Primer on Primers

Prep, prep and prep some more!  Painting a home or business is more than what meets the eye.  Preparation is the key to quality.  Preparation may include the use of a primer to create a canvas for the paint. Selecting the appropriate one is frequently based on the condition and prior preparation of the substrate.  There are hundreds of primers.  Finding the  best solution for your project can be a daunting task.  ProTect Painters of Oviedo ~ Winter Springs conducted a research project to find out more about primers.  Information can be a bit difficult to find and some of it is highly technical. This is a condensed version of what we found.

Why Use a Primer

Primers are used to seal rough surfaces, create a barrier between the substrate and the paint; provide a transition from alkyd (oil based) paint to latex; degloss sheens; and create the best surface for finishes.  In many cases, you will not need a primer at all.  For example, interior residential repaints with latex paint over latex paint rarely require a primer.  You just need to apply finish paint normally two coats unless the color is identical).

Before primers can be applied, other critical steps need completion.  These steps include but are not limited to mold remediation, cleaning, degreasing, deglossing, sanding, filling, skimming, texturing, rust elimination and other items.  Just make sure your preparation includes all the steps you need.

Types & Uses

There are over 3 million entries on Google for primers.  The vast majority are products that don’t provide a lot of solutions based help.  The key issue is selecting the right product for the task.  Most primers and sealers will be alkyd (oil based), latex (water based) or some alternative form like shellac.  When in doubt, it is best to use oil based primers.  They are messy but will cover most surfaces including old oil paints.  With a few exceptions, latex products can be applied over oil based primers.

1. Specialized Acrylics – These are typically designed for construction, maintenance applications and engineered surfaces where rust and
   corrosion resistance is critical.
2. Concrete / Masonry Primers – Perfect for sealing and conditioning porous above-grade masonry surfaces. Covers and seal the high pH common in new masonry and helps to avoid
   salt leach through the finish.  Please note these are not waterproofing coatings. They are only primers.
3. Masonry Sealers – Typically used over previously painted or cured masonry surfaces to seal pin holes and cover any salts that could be coming through failing paint.  Masonry salts are found on stucco houses with faded /failed paint – think chalk here. The techno term for this condition is efflorescence.
4. Blocking Primers – Used to cover water stains, grease, smoke, graffiti, crayon, ink and assures a uniform appearance for the finish coat.  These are often tinted towards the color of the finish paint.
5. Drywall Primer – New drywall is extremely porous and will suck up a lot of paint.  Drywall primer is normally a lot less expense than finish paint.  It can also be tinted toward the finish color.
6. White Pigmented Shellac – Uses include hiding stains from soot, smoke, and pets. Used as an alternative to blocking primers.
7. Sandable Primer – Used where a very smooth surface is required.  Often applied in multiple coats and sanded until the surface meets the requirement for the finish application.
8. Adhesion Primers – Used on surfaces with peeling paint.  The adhesion components act to keep remaining peeling to a minimum.  Older wood homes with peeling paint are a good
   candidate for this type of primer.  It’s expensive and not a perfect solution. However, it is less than the cost of paint removal and sanding the entire surface.
9. High Build Primers – These are very thick coatings designed to fill rough surfaces.  There are a variety of these products designed for each specific application.
10. Block Fillers – A little like the high build products.   This one is designed to create a smoother look on concrete block.
11. Rust Inhibitors – Specialized products for metals which have rust.  Finish paints rarely stick to rust.  The rust should be neutralized first and then primed with an inhibitor.
12. Wallpaper Primer – Used to create a surface for installation of wallpaper.
13. Multi-Purpose – Most paint companies offer a multi-prime product. These are fairly safe for the DIY projects.  However, it is preferable to use a primer specific to your job.  Try to avoid the use of multi-primes where possible.
14. DeGlossers – Really not a primer but a way to remove high sheens (semi-gloss and gloss) so flat paints will look better on the surface.
15. Plastics – Some plastics and laminates require a very unique primer. Again, a bit beyond the scope of this update.  Better to consult the paint professional on these.
16. Industrial Primers – You name it, there is some kind of primer, surface or sealer for everything.  Most DIYers will never need these, but occasionally we run into needs in a home.

Self-Priming Paints

Self-priming is a term applied to some consumer paints on the market.  In my opinion, these are more fluff than stuff.  Consumers (i.e. DIYers) looking for short cuts find these products appealing. Since quality painting is 90%+ based on proper preparation, any “short cut” is likely to reduce the quality of your results and durability.  Making your repaint cycle much shorter will cost more in the long run.  These products tend to be expensive.  Manufacturers’ prices are just a tad less than the cost of a separate primer plus paint and profit margins for the paint companies are the highest on these roducts.  You may save some time but be careful not to sacrifice the quality of your project.

Summary

There are more choices for primers than finish paints.  Failure to properly prep and prime is a common problem in DIY projects and even with some unskilled so called professional painters.  When in doubt, ask a paint professional like those at your local Sherwin Williams store.  They will help you evaluate the alternatives (and there could be several) and assist you with selecting a product or products meet your needs. They also have a nice guide you can download at http://www.sherwin-williams.com/pdf/products/primers-selection-guide.pdf

Still confused or concerned about your specific project? If so, you’ll be better off hiring the professionals from ProTect of Oviedo ~ Winter Springs to manage your project. Having us do it right the first time may cost a little more than doing it yourself.   Making a mistake on the primer choice or leave out primer when required and you will be spending 3-5 times that amount to fix the problem.  Call us at 407-542-9036 to schedule a free consultation for your project.