Take The Headache Out of Finding Paint Coatings for Every Job
The right type of coating is vital. If you pick the incorrect paint, it will not matter how much time and money you spend on your project. Too many flawlessly great paint projects deteriorate too early because the incorrect primer and paint were used.
A dependable guideline is to complement the existing coating. If you're painting or staining over a latex paint, recoat with latex. You could have all types of choices if the material is uncoated, nevertheless, you still need to consider weather, maintenance, and sturdiness to determine the best paint for the work.
Primers - What If You Could Start Painting in 1 Hour?
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It can determine how well the finish is protected and how long the paint will last. Knowing when to use primers trips up painters about just as much as which primers to make use of. Basically, you will 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 the only time you don't have 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 make sure of compatibility, choose a product that's part of your paint system. By paint system I mean a primer and top coat distributed by the same company. Labels of better paints always recommend specific primers and top coats for various materials and conditions. Unless you want to cope with reading the fine print, ask to read 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 more information than you will ever need and you might need help translating some of the terms and specifications.
Primers form a good foundation 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 will discover 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 mistake of convinced that primers are optional, or can be made out of diluted paint.
Usually in a single coat most primers even out surfaces and places that have been scraped and sanded. Sometimes a surface will need a second coating of primer to ensure a level undercoat, but often one is enough. The house pictured below is an exemplory case of a job 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 give it an even base for the top 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 work last. If 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 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 abrasive. 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 coats. (Here is a tip: If you tint your primer the color of the finish coat, you can actually speed up the painting process by minimizing the number of top coats needed. Tinting is mainly used for color changes, although it's also handy for surfaces like bare drywall.)
Improve Your Priming For Interior Walls and Ceilings
I would recommend using latex primers wherever possible. Ask your paint dealer for advice on the best primer for interior trouble spots, like 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 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 coating over latex primer.
Older houses require room-by-room decisions on what primer to use. If the home does not have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will require a primer that seals the walls and keeps dampness from getting between the surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers will be the answer to priming wet rooms in your residence. These quick drying primers help condition areas with water, smoke, and tannin stains, and they can be recoated very quickly, sometimes within the hour. Pittsburgh's Seal Grip is a superb 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 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 will maintain an even sheen over primer. You are able to make sure compatibility by utilizing a high quality latex stain blocker such as Seal Grip.
When it comes to walls, understand that plaster and drywall are different. Plaster is highly alkaline, specially when it's new, and it can leach alkaline salts if it isn't properly sealed. There are several 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 coatings will be an oil-based paint, in which case I'll use an alkyd primer. (I know that there are perfectly good latex primers for any type of top coating, but old habits are hard to break.) 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 level over any sanding markings or roughness.
Priming Solution For Interior Wood
When selecting 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 type of finish (flat, semi-gloss, or glossy).
Most often I prime interior wood 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, like the high moisture common in restrooms and kitchens, may require 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 wood trim from dampness. Assess conditions like these carefully and seek the advice of a professional if your project has many different variables
Primers 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 better job of priming bare wood. I'll use an alkyd primer if I know that the residence does not have any major internal vapor problems and that the wood is in good shape (which often means that it's new), especially if I had access to the siding and wood 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 hardwood has air-dried for a few months. Before priming, you should wash out the tannin with a light detergent, and follow this with a good rinsing. Redwood and cedar are rather porous, so you might 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 coats of an alkyd primer/sealer, and use high quality latex for the top layers. Any staining that happens after that can usually be washed off with special hardwood cleaners.
Hardboard siding, new or already coated, presents a particular challenge. The lack of grain or anything resembling a porous surface makes hardboards such as Masonite difficult to bond to. When 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 developed hardboard primer/sealer, such as Pittsburgh Paints Permanizer Plus Wood Stabilizer. When mixed with a top layer, 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 metallic 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 areas can be cleaned with a good thinner. Galvanized metals sometimes arrive from the factory with a stabilizer that may be tough to eliminate, and could need more than simply thinner. Check with your paint store if you wish to be sure a primer will work on new galvanized metal surfaces.
You can find primers for each and every kind 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 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 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 experienced good luck using.
Other metals, including copper, aluminum, bronze, and brass, should be coated with zinc-chromate primer. Some paint companies have a particular primer for new galvanized steel. Older galvanized metal can be primed with a rust inhibitor like those mentioned previously.
Much like any top coat, 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 applied, for better or for worse. A clean surface is particularly important when you use an instant drying primer. Note that some paint manufacturers recommend cleaning metals (and most other surfaces) with a thinner, while others recommend against using almost any solvent cleaner. Scan the directions carefully.
A vintage 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 metallic material if combined 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 damage the galvanizing.
No-Fuss Priming 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 as time passes, leaving a chalky stain called efflorescence. The cause of the efflorescence, usually water, must be fixed 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 could be coated on masonry that is seven days old. Stucco, which is basically tinted mortar and full of 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 coating, but it is 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 would recommend it for most masonry applications.
Etching with muriatic acid used to be the only method to speed up the curing time of concrete. You may still etch if you are so willing, 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, especially when you mix the acid with the water. Important: Add the acid to water, not the other way around. If you add normal water to acid it will splash and burn off anything it contacts. And blend it in the proper ratio, usually 1 to 3. 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 cement floors can be a chore. It's best to keep them well looked after and recoat them regularly, before they have to be completely redone. Cement flooring surfaces in really sad shape should be sandblasted, or you may use a fresh system called Peel-Away which makes prepping masonry a lttle bit easier (it's still no picnic). If the surface is in good shape, prep the surface 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 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 coating like latex.
Older, pre-painted concrete floors need to be repainted with a similar top coat, whether latex or alkyd. A latex top layer is best applied over a typical concrete sealer, but Emulsabond also is effective. 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.
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