Finally, Paint Coatings for Every Job
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Exactly What You Are Looking For - Paint Coatings for Each Job
The right type of coating is vital. If you pick the wrong paint, it will not matter how much time and money you may spend on your job. Too many perfectly great paint jobs deteriorate too early because the wrong primer and paint were used.
A dependable rule of thumb is to complement the existing finish. If you're painting or staining on top of latex paint, recoat with latex. You might have all kinds of choices if the surface is uncoated, but you still need to consider environment, maintenance, and toughness to find the best covering for the job.
How We Improved Our Painting With Primers
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It determines how well the surface is protected and exactly how long the paint will last. Knowing when to use primers messes up painters almost nearly as much as which primers to make use of. Basically, you need to use a primer if you are coating a new or bare surface; changing colors, textures, or finishes; or making a surface more even. About the one time you don't have 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 a product that's part of a paint system. By paint system I mean a primer and top coat 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 cope with reading the fine print, ask to read the spec, or data sheet, on a particular 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 might need help translating a few of the terms and specifications.
Primers form a solid foundation for the top coatings by penetrating, sealing, and bonding to all or any types of bare surfaces. Without first priming a fresh or reconditioned surface, you'll find that the top finish end up flaking off much sooner than you'll 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 smooth out surfaces and places which have been scraped and sanded. Sometimes a surface will need a second layer of primer to ensure an even undercoat, but often one will do. The home pictured below is an example of a project where two applications 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 another layer of primer. I've heard of one contractor in Florida who always double primes to ensure that his work last. If 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 feel that a primer would even out a surface, but if you run your hand over a primed piece of wood 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 coats. (Here is a tip: In the event that you tint your primer the colour of the top coat, it is possible to speed up the painting process by reducing the number of top layers needed. Tinting is mostly used for color changes, although it's also handy for areas like bare drywall.)
How to Prime Interior Walls and Ceilings
I recommend using latex primers whenever we can. Ask your paint dealer for advice on the best primer for interior trouble spots, including 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 similarly as well. I prime most drywall interiors with latex, especially the sleeping rooms, living room, and closets. I spray a latex primer on new construction because new structures have adequate vapor barriers. Also, I can paint an oil-based top layer over latex primer.
Older houses demand room-by-room decisions on what primer to make use of. If the home doesn't have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will require a primer that seals the wall surfaces and keeps moisture content from getting between your surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers would be the answer to priming damp rooms in your residence. These quick drying primers help condition areas with water, smoke, and tannin staining, 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 advantages 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. In case your latex has what's known as “good hold" or hiding properties, it'll maintain an even sheen over primer. You may assure compatibility by using a high quality latex stain blocker such as Seal Grip.
When it comes to walls, remember 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 plenty of 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 usually 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 know that there are perfectly good latex primers for just about any kind of top coat, but old behaviors are hard to let go of.) 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.
No-Fuss Priming For Interior Wood
When selecting primer, you should think about the nature and condition of the surface, the sort of paint (alkyd, latex, or epoxy) that is planned for the finish coats, and the kind of finish (flat, semi-gloss, or glossy).
Frequently I prime interior 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 require a breathable latex primer if you cannot prime all over the wood. When you can completely prime the wood before it goes up, an alkyd primer will protect the majority of the trim from wetness. 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 outside, I still opt 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 residence has no 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 wood trim before it is attached to the building. It's always best to seal all around the wood (but not the ends) to give 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 moderate 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 any alkyd primer/sealer, and use high quality latex for the final 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 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 coat, Emulsabond makes a great hardboard primer. These and other high quality sealers also work very well on aluminum or vinyl siding, plywood veneers, textured wood, and other composite sidings.
Primers For Metals Applications
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 can be tough to remove, and may need more than simply thinner. Consult with your paint store if you need to be sure a primer will continue to work on new galvanized metallic surfaces.
You will discover primers for every type of metal. Ferrous metals, made of iron and steel, should be primed with a rust inhibitor. Rust is almost 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 outer layer from contact with air. Some companies refer 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 covered with zinc-chromate primer. Some paint companies have a particular primer for new galvanized steel. Older galvanized steel 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 by any means and stay right where they're painted, for good or for bad. A clean surface is particularly important when using 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 any kind of solvent cleaner. Read the directions carefully.
A vintage 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 can be an all-purpose, inexpensive cleaner that will also etch a steel 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 completely clean galvanized metals, because the vinegar will harm the galvanizing.
Primers For Masonry
Whether it's inside or out, masonry usually requires a primer or sealer that will resist water and alkalis. Alkalis are salts that leach out as time passes, leaving a chalky stain called efflorescence. The source of the efflorescence, usually water, must be cured for alkali-resistant primers and sealers to help. New masonry must cure for 90 days before you prime 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 coated on masonry that is seven days old. Stucco, which is actually coloured mortar and full of 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 coat, but it's important that you use 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 nearly all masonry applications.
Etching with muriatic acid used to be the only method 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 concrete, imagine how well it etches skin!) Etching takes a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, remember a respirator, specially when you blend the acid with the water. Important: Add the acid to water, not the other way around. In the event that you add water to acid it will splash and burn anything it contacts. And blend 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 have to be completely redone. Concrete surfaces in really poor shape should be sandblasted, or you can use a fresh 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 surface and remove any trace of grease or wax with a good thinner.
For new cement floors, I recommend a concrete stain manufactured 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. Concrete stain penetrates and seals without requiring scraping or sandblasting, and resists fading better than a top coating like latex.
Older, pre-painted cement floors need to be repainted with a similar top coating, whether latex or alkyd. A latex top coat is best applied over a standard concrete sealer, but Emulsabond also works well. An oil-based top layer requires an oil-based enamel or epoxy concrete conditioner. I would add Penetrol to the primer for a longer lasting bond.
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