High Demand Paint Coatings for Each Job
The right kind of coating is essential. If you pick the incorrect paint, it won't matter how much time and money you spend on your job. Too many flawlessly great paint projects deteriorate too soon because poor quality primer and paint were used.
A dependable guideline is to match the existing finish. If you are painting or staining over a latex paint, recoat with latex. You might have a myriad of choices if the material is uncoated, but you still need to consider weather, maintenance, and durability to determine the best finish for the work.
Primers Are an Exciting Paint Product
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 messes up painters about just as much as which primers to make use of. Basically, you will need to use a primer when you are covering a new or bare surface; changing colors, textures, or finishes; or making a surface more uniform. About the sole time you don't need 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 coating distributed by the same company. Labels of better paints always recommend specific primers and top coatings for various materials and conditions. Unless you 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 significantly more information than you may ever need and you might need help translating a few 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 earlier than you'll expect. While you can use additives such as Emulsabond, don't make the mistake of thinking 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 coat of primer to ensure an even undercoat, but often one is enough. The house pictured below is an example 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 give it an even base for the top layers. Some climates almost demand a second coat of primer. I've heard about one contractor in Florida who always double primes to guarantee that his jobs last. In the event that 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 smooth a surface, but if you run your hand over a primed portion of wood 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 coats. (Here's a tip: If you tint your primer the colour of the top coat, it is possible to quicken the painting process by reducing the number of top coats needed. Tinting is mainly used for color changes, although it's also handy for surfaces like bare drywall.)
Here’s What You Should Do When Priming Interior Surfaces and Ceilings
I would recommend using latex primers whenever we can. Ask your paint dealer for advice on the best primer for interior problem areas, like the laundry room and shower, that require a good sealant and a water resistant primer. I've always used alkyd primers in wetter parts of the home, although there are excellent 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 satisfactory 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 make use of. If the home does not have a vapor barrier or good ventilation, you will need a primer that seals the walls and keeps moisture from getting between the surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers can be the response to priming wet rooms in your residence. These quick drying primers help condition surfaces with water, smoke, and tannin staining, 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 benefits 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'll maintain an even sheen over primer. You may make sure compatibility by using a high quality latex stain blocker such as Seal Grip.
When it comes 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 isn't properly sealed. There are various primers you may use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top coat 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 particular case I'll use an alkyd primer. (I know that we now have perfectly good latex primers for any kind 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 just 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 kind 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 water in older wood. There are also good water-based enamel primers for interior wood. Special conditions, such as the high moisture common in restrooms and kitchens, may call for a breathable latex primer if you can't prime all over the wood. When you can completely apply primer the wood before it is attached in place, an alkyd primer will protect most of the wood trim from moisture. Assess conditions like these carefully and seek the advice of a specialist if your job has many different variables
Primers For the Exterior
Even though I favor latex paint for the exterior, I still choose 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 shape (which often means that it's new), especially if I have access to the siding and wood trim before it goes on. It's always better 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 hardwood 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 wait 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 coats of any alkyd primer/sealer, and use high quality latex for the final layers. Any staining that occurs after that can usually be washed off with special hardwood cleaners.
Hardboard siding, new or already coated, presents a particular challenge. The lack of 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 remove all the wax. Seal new hardboard with a specially designed hardboard primer/sealer, such as Pittsburgh Paints Permanizer Plus Wood Stabilizer. When blended with a top coat, Emulsabond makes a great hardboard primer. These and other top quality sealers also work very well on metal or vinyl siding, plywood veneers, textured wood, and other composite sidings.
No-Fuss Priming For Metals
Every metallic should be cleaned of oil, grease, rust, or any other residue before you prime it, so the primer gets thorough attachment with the area. 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 may need more than just thinner. Check with your paint store if you wish to be certain a primer will continue to work on new galvanized steel surfaces.
There are 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 totally remove if you don't 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 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 had good luck 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 metal. Older galvanized steel can be primed with a rust inhibitor like those mentioned above.
Much like any coating, 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 you use an instant drying primer. Note 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 mixture of vinegar and water. Vinegar is an all-purpose, inexpensive cleaner that will also etch a metal material if combined 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 used to completely clean galvanized metals, because the vinegar will damage the galvanizing.
No-Fuss Priming For Masonry
Whether it's inside or out, masonry usually needs a primer or sealer that will resist moisture and alkalis. Alkalis are salts that leach out over time, leaving a chalky stain called efflorescence. The source of the efflorescence, usually water, must be fixed for alkali-resistant primers and sealers to help. New masonry has to cure for 3 months before you apply primer 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 can be applied on masonry that is a week old. Stucco, which is actually tinted mortar and full of 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 designed for oil-based paint. Additionally you 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 success adding Emulsabond to the latex for extra adhesion. I recommend it for nearly all masonry applications.
Etching with muriatic acid used to be the only method to speed up the curing 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 requires a bucket, hose, brush, gloves, and complete eye and skin protection, don't forget a respirator, in particular when you combine the acid with water. Important: Add the acid to water, not the other way around. If you add water to acid it will splash and burn anything it contacts. And blend 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 cement floors can be a chore. You need to keep them well maintained and recoat them regularly, before they need to be completely redone. Cement surfaces in really sad shape should be sandblasted, or you can use a new system called Peel-Away which makes prepping masonry somewhat easier (it's still no picnic). If the surface is in good condition, prep the surface and remove any trace of grease or wax with a good thinner.
For new concrete floors, I would recommend a concrete stain made 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 needing scraping or sandblasting, and resists fading better than a top coating like latex.
Older, pre-painted concrete floors have to be repainted with a similar top overcoat, whether latex or alkyd. A latex top layer is best applied over a standard concrete sealer, but Emulsabond also is effective. An oil-based top layer requires an oil-based enamel or epoxy concrete conditioner. I'd add Penetrol to the primer for a longer lasting bond.
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