Painting is not a small task by any means and when it comes to DIY painting, users are always on the lookout for useful hacks that make their job easier & faster. There’s no denying that putting on a new coat of primer before you apply your paint may feel like additional work. However, if you’re planning to skip that first step of applying the primer, then you might be making the biggest mistake of your entire life.
In case you’re unaware, the primer is defined as an undercoat that you decide to put on the walls before applying your choice of paint. The following are some of the major uses of primer:
- Allowing the paint to stick better.
- Improving the overall durability of the paint
- Protecting and sealing the surface that is being painted.
It should be noted that it’s not mandatory to use primer for every paint job. But, according to a local painter in Caledon, using a primer will make your paint last longer.
The Reasons For Which You Need A Primer Before Painting
The following are some of the areas where you might need a primer before you use your paint:
- When the walls that you’re painting are stained.
- The surface that you’re painting upon is metal or plastic.
- The surface hasn’t been painted before.
- When the paint coat is being applied to a dark-colored surface.
- When you’re painting over a wallpaper (or painting after removing the wallpaper).
- When you’re applying latex on top of a paint that’s oil-based.
In all of the aforementioned scenarios, you’ll find that using a coat of primer will help you obtain a much better paint job that’s long-lasting.
The Areas Where You Don’t Require A Primer
There will be times when you’ll not require a primer to complete your painting task. The following are some of the scenarios where you can follow the same:
- The new paint that you’re trying to do matches your old paint job.
- The walls that you’re trying to paint aren’t stained and are therefore in a good overall shape.
- The paint already has an in-built primer.
Learning About Primer-Based Paints
Almost all major paint manufacturers out there make self-priming paints. But, are they better than using separate primer & paints? Well, the real truth is – these primer-based paints don’t have any sort of primer in them. Instead, these paints tend to have a greater level of solids, i.e. the materials that give the paint its power to cover the painting surface area. Ultimately, you’re getting a thicker paint solution.
Even though the thick paint might hide the underlying colour, it will never be able to make the paint durable. And that’s why these primer-based paints are not worth it.
