Exactly What You Are Looking For - Paint Coatings for Every Job
The right kind of coating is essential. If you select the wrong paint, it will not matter how much time and money you spend on your job. Too many flawlessly great paint jobs deteriorate too early because the incorrect primer and paint were used.
A dependable guideline is to complement the existing layer of paint. If you are painting or staining on top of latex paint, recoat with latex. You could have a variety of choices if the surface is uncoated, but you still need to consider local climate, maintenance, and durability to find the best finish for the job.
Primers Are an Exciting Paint Product
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It decides how well the top surface is protected and how long the paint will last. Knowing when to use primers trips up painters about as much as which primers to make use of. Basically, you will need to use a primer when you are coating a fresh or bare surface; changing colors, textures, or finishes; or making a surface more uniform. About the only real 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 ensure compatibility, choose a product that's part of a paint system. By paint system I mean a primer and top coating made 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 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 may want help translating a few of the terms and specifications.
Primers form an even base for the top coats by penetrating, sealing, and bonding to all or any types of bare areas. Without first priming a new or reconditioned surface, you'll find that the top coats ends up flaking off much sooner than you'll expect. Even though you can use additives such as Emulsabond, don't make the error of convinced that primers are optional, or can be produced 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 require a second coating of primer to ensure a smooth undercoat, but often one is enough. The house pictured below serves as an exemplory case 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 uniform base for the top layers. Some climates almost demand another coat of primer. I've heard of one contractor in Florida who always double primes to guarantee that his work last. If you live near to salt water, I would 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 feel that a primer would even out a surface, but if you run your hand over a primed portion of wood 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 layer. (Here is a tip: If you tint your primer the colour of the finish coat, you can actually speed up the painting process by reducing the number of top layers needed. Tinting is mostly used for color changes, although it is also handy for surfaces like bare drywall.)
Improve Your Priming For Interior Walls and Ceilings
I recommend using latex primers wherever possible. Ask your paint dealer for advice on the best primer for interior problem areas, including the laundry room and shower, 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 about as well. I prime most drywall interiors with latex, especially the bed rooms, living room, and closets. I spray a latex primer on new construction because new structures have enough vapor barriers. Also, I could paint an oil-based top coating over latex primer.
Older houses require room-by-room decisions on what primer to make use of. If the home doesn't have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will require a primer that seals the surfaces and keeps dampness from getting between your surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers can be the response to priming damp rooms in your residence. These quick drying primers help condition surfaces with water, cigarette smoke, and tannin spots, plus they can be recoated very quickly, sometimes within the hour. Pittsburgh's Seal Grip is a great latex stain blocker with few VOCs and all of the advantages of an oil-based stain blocker. Quick drying alkyd primers such as Kilz have pigmented shellac (with high VOCs) that also works 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'll maintain a consistant sheen over primer. You are able to guarantee 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, in particular when it's new, and it can leach alkaline salts if it isn't properly sealed. There are various 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 prime drywall with a latex primer, unless the top coats will be an oil-based paint, in which particular case I'll use an alkyd primer. (I know that there are perfectly good latex primers for any kind of top coat, but old habits are hard to break.) When painting new drywall, I'll sometimes add joint compound to the primer for a little texture. Mixed with primer, joint compound also helps level over any sanding markings or roughness.
Amazing Primers For Interior Wood
When selecting primer, you should consider the nature and condition of the surface, the kind 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 wood trim with an exterior alkyd primer, which seals new wood and replaces lost moisture in older wood. There are also good water-based enamel primers for interior wood. Special conditions, including the high moisture common in bathing rooms and kitchens, may call for a breathable latex primer if you cannot prime all around the wood. When you can completely prime the wood before it goes up, an alkyd primer will protect the majority of the wood trim from water. Assess conditions like these carefully and seek the advice of a specialist if your project has many different variables
Priming Solution For Exterior Applications
Even though I favor latex paint for the outside, I still would prefer 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 does not have any major internal vapor problems and that the wood is in good condition (which often means that it's new), particularly if I had access to the siding and trim before it is attached to the building. It's always best to seal all around the wood (but not the ends) to provide each piece its vapor barrier.
New redwood and cedar siding, as well as hardboard siding, needs special attention. Redwood and cedar will bleed tannins for a long period, even if the wood has air-dried for months. Before priming, you should wash out the tannin with a light 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. 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 an alkyd primer/sealer, and use high quality latex for the top layers. Any staining that occurs 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 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 designed hardboard primer/sealer, such as Pittsburgh Paints Permanizer Plus Wood Stabilizer. When mixed 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.
Priming Solution For Metal Applications
Every steel should be cleaned of oil, grease, rust, or any other residue before you prime it, therefore the primer gets thorough attachment with the area. Most metal surfaces can be cleaned with a good thinner. Galvanized metals sometimes arrive 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 wish to be certain a primer will continue to work on new galvanized metal surfaces.
A couple of primers for each type 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 back again under an unsealed surface or the incorrect primer. Rust inhibitors totally seal the outer layer from contact with air. Some companies refer 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 success using.
Other metals, including copper, aluminum, bronze, and brass, should be layered with zinc-chromate primer. Some paint companies have a particular primer for new galvanized metal. Older galvanized steel can be primed with a rust inhibitor like those mentioned previously.
Much like any finish, the more time the primer has to flow and contact the surface, the better the adhesion. Quick setting primers don't flow much whatsoever and stay right where they're painted, for better or for worse. A clean surface is particularly important when you use a quick 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. 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 can be an all-purpose, inexpensive cleaner that will also etch a steel material if combined at that ratio. Etching metal works like sanding wood. It provides surface "teeth" for better adhesion. That same ratio is useful 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.
Amazing Primers For 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 must cure for 90 days before you can prime 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 coated on masonry that is a week old. Stucco, which is basically tinted mortar and packed with lime, is an ideal 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 overcoat, but it is important that you utilize latex only on low alkaline masonry. In these situations I've had good luck adding Emulsabond to the latex for extra adhesion. I would recommend it for many masonry applications.
Etching with muriatic acid used to be the only way to speed up the curing time of concrete. You may still etch if you are so willing, although if I never see another container of muriatic acid, that would be just fine. (If it etches cement, imagine how well it etches skin!) Etching takes a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, don't forget a respirator, in particular when you combine the acid with the water. Important: Add the acid to the water, not the other way around. If you add drinking water to acid it'll splash and burn up anything it contacts. And mix it in the proper 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 considered a chore. You need to keep them well maintained and recoat them regularly, before they have to be completely redone. Cement floors in really bad shape should be sandblasted, or you may 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 surface and remove any trace of grease or wax with a good thinner.
For new cement floors, I recommend a cement stain made by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My inclination is 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 better than a top covering like latex.
Older, pre-painted concrete floors need to be repainted with an identical top coat, whether latex or alkyd. A latex top layer is best applied over a standard concrete sealer, but Emulsabond also works well. An oil-based top coating 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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