To Prime or Not to Prime?

Whether to prime or not is a topic that comes up frequently on the job site. Obviously, if you are a paint contractor who has bid a job "turnkey", with a flat price that includes labor AND materials, you're going to want to complete that job as quickly and with as few materials and steps as possible. But if you bid the job "time + materials", you're not as concerned with your time or the cost of the materials. As the CUSTOMER, however, you are motivated by both quality AND cost--naturally you want the highest quality at the lowest costs. Obviously when those two competing interest meet, disagreements can occur.

Some painters would contend that it is only necessary to prime NEW wood--or to prime over strong colors or stains that would be more likely to bleed through the paint (say, if you were painting white paint over orange paint). But on my job sites, we prime EVERYTHING--all the time. The reason for this is part "better safe than sorry" and part "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

For starters, I guaranty my work for life--specifically, workmanship. If the paint fades or mildews or chalks up--that's not a workmanship issue. But if the paint doesn't stick or doesn't cover--that's on me, that's my bad, and that's my responsibility to cure. So, if I'm painting your house, I'm pressure washing it first, then--after appropriate drying time--I'm priming, then I'm caulking, then I'm painting. That's the procedure that I've found results in the best long term performance.

Aside from ensuring a good bond between the paint & whatever it is that you are painting, priming also brings out the surface imperfections that aren't always obvious if you don't prime... things like cracks, peeling paint, nails holes, etc.--are all accentuated by the primer--making it easier to get the prep right.

Priming, along with property caulking, extends the life of any organic (i.e. wood) materials on the exterior of your home. We are often called upon to remove & replace rotten trim, siding, windows--and even entry doors--that were not properly primed when they were originally installed, causing them to fail prematurely in the wet, humid Houston climate.

Priming also help get the color right. If you are painting a blue over a red color, if you don't prime the red, you might end up with a greenish hue in the topcoat--as the two colors mix together. So, you might end up having to put a 2nd or 3rd coat of paint on to compensate--so you might as well put a coat of primer underneath and save yourself a coat of paint and ensure a proper bond.

The pros know--but many consumers don't--that primers can be TINTED to get them closer to the color you are painting. If you are painting a light color, the primer can sometimes be tinted to almost the same color, again, saving you time and paint by eliminating one of the top coats. If you are painting a darker color the paint store will probably only tint the primer to about 50% of the intensity of your top coat--because too much pigment in the primer will reduce it's bonding efficacy. But even then, the top coat will cover much better if the primer is tinted to the same general color.

The type of primer you use will also very from project to project. New drywall (sheetrock) requires a special "PVA" primer that seals the mud and ensures a strong bond. If you don't properly seal new drywall the paint can peel off VERY easily. And when priming over certain colors or drywall (usually ceilings) that have been "stained" by water penetration or mildew, it's best to use a stain blocking primer like "Kilz" (Masterchem) or "Stain Jammer" (ICI-Dulux) or "2001 Stain Blocking Primer" (Zinzer).

So, whether you are tackling a paint project on your own or hiring a professional, make sure that the right primers are a part of the job!