Take The Headache Out of Finding Paint Coatings for Every Job
The right kind of coating is essential. If you select the incorrect paint, it will not matter how much effort and money you spend on your project. Too many flawlessly great paint projects deteriorate too early because poor quality primer and paint were used.
A dependable guideline is to match the existing coating. If you're painting or staining on top of latex paint, recoat with latex. You might have a myriad of choices if the material is uncoated, but you still need to consider climate, maintenance, and sturdiness to determine the best covering for the job.
Amazing Way to Use Primers
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It establishes how well the surface is protected and how long the paint will last. Knowing when to use primers trips up painters about nearly as much as which primers to work with. Basically, you need to use a primer if you are covering a new or bare surface; changing colors, textures, or finishes; or making a surface more even. About the only time you don't need to prime is if you are recoating with the same paint and finish over a sound paint, for example, a flat latex paint over another flat latex paint.
To ensure compatibility, choose a product that's part of your paint system. By paint system I mean a primer and top coat manufactured by the same company. Labels of better paints always recommend specific primers and top coatings for various materials and conditions. If you don't want to deal with reading the small print, ask to view the spec, or data sheet, on a particular primer. If a spec sheet isn't available, ask to see what's known as a “specifier’s guide,” although these guides probably have more information than you will ever need and you might need help translating some of the terms and specifications.
Primers form a solid base 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 sooner than you would expect. Even though you may use additives such as Emulsabond, don't make the mistake 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 may have been scraped and sanded. Sometimes a surface will need a second layer of primer to ensure an even undercoat, but often one will do. The home pictured below is an example of a job where two applications 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 give it an even base for the top layers. Some climates almost demand another layer of primer. I've heard about one contractor in Florida who always double primes to guarantee that his jobs last. If you live near to salt 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 trimming. You might think that a primer would even out a surface, but if you run your hand over a primed piece of wood trim it always feels harsh. That's because primer pushes out loose grain as it penetrates. After a dried primer has been lightly sanded, the smoothed surface is ready for the top. (Here's a tip: In the event that you tint your primer the colour of the top coat, it is possible to quicken the painting process by minimizing the amount of top coats needed. Tinting is mostly used for color changes, although it is also handy for areas like bare drywall.)
Take The Headache Out of Primers For Interior Surfaces and Ceilings
I would 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 require a good sealant and a water-resistant primer. I've always used alkyd primers in wetter parts of the home, although there are great latex primers that seal similarly as 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 adequate vapor barriers. Also, I could paint an oil-based top coat 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 wall space and keeps moisture content from getting between the surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers may be the response to priming wet rooms inside your home. These quick drying primers help condition areas with water, cigarette smoke, and tannin staining, and 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 features 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. If your latex has what's known as “good hold" or hiding properties, it will maintain a consistant sheen over primer. You are able to warrant compatibility by using a high quality latex stain blocker such as Seal Grip.
With regards to walls, understand that plaster and drywall will vary. Plaster is highly alkaline, in particular when it's new, and it can leach alkaline salts if it is not properly sealed. There are several primers you may use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top layer and finish you've planned.
Drywall is much less alkaline than plaster. I usually prime drywall with a latex primer, unless the top coatings 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 coating, but old practices are hard to let go of.) When painting new drywall, I will sometimes add joint compound to the primer for a little texture. Mixed with primer, joint compound also helps level over any sanding marks or roughness.
Primers For Interior Wood – Safely
When choosing primer, you should consider the type and condition of the surface, the type of paint (alkyd, latex, or epoxy) that is planned for the finish coats, and the sort of finish (flat, semi-gloss, or glossy).
Frequently I prime interior 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, including 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 goes up, an alkyd primer will protect almost all of the wood trim from water. 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 exterior, I still opt 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 home does not have any major internal vapor problems and that the wood is in good condition (which often means that it is new), especially if I had 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 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 wood has air-dried for a few 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 hold back a day or two to let them dry. There are 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 coatings of any alkyd primer/sealer, and use high quality latex for the final coatings. Any staining that happens after that can usually be washed off with special timber cleaners.
Hardboard siding, new or already coated, presents a particular challenge. Having less grain or anything resembling a porous surface makes hardboards such as Masonite difficult to adhere to. In the event the wood is new then pressure wash and rinse it. If water still beads up, wash it again to remove 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 well on aluminum or vinyl siding, plywood veneers, textured wood, and other composite sidings.
Priming Solution For Metal Applications
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 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 work on new galvanized steel surfaces.
A couple of primers for each kind of metal. Ferrous metals, made of iron and steel, should be primed with a rust inhibitor. Rust is nearly impossible to completely remove if you don't sandblast it, and even then small pockets of rust can remain that will grow 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 had success using.
Other metals, including copper, aluminum, bronze, and brass, should be covered with zinc-chromate primer. Some paint companies have a specific primer for new galvanized steel. Older galvanized steel can be primed with a rust inhibitor like those mentioned above.
Much like any finish, the additional time the primer is able to flow and contact the surface, the better the adhesion. Quick setting primers don't flow much whatsoever and stay right where they're applied, for better or for worse. A clean surface is especially important when using a quick drying primer. Note that some paint manufacturers recommend cleaning metals (and most other surfaces) with a thinner, while others suggest against using any type of solvent cleaner. Read the directions carefully.
An old technique that still works well for cleaning new or old metals is washing the surface with a one-to-one mix of vinegar and water. Vinegar is an all-purpose, inexpensive cleaner that will also etch a metal material if combined at that ratio. Etching metal works like sanding wood. It provides surface "teeth" for better adhesion. That same ratio is helpful for new rain gutters or uncoated aluminum siding. However, it should not be used to completely clean galvanized metals, because the vinegar will damage the galvanizing.
Method For Priming Masonry
Be it inside or out, masonry usually needs 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 water, must be resolved for alkali-resistant primers and sealers to help. New masonry has to cure for 90 days before you can 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 could be painted on masonry that is seven days old. Stucco, which is actually tinted mortar and filled with lime, is a great 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 provided for oil-based paint. You also can add this primer to cured masonry with a latex top coating, but it is important that you use latex only on low alkaline masonry. In these circumstances I've had good luck adding Emulsabond to the latex for extra adhesion. I recommend it for nearly all masonry applications.
Etching with muriatic acid used to be the only procedure to speed up the curing time of concrete. You could still etch if you are so inclined, although if I never see another container of muriatic acid, that could be just fine. (If it etches cement, imagine how well it etches pores and skin!) Etching requires a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, don't forget a respirator, especially when you blend the acid with the water. Important: Add the acid to water, not the other way around. In the event that you add normal water to acid it'll splash and burn anything it contacts. And mix it in the correct ratio, usually one to three. 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 a chore. It's best to keep them well maintained and recoat them regularly, before they have to be completely redone. Concrete floors in really bad shape should be sandblasted, or you can use a fresh system called Peel-Away that makes prepping masonry somewhat easier (it's still no picnic). If the surface is in good shape, prep the floor and remove any trace of grease or wax with a good thinner.
For new concrete floors, I would recommend a cement stain provided by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My choice is the water based stain, since silicon is a wax that eventually will wash off. Cement stain penetrates and seals without requiring scraping or sandblasting, and resists fading much better than a top covering like latex.
Older, pre-painted cement floors have to be repainted with an identical top layer, whether latex or alkyd. A latex top overcoat 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 would add Penetrol to the primer for a longer lasting bond.
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