Paint Coatings for Each and Every Job
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Finally, Paint Coatings for Each Job
The right type of coating is vital. If you select the wrong paint, it won't matter how much time and money you may spend on your project. Too many flawlessly great paint jobs deteriorate too soon because poor quality primer and paint were used.
A dependable guideline is to complement the existing layer of paint. 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 climate, maintenance, and strength to determine 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 can determine how well the surface is protected and how long the paint will last. Knowing when to use primers screws up painters almost as much as which primers to employ. Basically, you need to use a primer when you are covering a fresh or bare surface; changing colors, textures, or finishes; or making a surface more even. About the only real time you don't have to prime is when you're recoating with the same paint and finish over a solid 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 coat manufactured 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 fine print, ask to see 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 a few of the terms and specifications.
Primers form a good base for the top coats by penetrating, sealing, and bonding to all types of bare surfaces. Without first priming a fresh or reconditioned surface, you will discover that the top coatings end up flaking off much earlier than you would expect. While you may use additives such as Emulsabond, don't make the mistake 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 home pictured below is an example 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 an even base for the top coats. Some climates almost demand a second layer of primer. I've heard of one contractor in Florida who always double primes to ensure that his work last. In the event that you live near salt 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 trimming. You might think that a primer would even out a surface, but if you run your hand over a primed portion of trim it always feels abrasive. That's because primer makes 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 colour of the top coat, you can actually speed up the painting process by reducing the amount of top layers needed. Tinting is mainly used for color changes, although it is also handy for surfaces like bare drywall.)
Improve Your Priming For Interior Walls and Ceilings
I recommend using latex primers whenever we can. Ask your paint dealer for advice on the best primer for interior problem areas, such as the laundry room and shower, 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 similarly 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 coating over latex primer.
Older houses require room-by-room decisions on what primer to work with. If the house doesn't have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will require a primer that seals the surfaces and keeps water from getting between the surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers can 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 of the benefits of an oil-based stain blocker. Quick drying alkyd primers such as Kilz have pigmented shellac (with high VOCs) that also functions as a stain killer and sealer, but I don't recommend these for latex top coats, the shellac might show through the latex. In case your latex has what's known as “good hold" or hiding properties, it will maintain an even sheen over primer. You could make sure compatibility by utilizing 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 isn't properly sealed. There are many primers you may use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top coat 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 particular case I'll use an alkyd primer. (I understand that we now have perfectly good latex primers for any kind of top coat, but old habits are hard to break.) 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 even out over any sanding marks or roughness.
Improved Primers For Interior Wood
When selecting 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 type 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 moisture in older wood. There are also good water-based enamel primers for interior wood. Special conditions, including the high moisture common in bath rooms and kitchens, may call for 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 project has many different variables
Method For Priming Exteriors
Even though I favor latex paint for the exterior, I still would prefer 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 house has no major internal vapor problems and that the wood is in good shape (which usually means that it is new), especially 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 (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 period, even if the timber 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 pretty porous, so you might 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 outside, so avoid priming with latex because the resin will bleed through. Instead, use two coats 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 particular challenge. Having less grain or anything resembling a porous surface makes hardboards such as Masonite difficult to adhere to. In case 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 created hardboard primer/sealer, such as Pittsburgh Paints Permanizer Plus Wood Stabilizer. When blended with a top coating, Emulsabond makes a great hardboard primer. These and other top quality sealers also work very well on aluminum or vinyl siding, plywood veneers, textured wood, and other composite sidings.
Primers For Metals
Every metal 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 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 may need more than just thinner. Consult with your paint store if you want to be certain a primer will work on new galvanized metal surfaces.
You can find primers for each and every type of metal. Ferrous metals, made of 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 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 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 material. Older galvanized metal can be primed with a rust inhibitor like those mentioned above.
As with any coating, the more 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 better or for worse. A clean surface is particularly important when you use an instant drying primer. Remember that some paint manufacturers recommend cleaning metals (and most other surfaces) with a thinner, while others advise against using any sort of solvent cleaner. Scan the directions carefully.
An old technique that still works well for cleaning new or old metals is washing the surface with a one-to-one mixture of vinegar and water. Vinegar is an all-purpose, inexpensive cleaner that will also etch a metallic material if mixed 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 utilized to completely clean galvanized metals, because the vinegar will harm the galvanizing.
No-Fuss Priming 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 source of the efflorescence, usually moisture, must be fixed for alkali-resistant primers and sealers to help. New masonry must cure for 3 months before you can 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 can be painted on masonry that is a week old. Stucco, which is basically coloured mortar and filled with lime, is an ideal surface for Loxon, as is new plaster or poured concrete. Pittsburgh Paints also has 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 layer, but it's important that you use latex only on low alkaline masonry. In these situations I've had success 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 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 cement, 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 blend 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 combine it in the correct ratio, usually 1 to 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 considered a chore. You need to keep them well managed and recoat them regularly, before they have to be completely redone. Concrete surfaces in really bad shape should be sandblasted, or you can use a new system called Peel-Away which makes prepping masonry a lttle 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 cement stain provided by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My inclination 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 better than a top covering like latex.
Older, pre-painted concrete floors have 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 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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