attached to the building. It's always best to seal all around the wood (but not the ends) to give each piece its own vapor barrier.
New redwood and cedar siding, as well as hardboard siding, needs special attention. Redwood and cedar will bleed tannins for a long time, even if the timber has air-dried for months. Before priming, you should wash out the tannin with a gentle detergent, and follow this with a good rinsing. Redwood and cedar are pretty porous, so you may need to wait a day or two to let them dry out. There's a good chance that more tannin resin will seep to the outside, so avoid priming with latex because the resin will bleed through. Instead, use two coats of any alkyd primer/sealer, and use high quality latex for the top coatings. Any staining that happens after that can usually be washed off with special timber cleaners.
Hardboard siding, new or already coated, presents a special challenge. Having less grain or anything resembling a porous surface makes hardboards such as Masonite difficult to bond to. If the wood is new then pressure wash and rinse it. If water still beads up, wash it again to eliminate all the wax. Seal new hardboard with a specially designed hardboard primer/sealer, such as Pittsburgh Paints Permanizer Plus Wood Stabilizer. When blended with a top layer, Emulsabond makes a great hardboard primer. These and other top quality sealers also work well on aluminum or vinyl siding, plywood veneers, textured wood, and other composite sidings.
Amazing Primers For Metals
Every metallic should be cleaned of oil, grease, rust, or any other residue before you prime it, therefore the primer gets thorough contact with the area. Most metal surfaces can be cleaned with a good thinner. Galvanized metals sometimes come from the factory with a stabilizer that may be tough to remove, and could need more than just thinner. Check with your paint store if you wish to be sure a primer will continue to work on new galvanized steel surfaces.
A couple of primers for each kind of metal. Ferrous metals, manufactured from iron and steel, should be primed with a rust inhibitor. Rust is almost impossible to totally remove unless you sandblast it, and even then small pockets of rust can remain that will grow back again under an unsealed surface or the wrong primer. Rust inhibitors totally seal the outer layer from contact with air. Some companies make reference to these primers as direct-to-rust or direct-to-metal (DTM) primers. Smaller jobs like handrails can be primed with aerosol rust inhibitors such as Pratt & Lambert's Effecto Spray Enamel, which I've got good luck using.
Other metals, including copper, aluminum, bronze, and brass, should be coated with zinc-chromate primer. Some paint companies have a specific primer for new galvanized material. Older galvanized material can be primed with a rust inhibitor like those mentioned previously.
As with any coating, the more time the primer has to flow and contact the surface, the better the adhesion. Quick setting primers don't flow much by any means and stay right where they're painted, for good or for bad. A clean surface is especially important when using an instant drying primer. Remember that some paint manufacturers recommend cleaning metals (and most other surfaces) with a thinner, while other companies suggest against using almost any solvent cleaner. Scan the directions carefully.
A vintage technique that still is effective for cleaning new or old metals is washing the outer layer with a one-to-one mix of vinegar and water. Vinegar is an all-purpose, inexpensive cleaner that will also etch a steel material if mixed at that ratio. Etching metal works like sanding wood. It provides surface "teeth" for better adhesion. That same ratio is handy for new rain gutters or uncoated aluminum siding. However, it should not be used to clean galvanized metals, because the vinegar will harm the galvanizing.
Primers For Masonry
Be it inside or out, masonry usually requires a primer or sealer that will resist moisture and alkalis. Alkalis are salts that leach out over time, leaving a chalky stain called efflorescence. The cause of the efflorescence, usually water, must be cured for alkali-resistant primers and sealers to help. New masonry must cure for 90 days before you apply primer and paint it, especially if it's highly alkaline, like stucco.
Sherwin Williams has a masonry primer called Loxon that withstands alkalinity up to pH 13; it can be painted on masonry that is a week old. Stucco, which is basically colored mortar and packed with lime, is a great surface for Loxon, as is new plaster or poured concrete. Pittsburgh Paints also offers a primer for new, high-alkaline masonry, called Speedhide Alkali Resistant Primer; it's made for oil-based paint. You also can add this primer to cured masonry with a latex top layer, but it is important that you use latex only on low alkaline masonry. In these situations I've had success adding Emulsabond to the latex for extra adhesion. I recommend it for most masonry applications.
Etching with muriatic acid used to be the only procedure to speed up the curing time of concrete. You may still etch if you are so inclined, although if I never see another box of muriatic acid, that would be just fine. (If it etches concrete, imagine how well it etches epidermis!) Etching requires a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, remember a respirator, in particular when you mix the acid with water. Important: Add the acid to the water, not the other way around. If you add water to acid it will splash and burn anything it contacts. And blend it in the proper ratio, usually 1:3. Be sure you have brushes, sponges, towels, and least one 5 gallon bucket of clean water for emergencies, and another 5 gallon bucket for rinsing.
Reconditioning older, peeling concrete floors can be considered a chore. It's best to keep them well looked after and recoat them regularly, before they need to be completely redone. Concrete surfaces in really sad shape should be sandblasted, or you may use a fresh system called Peel-Away that makes prepping masonry a lttle bit easier (it's still no picnic). If the floor is in good condition, prep the area and remove any trace of grease or wax with a good thinner.
For new cement floors, I recommend a cement stain manufactured by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My choice is water based stain, since silicon is a wax that eventually will wash off. Cement stain penetrates and seals without needing scraping or sandblasting, and resists fading much better than a top coating like latex.
Older, pre-painted concrete floors need to be repainted with an identical top coat, whether latex or alkyd. A latex top coating is best applied over a standard concrete sealer, but Emulsabond also is effective. An oil-based top coat requires an oil-based enamel or epoxy concrete conditioner. I would add Penetrol to the primer for an extended lasting bond.
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