Take The Headache Out of Finding Paint Coatings for Each and Every Job
The right type of coating is vital. If you pick the wrong paint, it won't matter how much time and money you may spend on your job. Too many perfectly great paint jobs deteriorate quickly because the wrong primer and paint were used.
A dependable rule of thumb is to complement the existing finish. If you are painting or staining on top of latex paint, recoat with latex. You may have all kinds of choices if the surface is uncoated, nevertheless, you still need to consider climate, maintenance, and strength to determine the best paint for the job.
No-Fuss Painting Using Primers
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It determines how well the top surface is protected and how long the paint can last. Knowing when to use primers trips up painters almost as much as which primers to work with. Basically, you will need to use a primer if you are covering a fresh or bare surface; changing colors, textures, or finishes; or making a surface more even. About really the only time you don't need 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 something that's part of a paint system. By paint system I mean 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 fine print, ask to see 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 more information than you may ever need and you might need 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 will discover that the top finish end up flaking off much sooner than you'll expect. While you may 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 one coat most primers smooth out surfaces and places which have been scraped and sanded. Sometimes a surface will require a second coat 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 layers 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 a smooth base for the finish coats. 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 jobs last. If you live near 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 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 abrasive. That's because primer forces 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, it is possible to speed up the painting process by reducing the number of top coats needed. Tinting is mainly used for color changes, although it is also handy for surfaces like bare drywall.)
Primers 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 problem areas, such as the laundry room and bath, that need a good sealant and a water-resistant primer. I've always used alkyd primers in wetter parts of the house, although there are excellent 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 properties have sufficient vapor barriers. Also, I can paint an oil-based top coat over latex primer.
Older houses require room-by-room decisions on what primer to work with. If the residence doesn't have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will require a primer that seals the wall surfaces and keeps moisture content from getting between your surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers could be the response to priming damp rooms in your residence. These quick drying primers help condition surfaces with water, 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 of the advantages of an oil-based stain blocker. Quick drying alkyd primers such as Kilz have pigmented shellac (with high VOCs) that also acts 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'll maintain a consistant sheen over primer. You are able to make sure compatibility by using a high quality latex stain blocker such as Seal Grip.
With regards 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 plenty of primers you may 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 understand that there are perfectly good latex primers for just about any type of top coat, but old patterns are hard to let go of.) When painting new drywall, I will 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.
Primers For Interior Wood
When choosing primer, you should think about the type and condition of the surface, the type of paint (alkyd, latex, or epoxy) that is planned for the top 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 moisture in older wood. There's also good water-based enamel primers for interior wood. Special conditions, such as 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 is attached in place, an alkyd primer will protect most of the wood trim from dampness. Assess conditions like these carefully and seek the advice of a specialist if your job has many different variables
Primers For the Exterior
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 home has no major internal vapor problems and that the wood is in good condition (which usually means that it is new), particularly if I had access to the siding and wood trim before it goes on. It's always best to seal all over the wood (but 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 period, even if the timber 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 fairly porous, so you may need to wait a day or two to let them dry out. 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 any alkyd primer/sealer, and use high quality latex for the top coatings. Any staining that occurs after that can usually be washed off with special wood 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 eliminate all the wax. Seal new hardboard with a specially formulated hardboard primer/sealer, such as Pittsburgh Paints Permanizer Plus Wood Stabilizer. When mixed with a top coat, Emulsabond makes a great hardboard primer. These and other high quality sealers also work well on metal 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, so the primer gets thorough contact with the area. Most metal surfaces can be cleaned with a good thinner. Galvanized metals sometimes arrive from the factory with a stabilizer that may be tough to remove, and may need more than simply thinner. Check with your paint store if you wish to be certain a primer will continue to work on new galvanized steel surfaces.
You will find primers for 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 remain that will grow again under an unsealed surface or the incorrect primer. Rust inhibitors totally seal the outer layer from exposure to air. Some companies make reference 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 got good luck 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 steel. Older galvanized metal can be primed with a rust inhibitor like those mentioned previously.
As with any finish, 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 good or for bad. A clean surface is particularly important when you use an instant drying primer. Remember that some paint manufacturers recommend cleaning metals (and most other surfaces) with a thinner, while others advise against using almost any solvent cleaner. Scan the directions carefully.
An old technique that still is effective 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 steel 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 utilized to clean galvanized metals, because the vinegar will harm the galvanizing.
Primers For Masonry
Be it inside or out, masonry usually requires a primer or sealer that will resist water 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 fixed 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 painted on masonry that is a week old. Stucco, which is actually colored mortar and filled with lime, is an excellent 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 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 method to speed up the drying time of cement. You may still etch if you are so inclined, although if I never see another container of muriatic acid, that would be just fine. (If it etches concrete, imagine how well it etches skin!) Etching requires a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, remember a respirator, particularly when you mix the acid with the 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 anything it contacts. And mix it in the correct 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 a chore. You need to keep them well maintained and recoat them regularly, before they need to be completely redone. Cement surfaces in really poor shape should be sandblasted, or you can use a new system called Peel-Away that makes prepping masonry somewhat easier (it's still no picnic). If the floor is in good condition, prep the area and remove any trace of grease or wax with a good thinner.
For new concrete floors, I recommend a concrete stain made by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My choice 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 better than a top covering like latex.
Older, pre-painted concrete floors need to be repainted with a similar top layer, whether latex or alkyd. A latex top layer is best applied over a typical concrete sealer, but Emulsabond also works well. An oil-based top overcoat requires an oil-based enamel or epoxy concrete conditioner. I would add Penetrol to the primer for a longer lasting bond.
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