Take The Headache Out of Finding Paint Coatings for Each and Every Job
The right kind of coating is crucial. If you pick the wrong paint, it won't matter how much effort and money you spend on your job. Too many flawlessly great paint jobs deteriorate quickly because poor quality primer and paint were used.
A dependable guideline is to match the existing layer of paint. If you are painting or staining on top of latex paint, recoat with latex. You may have all sorts of choices if the material is uncoated, but you still need to consider climate, maintenance, and durability to determine the best covering for the job.
How We Improved Our Painting With Primers
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It can determine how well the top surface is protected and exactly how long the paint can last. Knowing when to use primers trips up painters almost nearly as much as which primers to work with. 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 the only time you don't have to prime is when you're 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 am saying a primer and top layer made 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 cope with reading the fine print, ask to view the spec, or data sheet, on a particular 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 may want help translating a few 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'll find that the top finish end up flaking off much sooner than you would expect. While you can use additives such as Emulsabond, don't make the mistake 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 have been scraped and sanded. Sometimes a surface will need a second coating of primer to ensure an even undercoat, but often one is enough. The home pictured below serves as an example of a project 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 provide it an even base for the finish coats. Some climates almost demand a second layer of primer. I've heard about one contractor in Florida who always double primes to guarantee that his work last. In the event that you live near 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 feel that a primer would smooth a surface, but if you run your hand over a primed portion 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 layer. (Here's a tip: In the event that you tint your primer the color of the top coat, it is possible to speed up the painting process by reducing the amount of top coats needed. Tinting is mainly used for color changes, although it is also handy for areas like bare drywall.)
Primers For Interior Surfaces 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, like the laundry room and bathroom, 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 about as well. I prime most drywall interiors with latex, especially the bedrooms, living room, and closets. I spray a latex primer on new construction because new buildings have enough 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 use. If the house does not have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will need a primer that seals the surfaces and keeps moisture from getting between the surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers can be the response to priming damp rooms in the house. These quick drying primers help condition areas with water, cigarette smoke, and tannin stains, and they can be recoated rapidly, sometimes within the hour. Pittsburgh's Seal Grip is a superb latex stain blocker with few VOCs and all 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. In case your latex has what's known as “good hold" or hiding properties, it will maintain a consistant sheen over primer. You can warrant compatibility by using a high quality latex stain blocker such as Seal Grip.
With regards to walls, remember 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 numerous primers you can use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top layer and finish that you've planned.
Drywall is much 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 know that we now have perfectly good latex primers for just about any type of top layer, but old patterns are hard to break.) When painting new drywall, I'll sometimes add joint compound to the primer for just a little texture. Blended with primer, joint compound also helps even out over any sanding marks or roughness.
Priming Solution For Interior Wood
When selecting primer, you should consider the type and condition of the surface, the sort of paint (alkyd, latex, or epoxy) that is planned for the finish coats, and the kind of finish (flat, semi-gloss, or glossy).
Frequently I prime interior trim with an exterior alkyd primer, which seals new wood and replaces lost moisture 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 cannot prime all around the wood. When you can completely apply primer the wood before it goes up, an alkyd primer will protect most 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
Amazing Primers For Exteriors
Even though I prefer latex paint for the exterior, I still want 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 residence does not have any major internal vapor problems and that the wood is in good shape (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 around the wood (however, not the ends) to give 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 hardwood 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's 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 coats. Any staining that occurs after that can usually be washed off with special hardwood 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 case 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 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 top 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 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. Check with your paint store if you want to be certain a primer will continue to work on new galvanized metal surfaces.
You can find primers for each and every type of metal. Ferrous metals, manufactured from 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 stay that will grow again under an unsealed surface or the wrong 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 jobs like handrails can be primed with aerosol rust inhibitors such as Pratt & Lambert's Effecto Spray Enamel, which I've had good luck using.
Other metals, including copper, aluminum, bronze, and brass, should be coated 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.
As with any top coat, the more time the primer has to flow and contact the surface, the better the adhesion. Quick setting primers don't flow much in any way and stay right where they're painted, for better or for worse. A clean surface is especially important when you use a quick drying primer. Note that some paint manufacturers recommend cleaning metals (and most other surfaces) with a thinner, while other companies advise against using any type of solvent cleaner. Read the directions carefully.
A vintage technique that still works well 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 metal material if mixed 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 completely clean galvanized metals, because the vinegar will harm 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 source of the efflorescence, usually moisture, must be resolved for alkali-resistant primers and sealers to help. New masonry has to cure for 3 months 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 could be applied on masonry that is seven days old. Stucco, which is actually tinted mortar and filled with lime, is a perfect 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 layer, but it's 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 most masonry applications.
Etching with muriatic acid used to be the only method to speed up the curing time of cement. You may still etch if you are so inclined, although if I never see another box 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, remember a respirator, in particular when you blend the acid with water. Important: Add the acid to the water, not the other way around. If you add drinking water to acid it will splash and burn up anything it contacts. And blend it in the correct ratio, usually 1 to 3. 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. You need to keep them well maintained and recoat them regularly, before they have to be completely redone. Concrete floors in really poor 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 surface and remove any trace of grease or wax with a good thinner.
For new concrete floors, I recommend a cement stain provided by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My inclination is water based stain, since silicon 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 coating like latex.
Older, pre-painted cement floors need to be repainted with an identical top coat, 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 coat requires an oil-based enamel or epoxy concrete conditioner. I'd add Penetrol to the primer for a longer lasting bond.
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