Exactly What You Are Looking For - Paint Coatings for Every Job
The right type of coating is crucial. If you select the wrong paint, it will not matter how much time and money you 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 match the existing coating. If you are painting or staining on top of latex paint, recoat with latex. You could have all kinds of choices if the surface is uncoated, nevertheless, you still need to consider local climate, maintenance, and toughness to find the best coating for for the project.
How We Improved Our Painting With Primers
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It decides how well the surface is protected and how long the paint can last. Knowing when to use primers trips up painters almost nearly as much as which primers to make use of. Basically, you 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 the only time you don't have 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 make sure of compatibility, choose a product that's part of a paint system. By paint system I mean a primer and top coating 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 small 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 significantly more information than you may ever need and you might need help translating some of the terms and specifications.
Primers form a good foundation for the top coatings by penetrating, sealing, and bonding to all or any types of bare surfaces. Without first priming a new or reconditioned surface, you'll find that the top coatings end up flaking off much sooner than you would expect. Even though you may use additives such as Emulsabond, don't make the mistake of convinced that primers are optional, or can be produced out of diluted paint.
Usually in one coat most primers even out surfaces and places that have been scraped and sanded. Sometimes a surface will need a second coat of primer to ensure a smooth undercoat, but often one will do. The home pictured below serves as an exemplory case of a project 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 provide it a smooth base for the top layers. Some climates almost demand a second coating 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 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 trimming. You might think that a primer would smooth a surface, but if you run your hand over a primed portion of trim it always feels abrasive. 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 coats. (Here's 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 mainly used for color changes, although it is also handy for surfaces like bare drywall.)
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 trouble spots, such as the laundry room and shower, 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 great latex primers that seal about as well. I prime most drywall interiors with latex, especially the sleeping rooms, living room, and closets. I usually 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 demand room-by-room decisions on what primer to utilize. If the residence doesn't have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will require a primer that seals the walls and keeps dampness from getting between the surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers could be the response to priming damp rooms inside your home. These quick drying primers help condition areas with water, smoke, and tannin staining, and they can be recoated rapidly, sometimes within the hour. Pittsburgh's Seal Grip is a great 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. If your latex has what's known as “good hold" or hiding properties, it will maintain a consistant sheen over primer. You could assure compatibility by using a high quality latex stain blocker such as Seal Grip.
When it comes to walls, understand that plaster and drywall will vary. Plaster is highly alkaline, especially when it's new, and it can leach alkaline salts if it is not properly sealed. There are numerous primers you may use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top layer and finish you've planned.
Drywall is much less alkaline than plaster. I prime drywall with a latex primer, unless the top coatings will be an oil-based paint, in which case I'll use an alkyd primer. (I know that there are perfectly good latex primers for any type of top layer, but old practices are hard to let go of.) When painting new drywall, I will sometimes add joint compound to the primer for just a little texture. Mixed with primer, joint compound also helps smooth over any sanding markings or roughness.
Priming Solution For Interior Wood
When selecting primer, you should consider the type and condition of the surface, the type of paint (alkyd, latex, or epoxy) that is planned for the finish coats, and the sort of finish (flat, semi-gloss, or glossy).
Frequently 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, like the high moisture common in bathrooms 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 is attached in place, an alkyd primer will protect the majority of the wood trim from dampness. 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 exterior, I still would rather 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 has no major internal vapor problems and that the wood is in good shape (which often means that it's new), particularly if I had access to the siding and trim before it is attached to the building. It's always better to seal all over the wood (but not the ends) to provide 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 time, even if the wood has air-dried for months. Before priming, you should wash out the tannin with a gentle 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 out. There are 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 final layers. Any staining that happens after that can usually be washed off with special wood 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 the event 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 created 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 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 contact with the surface. Most metal areas 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 just thinner. Check with your paint store if you wish to be sure a primer will work on new galvanized metal surfaces.
You will find primers for each type of metal. Ferrous metals, made of iron and steel, should be primed with a rust inhibitor. Rust is almost impossible to totally remove unless you sandblast it, and even then small pockets of rust can stay that will grow again under an unsealed surface or the incorrect primer. Rust inhibitors totally seal the outer layer from contact with air. Some companies make reference 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 got success using.
Other metals, including copper, aluminum, bronze, and brass, should be layered with zinc-chromate primer. Some paint companies have a particular primer for new galvanized steel. Older galvanized material can be primed with a rust inhibitor like those mentioned above.
As with any top coat, the additional time the primer is able 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 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 other companies suggest against using any type of solvent cleaner. Scan the directions carefully.
An old technique that still is effective 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 metallic material if blended at that ratio. Etching metal works like sanding wood. It gives the 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 clean galvanized metals, because the vinegar will damage the galvanizing.
Primers For 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 as time passes, 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 90 days 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 coated on masonry that is a week old. Stucco, which is basically coloured mortar and full of lime, is a perfect surface for Loxon, as is new plaster or poured concrete. Pittsburgh Paints also offers a primer for new, high-alkaline masonry, called Speedhide Alkali Resistant Primer; it's designed for oil-based paint. You also can add this primer to cured masonry with a latex top overcoat, 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 would recommend it for most masonry applications.
Etching with muriatic acid used to be the only way to speed up the curing time of concrete. You are able to still etch if you are so inclined, although if I never see another container of muriatic acid, that could be just fine. (If it etches cement, imagine how well it etches epidermis!) Etching takes a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, don't forget a respirator, especially when you mix 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 mix 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 cement floors can be a chore. It's best to keep them well maintained and recoat them regularly, before they need to be completely redone. Concrete flooring surfaces in really bad condition should be sandblasted, or you may use a new system called Peel-Away that makes prepping masonry somewhat easier (it's still no picnic). If the floor is in good shape, prep the surface and remove any trace of grease or wax with a good thinner.
For new cement floors, I recommend a concrete stain made by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My preference is the 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 coating like latex.
Older, pre-painted concrete floors need to be repainted with an identical top coating, whether latex or alkyd. A latex top coating is best applied over a typical concrete sealer, but Emulsabond also is effective. An oil-based top coating 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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