Painting all starts with the primer

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/01/2005 (7744 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Today is the first of Penny Scott-Mazur’s new column on painting tips and tricks. Watch for it to appear each month.

SO, you want to paint that nondescript blah-beige room you’ve been looking at, for what feels like forever, and turn it into something that will have the Home and Garden Channel gawking at your vision and yearning for your skills?

Well, prior to that happening there are some basics you’ll need to know, hopefully before you attempt the task at hand. This means understanding the basics of painting by studying this Painting Primer. Sorry. But that’s pretty well where it starts, with the primer.

Before you head out and spend the required amount needed for tools, brushes, paint, decorating books and do-it-your-self tapes, or, as I see it, the equivalent of having a professional painter do your house inside and out (without the rug replacement) take a few moments to get to know your walls and your needs.

How long since the walls were last painted? Are they covered in latex or oil? Are they drywall? Are they plaster? What colour is on them (that’s the shade under the fingerprints)? And, here it is, what colour and product is going on them?

If your answer to any of these is “I dunno.” then get yourself to the paint section and find the best super adhesive primer you can find. If you’re not sure about any one of these aspects, do the same, especially if you want a bold colour or a totally different colour (like black to white or white to black).

Primer can make your job easier, better and last longer. Primers seal the walls, disallowing bleeding of under layers and giving your job a more even appearance. It isn’t always necessary, but it’s never wrong and when using tinted primers it can make your job more hassle-free.

Primers are especially important if you don’t know what type of paint is on the wall. Covering latex with oil and oil with latex is like mixing oil and vinegar, it works for a bit but when things have settled down you can find yourself looking at bubbles other than in the bath you’ll want to take for that aching back. This is true with both interiors and exteriors, but especially inside where the humidity is high and so are the tempers, when trying to correct what has gone wrong.

Here’s an interesting fact, the bold, dark colours that are popular now like cranberry red or chocolate brown (how seasonal!) are very hard to get an even coverage from. They are mainly pigment and this makes covering difficult and drying time extensive. This is when primer is particularly important, but not, as you might think in the same colour. A dark grey primer undercoat gives the depth and colour you’ll want from red without six coats of paint and an additional loan on your mortgage.

Knowing what is on your walls is important to know what to put on your walls, but this isn’t always possible. Priming is the initial step to achieve your desired outcome. It can even be more economical when it averts having to layer on the paint to get the colour you want. It is indeed a “prime” example how to get the job done as easily and efficiently as possible. There are several types of primers and all of them will take oil or latex paint. To be sure of the best sealing of your wall, when in doubt of what your covering, is a primer with a high alcohol base. Primer can be applied the same as paint. It is an important step and worth the effort.