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 may 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 complement the existing coating. If you're 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 weather, maintenance, and sturdiness to determine the best finish for for the project.
How We Improved Our Painting With Primers
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It determines how well the finish is protected and how long the paint can last. Knowing when to use primers messes up painters almost as much as which primers to employ. 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 the one time you don't need 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 something that's part of your paint system. By paint system I am saying a primer and top coating made by the same company. The 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 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 may ever need and you may want help translating some of the terms and specifications.
Primers form an even base for the top coats by penetrating, sealing, and bonding to all types of bare areas. Without first priming a new or reconditioned surface, you will discover that the top coats 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 a single coat most primers even out surfaces and places which have been scraped and sanded. Sometimes a surface will require a second coat of primer to ensure a smooth undercoat, but often one will do. The house pictured below serves as an exemplory case of a project where two coats 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 level base for the finish layers. Some climates almost demand another coat of primer. I've heard of one contractor in Florida who always double primes to guarantee that his work last. If you live near to ocean 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 even out a surface, but if you run your hand over a primed portion of trim it always feels rough. 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 quicken the painting process by minimizing the number of top layers needed. Tinting is mostly used for color changes, although it's also handy for surfaces like bare drywall.)
Improve Your Priming For Interior Wall Surfaces and Ceilings
I would recommend using latex primers whenever we can. Ask your paint dealer for advice on the best primer for interior problem areas, including the laundry room and bathroom, that need a good sealant and a water resistant primer. I've always used alkyd primers in wetter areas of the house, although there are great latex primers that seal about as well. I prime most drywall interiors with latex, especially the bed rooms, living room, and closets. I usually spray a latex primer on new construction because new buildings have satisfactory 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 work with. If the home doesn't have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will need a primer that seals the surfaces and keeps moisture from getting between your surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers will be the answer to priming wet rooms inside your home. These quick drying primers help condition areas 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 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'll maintain a consistant sheen over primer. You may 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, especially when it's new, and it can leach alkaline salts if it isn't properly sealed. There are several primers you may use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top coat and finish that you've planned.
Drywall is a lot less alkaline than plaster. I prime drywall with a latex primer, unless the top coatings will be an oil-based paint, in which particular case I'll use an alkyd primer. (I understand that we now have perfectly good latex primers for just about any kind of top layer, but old habits are hard to break.) 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 markings or roughness.
Primers For Interior Wood
When choosing primer, you should consider the type and condition of the surface, the kind 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 dampness in older wood. There are 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 can't prime all over the wood. If you can completely apply primer the wood before it is attached in place, an alkyd primer will protect the majority of the trim from moisture. Assess conditions like these carefully and seek the advice of a professional if your job has many different variables
Improved Exterior Primers
Even though I favor latex paint for the exterior, I still opt 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 has no major internal vapor problems and that the wood is in good shape (which often means that it is new), particularly if I have access to the siding and wood trim before it goes on. It's always better 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 months. Before priming, you should wash out the tannin with a mild detergent, and follow this with a good rinsing. Redwood and cedar are pretty porous, so you might 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 coats of an 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 hardwood cleaners.
Hardboard siding, new or already coated, presents a special challenge. Having less grain or anything resembling a porous surface makes hardboards such as Masonite difficult to adhere 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 developed 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 well on aluminum or vinyl siding, plywood veneers, textured wood, and other composite sidings.
Amazing Primers For Metals
Every steel 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 areas can be cleaned with a good thinner. Galvanized metals sometimes come from the factory with a stabilizer that can be tough to eliminate, and could need more than just thinner. Check with your paint store if you need to be certain a primer will work on new galvanized steel surfaces.
You can find primers for each kind of metal. Ferrous metals, manufactured from iron and steel, should be primed with a rust inhibitor. Rust is almost impossible to totally remove if you don't sandblast it, and even then small pockets of rust can remain that will grow back again under an unsealed surface or the incorrect 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 jobs 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 layered with zinc-chromate primer. Some paint companies have a specific primer for new galvanized metal. Older galvanized steel can be primed with a rust inhibitor like those mentioned above.
Much like 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 in any way and stay right where they're applied, for better or for worse. A clean surface is particularly important when you use an instant drying primer. Note 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 works well for cleaning new or old metals is washing the outer layer with a one-to-one mixture of vinegar and water. Vinegar is an all-purpose, inexpensive cleaner that will also etch a metal material if blended at that ratio. Etching metal works like sanding wood. It provides 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.
Improved Masonry Primers
Be it 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 cause of the efflorescence, usually water, must be resolved for alkali-resistant primers and sealers to help. New masonry has to cure for 3 months before you apply primer and paint it, especially if it's highly alkaline, like stucco.
Sherwin Williams has a masonry primer called Loxon that withstands alkalinity up to pH 13; it could 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 also offers a primer for new, high-alkaline masonry, called Speedhide Alkali Resistant Primer; it's made for oil-based paint. You also 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 recommend it for many 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 would be just fine. (If it etches concrete, imagine how well it etches pores and skin!) Etching requires a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, remember a respirator, particularly 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 drinking water to acid it will splash and burn up anything it contacts. And blend it in the correct ratio, usually one to three. 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 flooring in really poor shape should be sandblasted, or you can use a new system called Peel-Away that makes prepping masonry a bit 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 cement floors, I recommend a concrete stain created by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My preference 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 much better than a top covering like latex.
Older, pre-painted cement floors need to be repainted with an identical top coat, whether latex or alkyd. A latex top coat 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 a longer lasting bond.
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