You'll need to prime before painting if the surface you're painting in absorbent or porous. This includes materials like new drywall, wood, paper, cardboard and fabric. Without primer, paint soaks into the porous surface, weakening it and requiring more coats to get the desired color.
With fresh drywall, the substrate actually absorbs a coating really well, like a sponge. However, because it absorbs so well, without a primer coat, you'll experience uneven coverage, especially along drywall seams. This means you'll need to apply more paint to finally get an even coat.
Primer isn't necessary for every paint job. However, primer is an essential step if you want a smooth finish on projects that have darker colors, wooden or uneven surfaces, or on surfaces that are stained or odorous.
You probably don't need a primer paint if the new coat is the same type as the old paint. For example, both are oil-based. You can just pick the paint color you want and keep going. If the current wall is also smooth and clean, you can head straight for the paint.
Most latex primers dry to the touch in 30 minutes to one hour. But for best results, don't paint until the primer completely dries—which can take up to 3 hours, depending on temperature and humidity. Once the primer is completely dry, it's prime time for painting.
When painting over oil based paint it's very important to sand the surfaces and prime with an oil based or shellac primer. These types of specialty primers are what will assure a good bond. Quality paint primers are designed to stabilize the surface, harden and bond the surface.
You probably don't need a primer. If the current wall is smooth, clean and covered with the same type of paint (both are oil-based for example), you can head straight for the paint. You need to fill holes, spackle and sand*, maybe even cut a new piece of drywall in to the existing wall.
If the wall surface is smooth, you can skip the primer step. However, if there are textured areas or wrinkles on the wall, you'll need to prime it first. If your wall has been previously covered in wallpaper, you should definitely plan on using a primer before painting.
In general, the only time a primer is not needed is if you're re-painting a surface that's in good condition. Your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams paint expert can provide additional advice about selecting and applying the right primer for your project.
Many professional painters use a tinted primer before painting. This is an inexpensive way to bring your walls close to their final intended color before adding the more pricey topcoat.
On new drywall, you will use 3 coats of the finish material instead of a primer coat plus 2 coats of finish. Most projects where you're going over a previously-painted surface do not require the use of a primer.
Typically you can use almost any white paint as a primer, but there are a few things to be mindful of. I recommend using a can of flat or an eggshell white paint as primer.
Chalk Paint
Like mineral paint, you also don't need to use a primer beforehand. It's another paint type that binds to just about every material or surface, both indoors and outdoors. If you use chalk paint to paint furniture without sanding, adding a top coat finish is recommended.
MINERAL PAINT (My Favorite Option)
With Mineral paint you don't need to prime anything beforehand. It'll adhere to just about anything.
You'll mostly need to prime before painting when you're going from a very dark color to a very light color. Paint colors that are very saturated will show through lighter, less saturated colors.
Use a Primer
In fact, he says primer is absolutely necessary when dealing with bare or unusual surfaces. “If you're talking about bare sheetrock or bare wood, or something unusual like when there's been wallpaper on the wall and you're trying to paint over the old paste, then we're always going to recommend primer.”
Face primers prep skin ready for smooth foundation application. Think of your skin and makeup like canvas and paint. You can apply paint directly to your canvas/skin, but priming it first increases the longevity of your work and makes the surface easier to work on, so you won't have to use as much paint aka foundation.
So, be choosy before you start using any primer. Primers have pores filling ability which clogs the pores on face and increase the chances of breakout. So, you should notice your skin don't have acne problem. The mineral powder in primers may absorb your skin's natural oil which makes your skin to produce more oil.
Solvent-based paints have a 15-year shelf life. If you can stir it, it's probably okay to use (even if you have to remove the “skin” on the surface first). Latex has a shelf life of 10 years. If it has been subject to freezing, it may not be usable.
KILZ 2 All-Purpose Interior/Exterior Multi-purpose Water-based Wall and Ceiling Primer is a great all-purpose primer at a good price. It can be used indoors or out, and it works especially well on previously painted surfaces; besides drywall, it's effective when applied to interior or exterior wood and masonry.
In short, you will typically need 2 coats of primer for most painting projects. Apply primer liberally and allow to dry fully before applying your final coat of interior paint. To get more painting advice for your next painting projects, click the link below.
Most products that are advertised as paint and primer in one will be more costly. The project will also cost you more if you buy a paint and primer in one, have issues with adhesion or bleed through, then have to buy another primer just to have to repaint.
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!
Beige is a safe color to use when flipping furniture to sell. That is because it goes with so many styles so you aren't ruling anyone out when doing a piece in a beige color. Some other colors like yellow, blue, green, etc. might be more specific and may take a bit longer to sell.
Well, the adage holds true for paint. Latex paint, which is water-based, won't adhere well to a wall that's already been covered in oil-based paint—unless you prime first.