Finally, Paint Coatings for Each Job
The right type of coating is vital. If you select the incorrect paint, it won't matter how much effort and money you spend on your job. Too many perfectly great paint projects deteriorate quickly because the incorrect primer and paint were used.
A dependable rule of thumb is to complement the existing covering. If you are painting or staining on top of latex paint, recoat with latex. You could have all types of choices if the surface is uncoated, but you still need to consider weather, maintenance, and sturdiness to determine the best paint for the job.
Learn How to Use Primers
Primer is the unsung hero of any quality paint job. It determines how well the finish is protected and how long the paint can last. Knowing when to use primers trips up painters almost nearly as much as which primers to utilize. 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 even. About really the only 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 a product that's part of your paint system. By paint system I mean a primer and top coating 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 cope with reading the small print, ask to view 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 may ever need and you may want help translating some of the terms and specifications.
Primers form an even base for the top coatings by penetrating, sealing, and bonding to all types of bare surfaces. Without first priming a new or reconditioned surface, you'll find that the top coatings end up flaking off much sooner than you'll expect. Even though you can use additives such as Emulsabond, don't make the error of convinced that primers are optional, or can be made out of diluted paint.
Usually in one coat most primers even out surfaces and places which may 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 exemplory case 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 provide it a level base for the top layers. Some climates almost demand a second layer of primer. I've heard of one contractor in Florida who always double primes to guarantee that his work last. In the event that you live near ocean 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 trim. You might think that a primer would smooth 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 is a tip: In the event that you tint your primer the color 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 is also handy for areas 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 trouble spots, 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 house, although there are excellent latex primers that seal about as well. I prime most drywall interiors with latex, especially the bedrooms, living room, and closets. I usually spray a latex primer on new construction because new properties have enough vapor barriers. Also, I could paint an oil-based top coating 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 wetness from getting between your surface and the paint.
Latex stain blockers and sealers will be the response to priming damp rooms in the house. These quick drying primers help condition surfaces with water, cigarette smoke, and tannin stains, and 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 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. In case your latex has what's known as “good hold" or hiding properties, it will maintain a consistant sheen over primer. You can make sure compatibility by utilizing a high quality latex stain blocker such as Seal Grip.
With regards to walls, remember 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 many primers you may use on plaster, depending on its condition and on the top coating and finish that you've planned.
Drywall is a lot 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 we now have perfectly good latex primers for just about any kind of top layer, but old practices 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 even out over any sanding marks or roughness.
Primers For Interior Wood
When choosing primer, you should think about the type 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 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 bathrooms and kitchens, may call for a breathable latex primer if you can't prime all around the wood. If you can completely prime the wood before it goes up, an alkyd primer will protect the majority of the wood trim from water. 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 would rather 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's new), especially if I had 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 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 a few 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 wait a day or two to let them dry out. 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 coatings of an 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 particular 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 designed hardboard primer/sealer, such as Pittsburgh Paints Permanizer Plus Wood Stabilizer. When blended with a top layer, 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 surfaces can be cleaned with a good thinner. Galvanized metals sometimes arrive 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 work on new galvanized steel surfaces.
A couple of primers for each and every type of metal. Ferrous metals, manufactured from 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 remain that will grow again under an unsealed surface or the wrong primer. Rust inhibitors totally seal the surface from exposure to 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 metal can be primed with a rust inhibitor like those mentioned above.
As with any top coat, the additional 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 good or for bad. A clean surface is particularly important when using a quick drying primer. Note that some paint manufacturers recommend cleaning metals (and most other surfaces) with a thinner, while other companies advise against using any sort of solvent cleaner. Read the directions carefully.
An old technique that still is effective for cleaning new or old metals is washing the surface with a one-to-one mix of vinegar and water. Vinegar can be an all-purpose, inexpensive cleaner that will also etch a metallic material if combined at that ratio. Etching metal works like sanding wood. It gives the surface "teeth" for better adhesion. That same ratio is handy 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.
Improved Masonry Primers
Be it inside or out, masonry usually requires 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 cause 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 is 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 colored mortar and filled with lime, is an excellent 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 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 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 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 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, in particular when you combine the acid with the water. Important: Add the acid to the water, not the other way around. In the event that you add normal water to acid it will splash and burn up anything it contacts. And mix 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 concrete floors can be a chore. You need to keep them well looked after and recoat them regularly, before they need to be completely redone. Concrete floor surfaces in really poor shape should be sandblasted, or you may use a new system called Peel-Away which makes prepping masonry a lttle 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 concrete floors, I would recommend a concrete stain made by H&C or Okon; they come in water based and silicone acrylic. My preference 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 finish like latex.
Older, pre-painted cement floors have to be repainted with an identical top overcoat, whether latex or alkyd. A latex top overcoat is best applied over a standard concrete sealer, but Emulsabond also is effective. An oil-based top coating 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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