What is the best primer to use before painting?

Author: Dora Stracke  |  Last update: Friday, December 22, 2023

Latex or water-based primers are extremely versatile, and they clean up easily with water so they're DIY-friendly to boot. They are great for most interior surfaces, including drywall, wood, and previously-painted surfaces. Plus, these primer types are less susceptible to peeling and cracking than oil-based primers.

What kind of primer should I use before painting?

Oil-based stain killers work the best on water stains and for spot-priming. Latex stain-blocking primers work better on large areas and hold up better on exterior surfaces. Pigmented shellac primer works well to block smoke and soot damage as well as to block animal urine smells.

What is the best primer to use on interior walls?

Zinsser BIN Interior Multi-purpose Shellac Wall and Ceiling Primer is by far the most expensive primer we recommend. But it also gives the best results when it comes to permanently blocking the toughest stains and odors. We also like that you can use this product on drywall, wood, stucco, brick, metal, and cabinets.

Do I really need to prime before painting?

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.

Is Kilz or Zinsser better?

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.

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What's the difference between Zinsser BIN and Zinsser 123?

Hello, The 123, or Bullseye product is waterbased, can be used as a sealer primer, adhesive primer, priming friable surfaces and stain blocking. The BIN is meths based and is used as a primer and stain blocker too, the choice of which depends on what you need it for, can you give more information?

Do professional painters prime first?

In order to save time and money, professional painters recommend using a good primer. If you are painting over a dark color like reds, navy blues, purples, and other dark colors, a primer with strong “hide” qualities will work well. Once the wall is primed, your top coats will cover beautifully.

Do I need two coats of paint if I use primer?

Time is certainly valuable, and if you don't have time to read this article, we are happy to provide you with a general rule of thumb to planning paint usage. In most situations, a good rule of thumb is to use a primer plus two coats of paint.

How long do you wait to paint after priming?

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.

How many coats of primer should you put on a wall before painting?

You will want to use 2-3 coats of primer to ensure there is a good bond between the new paint and the wall, and also to cover up any previous colors, especially if they are red, orange, or a strange outdated color. In short, you will typically need 2 coats of primer for most painting projects.

How do I choose the right primer?

Look for primers with words like “hydrating,” “soothing,” or “replenishing.” Pick a mattifying primer if you have oily skin. If you struggle with excess oil and shine, you want to combat this with your primer. To do so, your best bet is a great mattifying primer that will reduce your skin's oil production.

What is the correct primer for wall paint?

One of the most common wall primers is an oil-based primer as they can go on a lot of different surfaces. Oil-based wall primers are also great for covering up stains on your walls and making sure they do not peak through your paint coat.

How many coats of primer?

This also causes paint to dry more slowly, making your paint job more difficult, and can even lead to just as uneven a finish as if you hadn't used primer at all. One to three coats of primer is perfect for any paint job in your home.

Does it matter what primer you use?

Pro tip: Slower-drying oil-based primers, such as an enamel undercoat primer, provide better adhesion and are easier to sand than water-based primers. Water-based primer is likely to raise the grain of the wood and require more sanding before you apply the topcoat.

Is one coat of kilz primer enough?

Usually one coat of Kilz will be enough to cover any texture issues, stains, previous colors, and odors.

Do you sand after priming?

Summary. For your finish to be vibrant and not dull sanding after primer will ensure that the finish is not excessively dulled when you apply your paint top coat. You will typically use finer grit sandpaper and aim to achieve a smooth wood finish so that you get a fine appearing wood finish when you apply your topcoat.

Can you use too many coats of primer?

Depending on how strong or bold the previous color is, it may be necessary to apply more than one coat of primer. However, it is not necessary to over apply the primer with so many coats. As long as the primer applies uniformly over the previous color, then one or two coats should be sufficient.

What happens if you don't prime before painting?

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.

How many coats of paint do professional painters do?

The general rule is that you should use two coats of paint. However, this rule changes based on the color, quality of the paint you use, whether or not you used primer, and the type of surface you're painting.

How many hours does it take to master a painting?

10,000 hours of painting sounds exhausting. Yet, according to Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers this is the amount of time it takes to make your first real masterpiece.

What is Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3 primer used for?

Bulls Eye 1-2-3 permanently and completely seals graffiti, grease spots, tar or asphalt - even light water stains - inside and out! ZINSSER's unique stain-blocking resins trap tannins from cedar and redwood in the primer film to prevent stains from bleeding through the topcoat.

Can you paint straight over Zinsser bin?

Zinsser BIN Primer is a basecoat that can be overcoated with any paint finish including matt.

Is Zinsser 123 a good primer?

Summing up: All three Zinsser primers are very high quality, you just need to know which one to use for which application. Zinsser 123 is great for surfaces that are easier to adhere to and has low odour.

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