Do Walls Need To Be Primed Before Painting?
Primers are one of the saving graces to any dry, cracked, and uneven walls. Prepping your walls with primer before painting is an integral part of the painting process because primers act as glue, and it adheres to your walls, leaving you with a smooth and uniform surface to paint. Although skipping this step might seem tempting, the results will almost always be disappointing as paint applied to un-primed surfaces are prone to peeling, cracking, and chalking. A good primer job improves the paint’s hide and the ability to cover and reduces the number of coats of paint required to achieve a smooth finish. So, including priming in your paint job will help you get your money’s worth by requiring fewer coats of paint and making the paint job more durable. In order to guide you through the priming process here are 5 things you should know about primers before painting your walls:
Types of primers
There are different types of primers available for various purposes, and if not used properly, the paint might not adhere to the surface properly. Wall primers are either available as oil-based or latex-based. Oil primers are used for surfaces that have chalked and cracked up paint. On the other hand, latex primers are used for dry walls and to provide a flexible finish with cracking and peeling resistance. The best part about latex primers is that they can be cleaned using soap and water.
Application surfaces
All primers must be applied to clean, grease-free surfaces (for some, the surface must also be moisture free). Any type of residue left on the wall might cause a hindrance to the primer and get in the way of the smoothness of the coats of paint. Lightly sanding the surface before you begin priming is something you can try to make sure your paint job is great. If you choose to sand, make sure you clean up the dust by using a damp cloth to ensure there isn’t any surface residue when you start priming your walls.
Cover up option
Primers can be used to cover up a dark wall, paint a lightly colored wall, or simply paint over another dark color. Some of you might think that a primer might not be necessary for the latter option, but covering a dark-colored wall with another dark color is a challenging feat, and if you don’t follow the right steps, the result might not be how you pictured it. Also, using a primer will prove to be a lot cheaper as only a couple of coats of primer and one coat of paint is sufficient to cover up the surface compared to the 6-7 coats of paint alone. A great tip is to tint your primer gray to further reduce the number of primer coats.
Durable and Cost-Effective
The biggest selling point of primers is probably the fact that they help make your paint job more durable and make it more cost-effective. Plus, in the process, primers help adhere the paint to your walls properly, which is cost-effective and makes your paint job aesthetically appealing. Even though it might seem like an extra cost to you now, in the long run, it will save your money as using a primer will prevent your surface from being chalky, cracking and will make your paint job last a lot longer.
Drying Time
The average drying time of the primer and when you apply the topcoat depends on the manufacturer of the primer. It can vary anywhere from a day to a week. If you fail to follow the directions, it may trigger performance issues and cause adhesion problems. Another thing that you must consider while letting your primer dry is the humidity and the temperature. Most recommend putting on the primer when the temperature is around 75 degrees Fahrenheit (or 25 degrees Celsius) and with a humidity of about 50 percent.
Prepping your walls with a primer is definitely not a step you want to miss during your paint job. While you’re at it, make sure you pay attention to these 5 tips.
