Take The Headache Out of Finding Paint Coatings for Each Job
The right kind of coating is vital. If you select the wrong paint, it will not matter how much time and money you spend on your job. Too many perfectly great paint projects deteriorate too soon because the incorrect primer and paint were used.
A dependable rule of thumb is to match the existing layer of paint. If you're painting or staining on top of latex paint, recoat with latex. You may have a myriad of choices if the surface is uncoated, nevertheless, you still need to consider climate, maintenance, and durability to find the best coating for for the project.
Amazing Way to Use Primers
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It determines how well the finish is protected and exactly how long the paint can last. Knowing when to use primers screws up painters almost as much as which primers to employ. 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 uniform. About the only time you don't have 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 layer made by the same company. Labels of better paints always recommend specific primers and top coats for various materials and conditions. Unless you want to deal with reading the small print, ask to read 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 some of the terms and specifications.
Primers form a good base for the top coatings by penetrating, sealing, and bonding to all types of bare surfaces. Without first priming a new or reconditioned surface, you'll find that the top finish end up flaking off much sooner than you'll expect. While you can use additives such as Emulsabond, don't make the error of thinking that primers are optional, or can be produced out of diluted paint.
Usually in a single coat most primers even out surfaces and places which may have been scraped and sanded. Sometimes a surface will require a second coating of primer to ensure a level undercoat, but often one will do. The home pictured below serves as an example of a project 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 an even base for the finish coats. Some climates almost demand another coat of primer. I've heard about one contractor in Florida who always double primes to ensure that his jobs last. In the event that you live near to ocean 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 piece of trim it always feels rough. That's because primer makes 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 colour of the top coat, it is possible to quicken the painting process by minimizing the number of top coats needed. Tinting is mostly used for color changes, although it's also handy for areas like bare drywall.)
Here’s What You Should Do When Priming Interior Walls and Ceilings
I would 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 bathroom, that need a good sealant and a water-resistant primer. I've always used alkyd primers in wetter areas of the house, 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 structures have adequate vapor barriers. Also, I can paint an oil-based top layer over latex primer.
Older houses call for room-by-room decisions on what primer to make use of. If the house does not have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will need a primer that seals the walls and keeps dampness from getting between the surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers might be the response to priming wet rooms inside your home. These quick drying primers help condition surfaces with water, cigarette smoke, and tannin stains, 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 serves 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 will maintain a consistant sheen over primer. You can make sure compatibility by utilizing 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, specially when it's new, and it can leach alkaline salts if it is not properly sealed. There are several primers you can use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top coat and finish that 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 know that we now have perfectly good latex primers for any kind of top coat, but old practices are hard to let go of.) When painting new drywall, I'll sometimes add joint compound to the primer for just a little texture. Mixed with primer, joint compound also helps even out over any sanding markings or roughness.
Priming Solution For Interior Wood
When choosing primer, you should think about 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).
Most often I prime interior trim with an exterior alkyd primer, which seals new wood and replaces lost wetness in older wood. There are also good water-based enamel primers for interior wood. Special conditions, such as the high moisture common in restrooms and kitchens, may call for a breathable latex primer if you cannot prime all over the wood. When you can completely prime the wood before it goes up, an alkyd primer will protect most of the trim from wetness. Assess conditions like these carefully and seek the advice of a professional if your project has many different variables
No-Fuss Priming For Exteriors
Even though I favor latex paint for the exterior, I still opt to use alkyd primers on exterior wood. They simply do a better 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 trim before it goes on. It's always best to seal all around 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 timber has air-dried for a few months. Before priming, you should wash out the tannin with a mild detergent, and follow this with a good rinsing. Redwood and cedar are quite porous, so you might need to hold back a day or two to let them dry out. 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 coats of an alkyd primer/sealer, and use high quality latex for the final coatings. Any staining that occurs after that can usually be washed off with special lumber 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 bond to. In case 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 formulated hardboard primer/sealer, such as Pittsburgh Paints Permanizer Plus Wood Stabilizer. When blended with a top coat, Emulsabond makes a great hardboard primer. These and other top quality sealers also work well on metal or vinyl siding, plywood veneers, textured wood, and other composite sidings.
No-Fuss Priming For Metals
Every metal should be cleaned of oil, grease, rust, or any other residue before you prime it, so 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 may be tough to eliminate, and could need more than just thinner. Consult with your paint store if you wish to be sure a primer will work on new galvanized steel surfaces.
You will discover primers for every type of metal. Ferrous metals, made of iron and steel, should be primed with a rust inhibitor. Rust is nearly impossible to totally remove if you don't sandblast it, and even then small pockets of rust can stay that will grow back again under an unsealed surface or the incorrect primer. Rust inhibitors totally seal the surface from contact with air. Some companies refer to these primers as direct-to-rust or direct-to-metal (DTM) primers. Smaller projects 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 material. Older galvanized metal can be primed with a rust inhibitor like those mentioned previously.
As with any top coating, the more time the primer is able to flow and contact the surface, the better the adhesion. Quick setting primers don't flow much at all and stay right where they're painted, for good or for bad. A clean surface is especially important when you use an instant drying primer. Remember 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 outer layer 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 mixed at that ratio. Etching metal works like sanding wood. It provides 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 clean galvanized metals, because the vinegar will damage the galvanizing.
Primers For Masonry
Be it inside or out, masonry usually needs 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 source of the efflorescence, usually moisture, must be fixed for alkali-resistant primers and sealers to help. New masonry must cure for 90 days before you can 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 could be coated on masonry that is seven days old. Stucco, which is actually coloured mortar and filled with lime, is an excellent 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 provided for oil-based paint. You also can add this primer to cured masonry with a latex top layer, but it is important that you utilize 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 way to speed up the drying time of concrete. You can 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 skin!) Etching requires a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, don't forget a respirator, specially when you mix the acid with water. Important: Add the acid to water, not the other way around. In the event that you add normal water to acid it will splash and burn anything it contacts. And blend 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 cement floors can be a chore. It's best to keep them well taken care of and recoat them regularly, before they have to be completely redone. Concrete floor surfaces in really poor shape should be sandblasted, or you can use a fresh system called Peel-Away which 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 cement floors, I would recommend a concrete stain manufactured by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My preference is the water based stain, since silicone is a wax that eventually will wash off. Concrete stain penetrates and seals without needing scraping or sandblasting, and resists fading much better than a top finish like latex.
Older, pre-painted cement floors have to be repainted with an identical top coating, whether latex or alkyd. A latex top overcoat is best applied over a standard concrete sealer, but Emulsabond also works well. An oil-based top coat requires an oil-based enamel or epoxy concrete conditioner. I'd add Penetrol to the primer for an extended lasting bond.
Sound Quality Painting
824 90th Dr SE suite B
Lake Stevens WA 98258
(425) 512-7400
Painting Contractors Lake Stevens
Exterior Painters Lake Stevens
Interior Painters Lake Stevens
Painting Services Lake Stevens
Exterior House Painters Lake Stevens
Exterior Painting Lake Stevens
Interior Painting Lake Stevens
