Take The Headache Out of Finding Paint Coatings for Each Job
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Paint Coatings for Each Job
The right type of coating is essential. If you pick the incorrect paint, it will not matter how much time and money you may spend on your job. Too many perfectly great paint projects deteriorate quickly because the incorrect primer and paint were used.
A dependable guideline is to match the existing finish. If you are painting or staining on top of latex paint, recoat with latex. You might have all types of choices if the surface is uncoated, nevertheless, you still need to consider environment, maintenance, and sturdiness to find the best finish for the job.
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 screws up painters about nearly as much as which primers to work with. 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 solid 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 layer produced 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 deal with reading the small print, ask to see the spec, or data sheet, on a particular 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 may ever need and you may want help translating some of the terms and specifications.
Primers form a good foundation for the top coats 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 coats ends up flaking off much earlier than you'll expect. Even though 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 have been scraped and sanded. Sometimes a surface will require a second layer of primer to ensure a level undercoat, but often one will do. The home pictured below is an exemplory case of a job 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 an even base for the top coats. Some climates almost demand another coat of primer. I've heard of one contractor in Florida who always double primes to ensure that his jobs last. If you live near 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 even out a surface, but if you run your hand over a primed piece of 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 layer. (Here's a tip: In the event that you tint your primer the color of the top coat, it is possible to speed up the painting process by lowering the amount of top coats needed. Tinting is mainly used for color changes, although it's also handy for areas like bare drywall.)
Improve Your Priming For Interior Wall Space and Ceilings
I recommend using latex primers whenever we can. Ask your paint dealer for advice on the best primer for interior trouble spots, like the laundry room and bath, that require a good sealant and a water-resistant primer. I've always used alkyd primers in wetter areas of the home, although there are great latex primers that seal equally well. I prime most drywall interiors with latex, especially the bedrooms, living room, and closets. I usually spray a latex primer on new construction because new buildings have adequate vapor barriers. Also, I could paint an oil-based top coat over latex primer.
Older houses require room-by-room decisions on what primer to work with. If the residence does not have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will require a primer that seals the wall space and keeps moisture from getting between the surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers will be the answer to priming damp rooms in your residence. These quick drying primers help condition surfaces with water, cigarette 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 of 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 may guarantee compatibility by using a high quality latex stain blocker such as Seal Grip.
With regards to walls, understand that plaster and drywall will vary. Plaster is highly alkaline, specially when it's new, and it can leach alkaline salts if it isn't properly sealed. There are many primers you may use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top coating and finish you've planned.
Drywall is much less alkaline than plaster. I usually 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 know that there are perfectly good latex primers for any type of top coat, but old habits 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.
Method For Priming Interior Wood
When choosing primer, you should consider the nature and condition of the surface, the sort of paint (alkyd, latex, or epoxy) that is planned for the finish coats, and the sort of finish (flat, semi-gloss, or glossy).
Most often I prime interior 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, including the high moisture common in bath rooms and kitchens, may require a breathable latex primer if you cannot prime all around the wood. When you can completely prime the wood before it goes up, an alkyd primer will protect most of the wood trim from water. Assess conditions like these carefully and seek the advice of a professional if your job has many different variables
Amazing Primers For Exteriors
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 does not have any major internal vapor problems and that the wood is in good shape (which often means that it is new), particularly if I had access to the siding and wood trim before it is attached to the building. It's always better to seal all around the wood (but not the ends) to give 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 time, even if the timber has air-dried for a few months. Before priming, you should wash out the tannin with a light detergent, and follow this with a good rinsing. Redwood and cedar are quite porous, so you might need to hold back a day or two to let them dry out. There's 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 coats of an alkyd primer/sealer, and use high quality latex for the top layers. 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. Having less grain or anything resembling a porous surface makes hardboards such as Masonite difficult to bond to. In case 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 developed 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 top quality sealers also work well on aluminum or vinyl siding, plywood veneers, textured wood, and other composite sidings.
Improved Metal Primers
Every metal 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 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 just thinner. Consult with your paint store if you would like to be sure a primer will work on new galvanized metal surfaces.
You will discover primers for each and every type of metal. Ferrous metals, manufactured from iron and steel, should be primed with a rust inhibitor. Rust is nearly impossible to completely remove if you don't sandblast it, and even then small pockets of rust can stay that will grow back again under an unsealed surface or the incorrect primer. Rust inhibitors totally seal the surface from contact with air. Some companies make reference 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 got success using.
Other metals, including copper, aluminum, bronze, and brass, should be coated 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 above.
As with any 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 by any means and stay right where they're painted, for good or for bad. A clean surface is especially important when you use a quick drying primer. Remember that some paint manufacturers recommend cleaning metals (and most other surfaces) with a thinner, while other companies advise against using almost any 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 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 completely clean galvanized metals, because the vinegar will harm the galvanizing.
Priming Solution For Masonry Applications
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 source of the efflorescence, usually moisture, must be cured 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 could be painted on masonry that is a week old. Stucco, which is basically colored mortar and packed with lime, is a great 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 provided for oil-based paint. Additionally you 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 good luck adding Emulsabond to the latex for extra adhesion. I would recommend it for many masonry applications.
Etching with muriatic acid used to be the only method to speed up the curing time of cement. You are able to still etch if you are so willing, although if I never see another box of muriatic acid, that could be just fine. (If it etches concrete, imagine how well it etches skin!) Etching requires a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, don't forget a respirator, particularly when you mix the acid with water. Important: Add the acid to water, not the other way around. If you add water to acid it'll splash and burn anything it contacts. And blend it in the correct ratio, usually 1 to 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 cement floors can be a chore. You need to keep them well managed and recoat them regularly, before they need to be completely redone. Concrete floor surfaces in really poor condition should be sandblasted, or you may use a new system called Peel-Away that makes prepping masonry a little easier (it's still no picnic). If the surface is in good shape, prep the floor and remove any trace of grease or wax with a good thinner.
For new cement floors, I would recommend a cement stain manufactured by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My preference is the water based stain, since silicon 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 finish like latex.
Older, pre-painted concrete floors need to be repainted with an identical top overcoat, 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 coating requires an oil-based enamel or epoxy concrete conditioner. I would add Penetrol to the primer for an extended lasting bond.
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