This interior and exterior primer is specially formulated to be a sound undercoat for paint and will help enhance the topcoat's performance. It has excellent adhesion to both interior and exterior surfaces including masonry, metal and excellent penetration for bare wood.
KILZ® Original Interior | Exterior Primer is an all-weather sealer with excellent adhesion to even the toughest to paint surfaces like masonry or bare, porous wood.
Kilz Premium High Hide Stain blocking latex primer
This primer is very useful for wood that has an odor, has been previously painted or stained and you need to properly seal the previous layer. I've used this primer on a few older wood furniture pieces and it's covered the surface beautifully.
New Wood. If your wood isn't stained, use a high-quality latex primer or an oil-based primer. If you have wood that's stained or you're painting redwood or cedar, use a stain-blocking primer.
All unfinished wood or bare wood surfaces should always be primed prior to painting. This goes for both interior and exterior paint projects. The reason you cannot skip bare wood priming is that wood is porous and has a grainy surface. Because primer contains high solids, it helps fill grains in the new wood.
Sanding your door well, before priming and painting, is the right way to do it. Sanding will create a smooth surface that will help your paint to look great. When sanding, do a first pass with 100-150 grit sandpaper then finish with a second pass of 180-220 grit sandpaper.
How many coats of Kilz will I need? Usually one coat of Kilz will be enough to cover any texture issues, stains, previous colors, and odors. For darker colors, it is recommended to use two coats of Kilz. It will also be helpful to tint your Kilz primer, which can speed up the process too.
Dry Time @ 77°F (25°C) / 50% RH
Dries to the touch in 30 minutes. Can be recoated or topcoated in one hour with latex or oil-based paint. Application at lower temperatures, in high humidity or in poorly ventilated areas will affect dry time.
If you're painting wood without a stain or finish, use a latex or an oil-based primer for the best results. Don't over or under apply the primer: You should aim to apply two coats of primer to your wood's surface. Brush the primer on, and allow the first coat to dry completely before adding the second coat.
You're Painting Over Unfinished Wood
Bare wood is among the trickiest materials to paint. The natural fibers in the wood absorb a lot of paint, and variations in the wood grain can create an uneven finish. So, for the best results, always prime before you paint unfinished wood.
Perhaps you're painting a surface that ordinary paint might not stick to, such as a slick glossy surface, aluminum, vinyl, ceramic tile or glass. In that case, KILZ® Adhesion Interior/Exterior Primer is an excellent choice.
Best Primers for Painting Wood Without Sanding
I like both Kilz bonding primer and Zinsser Oil Based primer for use on furniture. For this piece, I used oil based because it was what I had on hand. I traditionally like to work with water based paints for easy clean up but oil based is a great option as well!
Zinsser primer exhibits improved adhesion on tougher surfaces compared to Kilz primer, ensuring durable coatings all the time. As long as the surface is clean, Zinsser will stick to it even without sanding.
Shelf life under normal conditions is two years unopened. Partially used cans might develop skinning if not tightly sealed.
Additional information. Kilz should be applied at about 4.6 mils thick wet, you can learn how to check wet mil thickness in our guide here. Coverage for brush or rolling is 300 to 400 Sq feet per gallon.
KILZ 2® All-Purpose primer is a great choice for light to dark color changes. And if your walls have tough or exceptionally dark stains or damage from smoke or water, KILZ® Original Primer and KILZ Restoration are both formulated to block severe stains. Priming before painting ensures your paint color pops!
Sanding a surface removes the top glossy layer, allowing the substance to receive the primer. Without sanding the surface in advance, the new coat of paint won't stick to the previous layer.
New paint will not easily stick to a smooth surface. Thus, if you don't sand the paint job (at least a little bit), your paint will begin to flake and peel in no time at all. A little bit of surface roughness will provide the traction that is needed for the paint to stay in place.
Once you've completed your last coat of primer, you should go ahead and sand before applying your first coat of base color. However, there is no reason at all to sand between coats of primer. It will only add more work to your plate with no visible benefits.
If you are deciding to paint bare wood, you should seal all knots (spot prime) with a shellac based primer. Shellac based primers are great for sealing wood knots and sap streaks. They do carry a pungent odour, but dry very quickly and will not let the knot bleed through the top (finish) coat.
Types of Paint to Use on Unfinished Wood Crafts
Latex paints are ideal if you are looking for general coverage with a fast-drying, durable finish. They work well on both interior and exterior surfaces. Acrylic paint for wood crafts have the same qualities as latex paints and can also be used on unfinished wood crafts.