Take The Headache Out of Finding Paint Coatings for Each and Every Job
The right type of coating is vital. If you pick the wrong paint, it won't matter how much effort and money you may spend on your job. Too many flawlessly great paint jobs deteriorate too soon because the wrong primer and paint were used.
A dependable rule of thumb is to complement the existing layer of paint. If you're painting or staining on top of latex paint, recoat with latex. You may have a variety of choices if the material is uncoated, nevertheless, you still need to consider climate, maintenance, and toughness to find the best covering for the job.
Amazing Way to Use Primers
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It can determine how well the finish is protected and exactly how long the paint will last. Knowing when to use primers messes up painters about just as much as which primers to make use of. Basically, you need to use a primer if you are coating a new or bare surface; changing colors, textures, or finishes; or making a surface more uniform. About really the only time you don't need to prime is if you are 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 a product that's part of your paint system. By paint system I am saying a primer and top coat manufactured by the same company. Labels of better paints always recommend specific primers and top coats for various materials and conditions. If you don't want to cope with reading the small print, ask to see the spec, or data sheet, on a specific primer. If 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 will ever need and you might need help translating a few of the terms and specifications.
Primers form a solid base for the top coats by penetrating, sealing, and bonding to all or any types of bare areas. Without first priming a fresh or reconditioned surface, you'll find that the top coats ends up flaking off much sooner 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 which have been scraped and sanded. Sometimes a surface will require a second layer of primer to ensure a level undercoat, but often one will do. The home pictured below is an exemplory case of a project where two coats 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 an even base for the finish coats. 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 work last. If you live near ocean water, I recommend that you consider 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 feel that a primer would even out a surface, but if you run your hand over a primed portion of 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 coats. (Here's a tip: In the event that you tint your primer the color of the top coat, it is possible to quicken the painting process by lowering the number of top coats needed. Tinting is mostly used for color changes, although it's also handy for areas like bare drywall.)
Solution for Priming Interior Wall Space and Ceilings
I recommend using latex primers wherever possible. Ask your paint dealer for advice on the best primer for interior trouble spots, including the laundry room and bath, that need a good sealant and a water-resistant primer. I've always used alkyd primers in wetter areas of the home, although there are excellent latex primers that seal equally well. I prime most drywall interiors with latex, especially the sleeping rooms, living room, and closets. I spray a latex primer on new construction because new properties have enough 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 utilize. If the home doesn't have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will require a primer that seals the surfaces and keeps moisture from getting between your surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers would be the response to priming wet rooms in the house. These quick drying primers help condition surfaces with water, cigarette smoke, and tannin stains, plus they can be recoated rapidly, sometimes within the hour. Pittsburgh's Seal Grip is a great latex stain blocker with few VOCs and all of the benefits of an oil-based stain blocker. Quick drying alkyd primers such as Kilz have pigmented shellac (with high VOCs) that also functions 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 a consistant sheen over primer. You are able to assure compatibility by utilizing a high quality latex stain blocker such as Seal Grip.
When it comes to walls, remember that plaster and drywall are different. Plaster is highly alkaline, particularly when it's new, and it can leach alkaline salts if it isn't properly sealed. There are plenty of primers you can use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top layer and finish you've planned.
Drywall is a lot less alkaline than plaster. I usually 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 type of top layer, but old patterns are hard to let go of.) When painting new drywall, I will sometimes add joint compound to the primer for just a little texture. Mixed with primer, joint compound also helps smooth over any sanding markings or roughness.
Amazing Primers For Interior Wood
When choosing primer, you should consider the type and condition of the surface, the kind of paint (alkyd, latex, or epoxy) that is planned for the finish coats, and the type of finish (flat, semi-gloss, or glossy).
Frequently I prime interior trim with an exterior alkyd primer, which seals new wood and replaces lost water in older wood. There's also good water-based enamel primers for interior wood. Special conditions, including the high moisture common in restrooms and kitchens, may call for a breathable latex primer if you can't prime all around the wood. When you can completely prime the wood before it is attached in place, an alkyd primer will protect the majority of the trim from dampness. Assess conditions like these carefully and seek the advice of a professional if your job has many different variables
Priming Solution For Exterior Applications
Even though I favor latex paint for the exterior, I still choose to use alkyd primers on exterior wood. They simply do a much better job of priming bare wood. I'll use an alkyd primer if I know that the home has no major internal vapor problems and that the wood is in good shape (which usually 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 better to seal all over the wood (however, not the ends) to provide 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 lumber has air-dried for months. Before priming, you should wash out the tannin with a moderate detergent, and follow this with a good rinsing. Redwood and cedar are fairly porous, so you might need to wait a day or two to let them dry out. There are a good chance that more tannin resin will seep to the surface, so avoid priming with latex because the resin will bleed through. Instead, use two coats of an alkyd primer/sealer, and use high quality latex for the final coats. Any staining that occurs after that can usually be washed off with special hardwood cleaners.
Hardboard siding, new or already coated, presents a special challenge. The lack of grain or anything resembling a porous surface makes hardboards such as Masonite difficult to adhere to. When 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 produced hardboard primer/sealer, such as Pittsburgh Paints Permanizer Plus Wood Stabilizer. When blended with a top coating, Emulsabond makes a great hardboard primer. These and other high quality sealers also work very well on aluminum or vinyl siding, plywood veneers, textured wood, and other composite sidings.
Improved Metal Primers
Every metal 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 areas can be cleaned with a good thinner. Galvanized metals sometimes come from the factory with a stabilizer that can be tough to remove, and could need more than simply thinner. Consult with your paint store if you need to be sure a primer will continue to work on new galvanized steel surfaces.
A couple of primers for each and every kind of metal. Ferrous metals, manufactured from iron and steel, should be primed with a rust inhibitor. Rust is nearly impossible to totally remove unless you sandblast it, and even then small pockets of rust can stay that will grow back under an unsealed surface or the wrong primer. Rust inhibitors totally seal the outer layer from exposure to 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 layered 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 above.
As with any layer, the additional time the primer is able 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. Note that some paint manufacturers recommend cleaning metals (and most other surfaces) with a thinner, while other companies advise against using any sort of solvent cleaner. Scan the directions carefully.
An old technique that still is effective for cleaning new or old metals is washing the surface with a one-to-one mixture of vinegar and water. Vinegar can be an all-purpose, inexpensive cleaner that will also etch a metallic material if combined at that ratio. Etching metal works like sanding wood. It gives the surface "teeth" for better adhesion. That same ratio is convenient for new rain gutters or uncoated aluminum siding. However, it should not be used to completely clean galvanized metals, because the vinegar will harm the galvanizing.
Primers For Masonry Applications
Whether it's inside or out, masonry usually requires a primer or sealer that will resist water and alkalis. Alkalis are salts that leach out as time passes, leaving a chalky stain called efflorescence. The source of the efflorescence, usually moisture, must be cured for alkali-resistant primers and sealers to help. New masonry has to cure for 90 days before you apply primer and paint it, especially if it is 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 coloured mortar and packed with lime, is an excellent surface for Loxon, as is new plaster or poured concrete. Pittsburgh Paints also has 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 overcoat, but it's important that you utilize latex only on low alkaline masonry. In these circumstances 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 way to speed up the drying time of concrete. You could still etch if you are so willing, although if I never see another box of muriatic acid, that could be just fine. (If it etches concrete, imagine how well it etches epidermis!) Etching takes a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, remember a respirator, especially when you combine the acid with water. Important: Add the acid to water, not the other way around. In the event that you add water to acid it will splash and burn up anything it contacts. And combine it in the proper ratio, usually one to three. Make 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 a chore. It's best to keep them well maintained and recoat them regularly, before they need to be completely redone. Cement flooring in really sad condition should be sandblasted, or you can use a new system called Peel-Away that makes prepping masonry a little easier (it's still no picnic). If the floor is in good condition, prep the floor and remove any trace of grease or wax with a good thinner.
For new concrete floors, I recommend a concrete stain provided by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My preference is water based stain, since silicone 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 covering like latex.
Older, pre-painted concrete floors have to be repainted with a similar top overcoat, whether latex or alkyd. A latex top coating is best applied over a typical concrete sealer, but Emulsabond also is effective. An oil-based top overcoat requires an oil-based enamel or epoxy concrete conditioner. I'd add Penetrol to the primer for an extended lasting bond.
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