Finally, Paint Coatings for Each and Every Job
The right type of coating is essential. If you pick the wrong paint, it will not matter how much time and money you spend on your project. Too many perfectly great paint projects deteriorate too early because the wrong 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 could have all types of choices if the surface is uncoated, nevertheless, you still need to consider environment, maintenance, and durability to find the best coating for the work.
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 how long the paint can last. Knowing when to use primers messes up painters almost nearly as much as which primers to employ. Basically, you need to use a primer when you are coating a new or bare surface; changing colors, textures, or finishes; or making a surface more even. About the one 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 a paint system. By paint system I am saying a primer and top layer manufactured 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 view 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 a few of the terms and specifications.
Primers form an even 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 coats 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 thinking 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 coat of primer to ensure an even undercoat, but often one is enough. The home pictured below is an exemplory case of a job 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 finish coats. Some climates almost demand a second layer of primer. I've heard of one contractor in Florida who always double primes to guarantee that his work last. If you live close 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 smooth a surface, but if you run your hand over a primed piece of 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 is a tip: In the event that you tint your primer the color of the top coat, you can actually speed up the painting process by minimizing the amount of top layers needed. Tinting is mainly used for color changes, although it's also handy for surfaces like bare drywall.)
Amazing Way To Use Primers For Interior Walls and Ceilings
I 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 bath, 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 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 buildings have enough vapor barriers. Also, I could 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 doesn't have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will require a primer that seals the walls and keeps moisture content from getting between the surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers might be the response to priming wet rooms in your residence. These quick drying primers help condition areas with water, cigarette smoke, and tannin staining, plus 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 benefits 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 could make sure compatibility by using a high quality latex stain blocker such as Seal Grip.
When it comes 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 isn't properly sealed. There are various 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 coats will be an oil-based paint, in which case I'll use an alkyd primer. (I understand that there are perfectly good latex primers for just about any kind of top coat, but old patterns 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 level over any sanding marks or roughness.
Amazing Primers For Interior Wood
When selecting primer, you should consider the nature and condition of the surface, the sort of paint (alkyd, latex, or epoxy) that is planned for the finish coats, and the sort 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 water in older wood. There are also good water-based enamel primers for interior wood. Special conditions, including the high moisture common in bath rooms and kitchens, may require a breathable latex primer if you cannot prime all over the wood. If you can completely prime the wood before it goes up, an alkyd primer will protect almost all of the wood trim from moisture. Assess conditions like these carefully and seek the advice of a professional if your project has many different variables
Amazing Primers For Exteriors
Even though I favor latex paint for the exterior, I still want 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 residence does not have any major internal vapor problems and that the wood is in good shape (which usually means that it is new), particularly if I had access to the siding and wood trim before it is attached to the building. It's always best to seal all around the wood (but 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 timber has air-dried for months. Before priming, you should wash out the tannin with a moderate detergent, and follow this with a good rinsing. Redwood and cedar are quite 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 any alkyd primer/sealer, and use high quality latex for the top coats. Any staining that happens after that can usually be washed off with special timber cleaners.
Hardboard siding, new or already coated, presents a special challenge. The lack of 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 eliminate all the wax. Seal new hardboard with a specially produced 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.
Improved Metal Primers
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 come from the factory with a stabilizer that can be tough to remove, and could need more than just thinner. Check with your paint store if you want to be certain a primer will 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 unless you 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 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 coated with zinc-chromate primer. Some paint companies have a particular 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 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 especially important when using an instant drying primer. Remember that some paint manufacturers recommend cleaning metals (and most other surfaces) with a thinner, while others recommend against using almost any solvent cleaner. Read the directions carefully.
An old technique that still works well for cleaning new or old metals is washing the outer layer 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 mixed 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 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 moisture and alkalis. Alkalis are salts that leach out over time, leaving a chalky stain called efflorescence. The cause of the efflorescence, usually water, must be cured for alkali-resistant primers and sealers to help. New masonry must cure for 3 months before you 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 coated on masonry that is a week old. Stucco, which is basically colored mortar and filled with lime, is a great surface for Loxon, as is new plaster or poured concrete. Pittsburgh Paints can provide a primer for new, high-alkaline masonry, called Speedhide Alkali Resistant Primer; it's provided for oil-based paint. Additionally you can add this primer to cured masonry with a latex top coating, but it's important that you utilize latex only on low alkaline masonry. In these situations 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 drying time of cement. You may still etch if you are so willing, 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 takes a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, don't forget a respirator, particularly when you mix the acid with water. Important: Add the acid to the water, not the other way around. In the event that you add normal water to acid it'll splash and burn off anything it contacts. And mix it in the proper ratio, usually 1:3. 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 cement floors can be considered a chore. It's best to keep them well looked after and recoat them regularly, before they have to be completely redone. Concrete floors in really sad condition should be sandblasted, or you may use a fresh system called Peel-Away that makes prepping masonry somewhat easier (it's still no picnic). If the floor is in good shape, prep the area and remove any trace of grease or wax with a good thinner.
For new cement floors, I would recommend a concrete stain provided by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My choice is the water based stain, since silicone is a wax that eventually will wash off. Concrete 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 a similar top layer, whether latex or alkyd. A latex top coating is best applied over a typical concrete sealer, but Emulsabond also works well. An oil-based top layer 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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