Take The Headache Out of Finding Paint Coatings for Every Job
The right type of coating is essential. If you pick the incorrect paint, it won't matter how much time and money you may spend on your job. Too many perfectly great paint jobs deteriorate too soon because the wrong primer and paint were used.
A dependable guideline is to match the existing layer of paint. If you're painting or staining over a latex paint, recoat with latex. You may have a myriad of choices if the surface is uncoated, but you still need to consider climate, maintenance, and toughness to determine the best paint for the job.
Learn How to Use Primers
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It decides how well the top surface is protected and how long the paint can last. Knowing when to use primers screws up painters about just as much as which primers to make use of. Basically, you need to use a primer when you are coating a new or bare surface; changing colors, textures, or finishes; or making a surface more uniform. 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 your paint system. By paint system I am saying a primer and top coat 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 cope 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 significantly more information than you may ever need and you might need help translating some of the terms and specifications.
Primers form an even foundation for the top coatings by penetrating, sealing, and bonding to all types of bare surfaces. Without first priming a fresh or reconditioned surface, you'll find that the top coats end up flaking off much sooner than you'll expect. While you can 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 may have been scraped and sanded. Sometimes a surface will need a second coating of primer to ensure a smooth undercoat, but often one will do. The house pictured below is 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 level base for the top coats. Some climates almost demand a second coat of primer. I've heard of one contractor in Florida who always double primes to guarantee that his work last. In the event that you live near to 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 think that a primer would smooth 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: If you tint your primer the color of the top coat, you can actually speed up the painting process by minimizing the number of top coats needed. Tinting is mainly used for color changes, although it's also handy for areas like bare drywall.)
Primers For Interior Surfaces 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 require 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 equally 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 adequate vapor barriers. Also, I could paint an oil-based top layer over latex primer.
Older houses call for room-by-room decisions on what primer to use. If the home does not have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will require a primer that seals the walls and keeps moisture from getting between the surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers will be the response to priming damp rooms inside your home. These quick drying primers help condition areas with water, smoke, and tannin spots, plus they can be recoated rapidly, sometimes within the hour. Pittsburgh's Seal Grip is a great latex stain blocker with few VOCs and all the features of an oil-based stain blocker. Quick drying alkyd primers such as Kilz have pigmented shellac (with high VOCs) that also works 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 warrant compatibility by utilizing 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, particularly when it's new, and it can leach alkaline salts if it isn't properly sealed. There are lots of primers you may use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top layer 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 any type of top layer, but old habits are hard to break.) When painting new drywall, I will sometimes add joint compound to the primer for a little texture. Mixed with primer, joint compound also helps even out over any sanding markings or roughness.
Primers For Interior Wood – Safely
When selecting primer, you should think about the nature and condition of the surface, the kind 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 wetness in older wood. There's also good water-based enamel primers for interior wood. Special conditions, like the high moisture common in bath rooms and kitchens, may call for a breathable latex primer if you can't prime all around the wood. If you can completely prime the wood before it is attached in place, an alkyd primer will protect most of the wood trim from wetness. Assess conditions like these carefully and seek the advice of a professional if your project has many different variables
No-Fuss Priming For Exteriors
Even though I favor latex paint for the exterior, I still want to use alkyd primers on exterior wood. They simply do a better job of priming bare wood. I'll use an alkyd primer if I know that the home does not have any major internal vapor problems and that the wood is in good condition (which often means that it's new), particularly if I have access to the siding and trim before it is attached to the building. It's always better to seal all around the wood (however, 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 period, even if the hardwood has air-dried for a few 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 may need to hold back a day or two to let them dry. There are 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 an 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 timber 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 adhere to. If 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 designed hardboard primer/sealer, such as Pittsburgh Paints Permanizer Plus Wood Stabilizer. When mixed 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.
Primers For Metals
Every steel should be cleaned of oil, grease, rust, or any other residue before you prime it, therefore the primer gets thorough attachment with the surface. Most metal surfaces can be cleaned with a good thinner. Galvanized metals sometimes arrive from the factory with a stabilizer that can be tough to eliminate, and could need more than simply thinner. Consult with your paint store if you want to be sure a primer will work on new galvanized steel surfaces.
You will discover primers for each type of metal. Ferrous metals, manufactured from iron and steel, should be primed with a rust inhibitor. Rust is almost impossible to completely remove unless you 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 surface from exposure to 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 experienced 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 metal. Older galvanized metal can be primed with a rust inhibitor like those mentioned previously.
As with any top coat, the additional 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 painted, for better or for worse. A clean surface is particularly important when you use a quick drying primer. Note that some paint manufacturers recommend cleaning metals (and most other surfaces) with a thinner, while others recommend against using any kind of solvent cleaner. Read the directions carefully.
A vintage technique that still is effective for cleaning new or old metals is washing the outer layer with a one-to-one mixture of vinegar and water. Vinegar can be 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 used 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 moisture and alkalis. Alkalis are salts that leach out as time passes, leaving a chalky stain called efflorescence. The source of the efflorescence, usually moisture, must be resolved for alkali-resistant primers and sealers to help. New masonry must 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 could be coated on masonry that is a week old. Stucco, which is actually coloured 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 provided for oil-based paint. You also can add this primer to cured masonry with a latex top coating, but it is important that you utilize latex only on low alkaline masonry. In these circumstances I've had good luck adding Emulsabond to the latex for extra adhesion. I would recommend it for nearly all masonry applications.
Etching with muriatic acid used to be the only way to speed up the drying time of concrete. You may 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 concrete, imagine how well it etches epidermis!) Etching requires a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, don't forget a respirator, in particular when you mix the acid with water. Important: Add the acid to the water, not the other way around. If you add normal water to acid it'll splash and burn anything it contacts. And combine 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 concrete floors can be considered a chore. You need to keep them well managed and recoat them regularly, before they need to be completely redone. Cement surfaces in really poor shape should be sandblasted, or you may use a new system called Peel-Away which 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 would recommend a concrete stain created 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 much better than a top coating like latex.
Older, pre-painted cement floors have to be repainted with an identical 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 coat 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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