Take The Headache Out of Finding Paint Coatings for Each Job
The right kind of coating is essential. If you pick the wrong paint, it won't matter how much time and money you spend on your job. Too many flawlessly great paint jobs deteriorate too early because the incorrect primer and paint were used.
A dependable rule of thumb is to match the existing coating. If you're painting or staining on top of latex paint, recoat with latex. You may have all sorts of choices if the surface is uncoated, nevertheless, you still need to consider climate, maintenance, and toughness to find the best coating for the work.
No-Fuss Painting Using Primers
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It decides how well the finish is protected and exactly how long the paint will last. Knowing when to use primers screws up painters almost as much as which primers to utilize. Basically, you will need to use a primer if you are coating a fresh or bare surface; changing colors, textures, or finishes; or making a surface more uniform. 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 a paint system. By paint system I am saying a primer and top coating produced by the same company. The labels of better paints always recommend specific primers and top coatings for various materials and conditions. Unless you want to deal with reading the fine print, ask to read 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 will 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'll find that the top coatings end up flaking off much earlier than you'll expect. Even though you can use additives such as Emulsabond, don't make the mistake of convinced that primers are optional, or can be made out of diluted paint.
Usually in a single coat most primers smooth out surfaces and places that have been scraped and sanded. Sometimes a surface will need a second coating of primer to ensure an even undercoat, but often one is enough. The home pictured below serves as an exemplory case 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 level base for the top coats. Some climates almost demand another coating of primer. I've heard of one contractor in Florida who always double primes to guarantee that his jobs last. If you live near ocean 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 trim. 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 harsh. 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's a tip: In the event that you tint your primer the color of the finish coat, it is possible to quicken the painting process by reducing the number of top layers needed. Tinting is mainly used for color changes, although it's also handy for surfaces 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 trouble spots, such as the laundry room and bathroom, 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 excellent latex primers that seal similarly as well. I prime most drywall interiors with latex, especially the bed rooms, living room, and closets. I spray a latex primer on new construction because new properties have enough vapor barriers. Also, I can paint an oil-based top coat over latex primer.
Older houses require room-by-room decisions on what primer to utilize. If the residence does not have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will require a primer that seals the wall surfaces and keeps dampness from getting between the 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 surfaces 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 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 can assure 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, in particular when it's new, and it can leach alkaline salts if it is not properly sealed. There are several primers you may use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top coating 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 we now have perfectly good latex primers for just about any type of top layer, but old patterns are hard to break.) When painting new drywall, I will sometimes add joint compound to the primer for a little texture. Blended with primer, joint compound also helps even out over any sanding marks or roughness.
Improved Primers For Interior Wood
When choosing primer, you should think about the type and condition of the surface, the type 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 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, such as the high moisture common in bathing rooms and kitchens, may call for a breathable latex primer if you cannot prime all over the wood. If you can completely prime the wood before it is attached in place, an alkyd primer will protect most of the trim from wetness. Assess conditions like these carefully and seek the advice of a specialist if your project has many different variables
Improved Exterior Primers
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 usually means that it is new), particularly if I have access to the siding and trim before it is attached to the building. It's always best to seal all over the wood (however, 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 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 fairly 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 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 layers. 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 eliminate 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 coat, Emulsabond makes a great hardboard primer. These and other top quality sealers also work well on metal or vinyl siding, plywood veneers, textured wood, and other composite sidings.
No-Fuss Priming For Metals
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 surfaces can be cleaned with a good thinner. Galvanized metals sometimes arrive from the factory with a stabilizer that may be tough to eliminate, and may need more than simply thinner. Check with your paint store if you would like to be certain a primer will continue to 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 totally remove if you don't sandblast it, and even then small pockets of rust can remain that will grow back under an unsealed surface or the incorrect primer. Rust inhibitors totally seal the outer layer from exposure to 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 particular primer for new galvanized material. Older galvanized steel can be primed with a rust inhibitor like those mentioned previously.
Much like any finish, the more time the primer is able 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 applied, for better or for worse. 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 suggest against using any sort of solvent cleaner. Scan the directions carefully.
An old 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 steel material if mixed at that ratio. Etching metal works like sanding wood. It provides surface "teeth" for better adhesion. That same ratio is helpful 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 requires 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 resolved for alkali-resistant primers and sealers to help. New masonry must cure for 3 months 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 could be coated on masonry that is seven days old. Stucco, which is actually tinted mortar and full of 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 layer, 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 most masonry applications.
Etching with muriatic acid used to be the only procedure to speed up the drying time of cement. You could still etch if you are so willing, although if I never see another box of muriatic acid, that would be just fine. (If it etches cement, imagine how well it etches pores and skin!) Etching takes a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, don't forget a respirator, especially when you mix the acid with the 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 mix it in the proper 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. It's best to keep them well preserved and recoat them regularly, before they need to be completely redone. Concrete surfaces in really sad condition should be sandblasted, or you may use a fresh system called Peel-Away which makes prepping masonry somewhat easier (it's still no picnic). If the surface is in good condition, prep the floor and remove any trace of grease or wax with a good thinner.
For new cement floors, I would recommend a concrete stain manufactured by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My choice is 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 better than a top coating like latex.
Older, pre-painted concrete floors need to be repainted with a similar top coat, whether latex or alkyd. A latex top coating is best applied over a standard concrete sealer, but Emulsabond also works well. An oil-based top overcoat 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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