Using a primer before you paint is a great way to improve the quality of your paint job. You don’t need to prime your surface in all situations, but used properly, a primer can make all the difference.
When You Should Use a Primer?
Priming before you paint isn’t always necessary, although there are occasions when priming your surface can help you achieve a perfect, professional finish.
Here’s when you should prime before you paint:
- Your walls are brand new. All new plasterboard needs to be sealed with a primer before it is painted.
- If your existing paint job is dry and chalky. Paint becomes chalky as it begins to breakdown. In this case, you’ll need to wash the walls thoroughly, and apply a suitable primer to create a smooth surface for the new paint to adhere to.
- If you are painting over oil based paint with acrylic paint. Acrylic paint won’t adhere properly to oil based paint unless an acrylic primer is used.
- If you have mended cracks or holes. New plasterboard should be sealed with a primer.If you walls are currently dark, and you want to paint them a light colour. The primer will help cover up the dark hue, so your new, light paint will show up brighter.
The Benefits of Using a Primer….
Painting a primer on your surface is a simple way to improve the finish of your paint job, and make it last longer. In most situations you can achieve better results with one coat of primer and one coat of paint, rather than two coats of paint.
Here are few benefits of priming your walls before you paint:
Priming will ensure your colour is rich and vibrant. Primers can hide the colour you are painting over – even dark reds and blues – so the old colour doesn’t alter the new colour.
Priming will create the ideal surface for paint to adhere to. While paints are rich in pigment, primers are rich in resin. This means paint can cling to primer more effectively than old paint. Primer also evens out your surface, so you can achieve a consistent finish.
Primers can prevent stains. Primers seal the surface, and therefore block out stains so they can’t ruin your paint job.
Primers can increase the longevity of your paint. Primers can help prevent peeling, cracking and blistering. They will also ensure the paint colour doesn’t fade.
