Choose the best primers like you choose the best paints for interior house painting in Pleasanton. Although a primer isn’t always necessary, it will be a great addition to your painting job. No matter how many coats of paint you apply, it will never look as great as the paint finish when you use primer first.
A primer isn’t needed for all paint jobs but if you want to use one, know which type of surface you have in your home’s interiors. This will help you in choosing the right primer for your surface. There are a lot of types of primers which are intended for particular surfaces.
- If you have an unfinished drywall surface, it is best to use latex primer. Since it is water-based, it dries faster and is more flexible, thus less prone to cracking. It also helps in smoothening out the surface as well as any joint compound applied to it. It is also an ideal primer for soft wood (like pine), galvanized metals, brick and concrete. They are also easy to clean.
- Oil-based primers will work for both latex and oil-based paints. It can be applied to any kind of surfaces, furthermore proving its versatility. They are also excellent in covering stubborn stains like crayon marks. But compared to latex primers, oil-based counterparts are slower to dry.
- Shellac primers are also ideal for interior paint jobs. They are also excellent in hiding and blocking stains, and work well even in severe surface damage caused by moisture or smoke. Shellac primers are also excellent in blocking the smell caused by the smoke damage, as well as water, smoke and rust from bleeding through the topcoat. They also dry fast and can be applied to any type of surface.
- If you are going to paint a “slick” surface (like glazed block and vinyl) and find out that a regular primer won’t bond onto it, perhaps you should use a bonding primer. This type of primer will ensure a great adhesion for the finishing paint on the surface.
- Painting on masonry like brick poses a lot of challenges, since they tend to have high pH levels that will cause adhesion problems for the paint. A regular primer will not address this issue; rather, use a masonry primer. It will allow you to safely apply paints over different pH levels without risking adhesion problems.
If DIY painters want to save time and costs but still want to prime their surface, they can use either of these two:
You may be attracted to buy multi-purpose primers since they can be used for a wide variety of surfaces. A word of caution you may want to consider: some paint manufacturers tend to exaggerate their purported uses to consumers. This type of primer may not work in all situations. That’s why before buying multi-purpose primers, read the can label first to make sure it can be used for your intended purpose.
There are also paint and primer in one products popping up on the market these days. This will save you time from applying a primer and topcoat separately. While these products sound wonderful on paper, there may be some problems when it comes to holding up well on the surface over time.
When buying multi-purpose primers and paint and primer in one product, a good tip is to buy them from reputable paint manufacturers such as Sherwin-Williams.
If you’re in Pleasanton or nearby areas, contact professional painting contractors like Custom Painting Inc. to help you make sure you choose the best primer for interior house painting in Pleasanton.
