High Demand Paint Coatings for Every Job
The right type of coating is vital. If you pick the incorrect paint, it won't matter how much time and money you spend on your job. Too many flawlessly great paint projects deteriorate quickly because the wrong primer and paint were used.
A dependable guideline is to match the existing covering. If you are painting or staining over a latex paint, recoat with latex. You may have all sorts of choices if the surface is uncoated, nevertheless, you still need to consider climate, maintenance, and toughness to find the best coating for for the project.
Primers - What If You Could Start Painting in 1 Hour?
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 just as much as which primers to work with. Basically, you need to use a primer when you are coating a fresh or bare surface; changing colors, textures, or finishes; or making a surface more even. About the one 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 ensure compatibility, choose a product that's part of a paint system. By paint system I mean a primer and top coating distributed by the same company. Labels of better paints always recommend specific primers and top coatings 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. 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 will ever need and you might need help translating some of the terms and specifications.
Primers form a solid base for the top coatings by penetrating, sealing, and bonding to all or any types of bare areas. Without first priming a new or reconditioned surface, you'll find that the top coatings 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 made out of diluted paint.
Usually in a single coat most primers smooth out surfaces and places which have been scraped and sanded. Sometimes a surface will need a second coat of primer to ensure an even undercoat, but often one will do. The house 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 give it a smooth base for the finish layers. 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 ocean water, I 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 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 harsh. That's because primer causes out loose grain as it penetrates. After a dried primer has been lightly sanded, the smoothed surface is ready for the top. (Here is a tip: In the event that you tint your primer the color of the top coat, you can actually quicken the painting process by lowering the number of top coats needed. Tinting is mostly used for color changes, although it is also handy for surfaces like bare drywall.)
Take The Headache Out of Primers For Interior Wall Surfaces and Ceilings
I 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 bathroom, that need a good sealant and a water resistant primer. I've always used alkyd primers in wetter parts of the home, although there are excellent latex primers that seal about as well. I prime most drywall interiors with latex, especially the bed rooms, living room, and closets. I spray a latex primer on new construction because new properties have adequate vapor barriers. Also, I can paint an oil-based top coat over latex primer.
Older houses call for room-by-room decisions on what primer to make use of. If the residence does not have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will require a primer that seals the wall space and keeps dampness from getting between the surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers would be the answer to priming damp rooms in your residence. These quick drying primers help condition surfaces with water, smoke, and tannin stains, 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 advantages 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. If your latex has what's known as “good hold" or hiding properties, it'll maintain a consistant sheen over primer. You could guarantee compatibility by using 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, especially when it's new, and it can leach alkaline salts if it isn't properly sealed. There are lots of primers you can use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top coating and finish you've planned.
Drywall is a lot less alkaline than plaster. I 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 coating, but old practices are hard to let go of.) When painting new drywall, I'll sometimes add joint compound to the primer for a little texture. Blended with primer, joint compound also helps smooth over any sanding marks or roughness.
Priming Solution For Interior Wood
When choosing primer, you should consider the nature and condition of the surface, the type of paint (alkyd, latex, or epoxy) that is planned for the finish coats, and the kind 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 dampness in older wood. There's also good water-based enamel primers for interior wood. Special conditions, including the high moisture common in bathing rooms and kitchens, may require a breathable latex primer if you can't prime all over the wood. When you can completely prime the wood before it goes up, an alkyd primer will protect almost all of the trim from moisture. Assess conditions like these carefully and seek the advice of a professional if your job has many different variables
Priming Solution For Exterior Applications
Even though I favor latex paint for the outside, I still would rather 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 has no major internal vapor problems and that the wood is in good condition (which often means that it's new), particularly if I had access to the siding and trim before it goes on. It's always best to seal all around 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 lumber 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 rather 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 surface, 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 happens after that can usually be washed off with special lumber 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 formulated hardboard primer/sealer, such as Pittsburgh Paints Permanizer Plus Wood Stabilizer. When blended with a top layer, Emulsabond makes a great hardboard primer. These and other top quality sealers also work very well on metal or vinyl siding, plywood veneers, textured wood, and other composite sidings.
Primers For Metals Applications
Every metal should be cleaned of oil, grease, rust, or any other residue before you prime it, so 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 may be tough to remove, and could need more than simply thinner. Consult with your paint store if you wish to be sure a primer will continue to work on new galvanized steel surfaces.
You will find primers for 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 stay that will grow again under an unsealed surface or the wrong primer. Rust inhibitors totally seal the outer layer from exposure to 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 experienced good luck using.
Other metals, including copper, aluminum, bronze, and brass, should be layered with zinc-chromate primer. Some paint companies have a specific primer for new galvanized metal. Older galvanized material can be primed with a rust inhibitor like those mentioned previously.
As with any finish, the more time the primer has to flow and contact the surface, the better the adhesion. Quick setting primers don't flow much at all and stay right where they're applied, for good or for bad. 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 other companies suggest against using any kind of 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 gives the surface "teeth" for better adhesion. That same ratio is convenient for new rain gutters or uncoated aluminum siding. However, it should not be utilized to completely clean galvanized metals, because the vinegar will harm the galvanizing.
Amazing Primers For Masonry
Whether it's inside or out, masonry usually needs 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 source 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 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 can be applied on masonry that is seven days old. Stucco, which is basically tinted mortar and packed with lime, is an ideal 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 made for oil-based paint. Additionally you can add this primer to cured masonry with a latex top coating, but it's important that you use 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 many masonry applications.
Etching with muriatic acid used to be the only procedure to speed up the curing time of cement. You could 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 pores and skin!) Etching takes a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, remember a respirator, in particular when you combine 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 anything it contacts. And blend it in the proper ratio, usually 1:3. 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 concrete floors can be considered a chore. You need to keep them well looked after and recoat them regularly, before they need to be completely redone. Cement surfaces in really sad condition should be sandblasted, or you can use a new system called Peel-Away which makes prepping masonry a little easier (it's still no picnic). If the floor is in good condition, prep the floor and remove any trace of grease or wax with a good thinner.
For new concrete floors, I would recommend a concrete stain provided 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 requiring scraping or sandblasting, and resists fading better than a top coating like latex.
Older, pre-painted concrete floors need to be repainted with an identical 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 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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