Finally, Paint Coatings for Every Job
The right type of coating is essential. If you select the incorrect paint, it won't matter how much time and money you may spend on your job. Too many flawlessly great paint jobs deteriorate quickly because the wrong primer and paint were used.
A dependable guideline is to match the existing covering. If you are painting or staining over a latex paint, recoat with latex. You could have a myriad of choices if the surface is uncoated, but you still need to consider climate, maintenance, and sturdiness to find the best coating for the job.
No-Fuss Painting Using Primers
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It can determine how well the finish is protected and exactly how long the paint can last. Knowing when to use primers screws up painters almost as much as which primers to make use of. 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 even. About the only 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 something that's part of a paint system. By paint system I am saying a primer and top layer distributed by the same company. Labels of better paints always recommend specific primers and top coats for various materials and conditions. If you don't want to cope with reading the small 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 significantly more information than you may ever need and you might need help translating a few of the terms and specifications.
Primers form a solid 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 finish end up flaking off much sooner than you would 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 one 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 a smooth undercoat, but often one will do. The house pictured below serves as an example 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 uniform base for the top layers. Some climates almost demand a second coating of primer. I've heard of one contractor in Florida who always double primes to ensure that his jobs last. In the event that you live close to salt water, I 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 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 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 coats. (Here's 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 coats needed. Tinting is mainly used for color changes, although it's also handy for surfaces like bare drywall.)
Take The Headache Out of Primers For Interior Wall Surfaces and Ceilings
I would recommend using latex primers whenever we can. Ask your paint dealer for advice on the best primer for interior trouble spots, such as the laundry room and bath, that require a good sealant and a water-resistant primer. I've always used alkyd primers in wetter parts of the house, although there are great latex primers that seal similarly as well. I prime most drywall interiors with latex, especially the bedrooms, living room, and closets. I spray a latex primer on new construction because new structures 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 utilize. If the home 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 might be the response to priming wet rooms in the house. These quick drying primers help condition areas with water, smoke, and tannin staining, plus they can be recoated very quickly, sometimes within the hour. Pittsburgh's Seal Grip is a great latex stain blocker with few VOCs and all of the features 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 a consistant sheen over primer. You could warrant 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, specially when it's new, and it can leach alkaline salts if it is not properly sealed. There are numerous primers you can use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top coat and finish that 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 we now have perfectly good latex primers for any type of top coating, but old behaviors are hard to break.) When painting new drywall, I'll sometimes add joint compound to the primer for just a little texture. Blended with primer, joint compound also helps level over any sanding marks or roughness.
No-Fuss Priming For Interior Wood
When selecting primer, you should consider the nature and condition of the surface, the kind of paint (alkyd, latex, or epoxy) that is planned for the top 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 dampness in older wood. There are also good water-based enamel primers for interior wood. Special conditions, like the high moisture common in restrooms and kitchens, may call for a breathable latex primer if you can't prime all around the wood. If you can completely apply primer the wood before it is attached in place, an alkyd primer will protect most of the trim from moisture. Assess conditions like these carefully and seek the advice of a specialist if your project has many different variables
Priming Solution For Exterior Applications
Even though I prefer latex paint for the outside, I still want to use alkyd primers on exterior wood. They simply do a much 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 often means that it is 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 (however, 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 period, even if the timber 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 fairly porous, so you might need to wait a day or two to let them dry. 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 coatings 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 timber 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. 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 coating, 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.
Method For Priming Metals
Every steel should be cleaned of oil, grease, rust, or any other residue before you prime it, so the primer gets thorough contact with the surface. Most metal areas can be cleaned with a good thinner. Galvanized metals sometimes arrive from the factory with a stabilizer that can be tough to eliminate, and could need more than just thinner. Check with your paint store if you would like to be sure a primer will continue to work on new galvanized metal surfaces.
You will find primers for 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 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 make reference 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 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 above.
As with any layer, the more 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 applied, for good or for bad. A clean surface is especially 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. 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 mix 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 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 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 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 has to cure for 3 months before you can 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 painted on masonry that is seven days old. Stucco, which is actually coloured mortar and packed with lime, is an excellent 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 designed 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 circumstances 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 drying time of cement. You are able to still etch if you are so willing, 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, particularly 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 combine it in the proper 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 considered a chore. It's best to keep them well managed and recoat them regularly, before they have to be completely redone. Cement flooring surfaces in really bad shape should be sandblasted, or you can use a new system called Peel-Away which makes prepping masonry a bit 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 concrete stain created by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My inclination is water based stain, since silicon 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 finish like latex.
Older, pre-painted concrete floors need 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 is effective. 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.
Sound Quality Painting
824 90th Dr SE suite B
Lake Stevens WA 98258
(425) 512-7400
Painting Contractors Lake Stevens
Exterior Painters Lake Stevens
Interior Painters Lake Stevens
Painting Services Lake Stevens
Exterior House Painters Lake Stevens
Exterior Painting Lake Stevens
Interior Painting Lake Stevens
