Priming is as important as painting for a professional-looking finish. This step can make the difference between a smooth, stain-free finish and one that looks blotchy or streaked-it’s not just a way to sell you one more paint product. A specially formulated primer does several things:

Increases adhesion.

Prevents marks on an old surface from bleeding through the new coat of paint. These include stains from water, dirt, smoke, etc.; tannins from aromatic woods; or resins from knots and pitch pockets.

Gives the finish coat a uniform appearance.

Increases the finish coat coverage.

Allows the finish coat to develop maximum sheen.

Makes metal more corrosion-resistant.

Walls should be clean and smooth before you roll on a coat of high-adhesion primer. Make sure that old wallpaper is firmly attached to the wall, Repair any rips, gouges, nicks, indentations, bulges, and tears.

Prime new wood, old bare wood, and pressure treated lumber with a stain-killing primer to block resins and tannins in the wood; otherwise, they will bleed through the paint. Let the primer dry thoroughly according to the manufacturer’s instructions before applying the finish color.

Prime new drywall to conceal the difference belween aped and untaped areas and screw patches. This step is critical, especially if you plan to install wallpaper; failure to prime beforehand will result in ripped drywall if wallpaper is later removed.

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ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

Did you know that indoor air is about three times more polluted than outdoor air? Paints and primers with fumes cause a lot of the problem. The disposal of unused alkyd-base coatings has also become an important environmental issue, and some areas have outlawed them altogether. As a result, many products are changing as their levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) come down.

Oil-base primers and primer sealers are being replaced by urethane modified acrylics (UMAs) and water-base oil paints. Natural, Zero VOC, and Low VOC paints – safer for you and the environment-are replacing older latex paints.

They may be slightly more expensive, but prices are likely 1o come down. If you can’t find traditional oils, are sensitive to paint and primer tumes, have other health concerns, or want to lessen your environmental footprint, try newer paints and primers. Ai the very least, try to buy products with the highes Percentages of solids lless room for volatile ingredients), the lowest percentages of ethylene glycol (a solvent in latex and, it using point strippers, little or no methylene chloride (MC), a caustic ingredient.

Types of primer

Just as primer is different from finish paint, there are different primers for different problems and applications. Apply all primers wich adequate ventilation in the room.

Polyvinyl acetate (PVA) latex primer seals new drywall for painting. If the joint compound and paper face on drywall are not primed, they absorb too much water from finish latex paint. PVA is not intended for trim or previously painted surfaces. Cleanup is with water.

High-adhesion primer (also called all-purpose primer) is a general term for any primer designed for maximum adhesion to nonporous surfaces, such as metal, glass, tile, and thermoplastics such as laminated plastic and melamine. It is slightly more difficult to work with than a conventional latex primer, but the results are well worth the effort. Cleanup is with soap and water.

Latex stain-blocking primer stops many stains from coming through the paint. For difficult stains, such as washable markers, use oil-base or alcohol-base primer instead.

Oil-base, stain-blocking primer effectively blocks crayon, permanent-marker inks, grease, and water stains. This is often the best primer to keep an unremovable stain from bleeding through paint. Clean-up is with paint thinner.

Alcohol-base, white-pigmented shellac is an excellent choice for hard-to-block stains. It has excellent adhesion, effectively blocks smoke and nicotine stains, water stains, and all of the tannins and resins in wood; it also inhibits pet odors. It is not weatherproof and can be damaged by UV rays, however, so it is recommended only for interior use. The exception is for spot-priming knots on pine trim and clapboards before painting them. Cleanup is with denatured alcohol.

Enamel undercoat contains a high percentage of solids and can be used under satin, semigloss, or gloss paints to enhance their gloss finishes. When it dries hard, you can sand it to produce the smoothest possible base for your finish coat. Cleanup is with soap and water.

Stains may still be visible, even after being coated with some primers because the primers absorb, rather than block, the stain. Use a stain blocker before you prime; allow it to dry thoroughly. This will help ensure that stubborn stains don’t bleed through, ruining an otherwise perfect finish.

Tinting the primer helps ensure good coverage, especially when you make a dramatic color change. Ask a salesperson for advice. Remember that there are limitations on the amount of tint a primer can hold and still be effective. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.

OOPS

PRIME MISTAKE

After applying four coats of expensive designer color, a homeowner wondered why it wasn’t covering the stains on his wall. He insisted that he had primed first, and was proud that he had saved money by using leftover latex paint to do it. That was his problem: Regular latex paint isn’t primer. Primer provides bonding and stain blocking; paint provides durability and color. You need the benefits of both to do a good job.

WORK SMART

PRIME INFO ON DARK COLORS

It seems logical that darker colors of paint hide underlying colors better, but it’s not necessarily true.

When changing to a dark, rich color, you’ll need to use a tinted primer and at least two coats of paint to get good coverage. Otherwise, even a dark color looks streaky.

Protecting yourself

When performing tasks such as sanding, painting, or working with solvents, you are exposed to particles and fumes. Since certain ingredients in paints and varnishes are toxic, it is crucial to take precautions, particularly for those who work with these substances on a regular basis.

For the protection of your skin:

• Wear cotton gloves when handling sharp or abrasive tools.
• Wear latex gloves when handling paint materials.
• Wear protective neoprene gloves when handling solvents, strippers, or other harsh chemicals.

For eye protection:

• Wear safety goggles when handling tools.
• Protective goggles should be worn when sanding, spraying, or painting overhead to prevent exposure to dust and aerosol droplets.

To safeguard your lungs:

• If possible, strip, sand, and paint outside, or alternatively, cross-ventilate by opening at least two windows or doors.
  
• When there is a risk of inhaling dust, aerosols, or solvent fumes, utilize a respirator to filter the air. Only use the type endorsed on the product label.

Respirators – They are categorized into two types:

Dust masks, also known as particulate respirators, are designed to filter out dry particles and most non-oil-based liquid droplets. Employ a dust mask when sanding bare or painted wood (except lead-based paint), drywall, and rusted surfaces. Specialized particulate respirators are available for specific tasks, such as spraying latex paint and sanding (but not burning off) lead-based paint.

Cartridge respirators feature both particulate filters and chemically active canisters for absorbing solvent vapors. Use a cartridge respirator when spraying solvent-base paints and working with solvents and strippers. See Choose the Right….

Proper respirator fitting:

A respirator must form an airtight seal around your nose and mouth. They don’t work well with beards. If you have a beard and you’re going to be working with hazardous chemicals, consider shaving beforehand to be safe.

,To wear a dust mask:

• Place the mask beneath your chin.
• Adjust the top and bottom straps over your head, ensuring they are positioned just above and below your ears.
• Shape the soft metal tab to fit your nose.
• Check the fit by covering the mask with both hands and drawing a sharp breath: it should be hard to breathe.

To wear a cartridge respirator:

• Place the respirator over your face loosely, low on the bridge of your nose.
• Adjust the straps for a comfortable and secure fit.
• Check the fit by blocking the air inlets and breathing out lightly. The mask should bulge slightly, and you should neither hear nor feel any leakage. If you smell fumes or begin to feel dizzy, then the respirator doesn’t fit, the canisters are the wrong type, or they are used up.

When painting overhead, a painter’s cap prevents spatters from getting in your hair or on your glasses.

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A coverall consisting of long pants and a long-sleeve shirt provides comprehensive neck-to-toe coverage and features breathable fabric to keep you cool.

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Tape your sleeves and cuffs with masking tape when sanding or spray-painting

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Protecting surfaces

Paint spatters are an unavoidable reality, even with meticulous care. Proactively covering vulnerable surfaces will ultimately prove time-efficient. Remove furniture if feasible, or reposition it to the room’s center. Next, implement spatter-proofing measures: Deploy drop cloths to safeguard large surfaces, including floors and remaining furnishings. Utilize painter’s tape, a low-residue masking tape, on door and window trim to prevent damage to finished surfaces upon removal. Press it firmly along the edges. Combine paper masking with painter’s tape along baseboards, and cover lighting fixtures with plastic.

Painter’s tape can remain in place for up to one week while preparing, but it is essential to remove it immediately after painting, before the paint dries.

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Paper masking is offered in multiple widths. Unless it’s self-adhesive, attach it with tape to protect the baseboard. Place the drop cloth under it to protect the floor.

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Protect light fixtures by turning the lights off and draping or enclosing them in plastic. Loosen the ceiling canopy, if possible, to paint beneath it; reattach when paint dries.

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THREE TYPES OF DROP CLOTHS

Poly sheeting, the least expensive, is waterproof. It’s slippery underfoot but works well to cover furniture.

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Canvas will last longest but is not waterproof; water-base (latex) paint will soak through it.

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Paper/poly has paper lined with a waterproof poly backing. It costs less than canvas and is less slippery than pure poly.

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Sometimes, you may have to tackle a massive painting project, like painting an entire house, or a job that requires getting paint into every small space, like painting a decorative picket fence. In these cases, spray painting is the way to go. Although prefilled spray cans are suitable for small projects, they are available in a limited color range and contain a small amount of paint.

This equipment features high-quality components that force paint through tiny openings under pressure, transforming it into a mist. By adjusting the nozzle’s speed and spray pattern, you can accurately target the surface with paint, producing a smooth finish. To achieve optimal results, thinning the paint may be necessary; follow the equipment’s instructions to avoid clogging the nozzle.

Transfer the paint into the container. Prior to application, you may need to thin the paint according to the manufacturer’s instructions (latex paint with water, oil-base paint with paint thinner). The nozzle on the sprayer is adjustable, allowing for various spray patterns; adjust it as needed by observing the paint mist pattern.

Take necessary preparations before starting to paint. Spray painting is a rapid process, so it is crucial to have prepped by taping off trim beforehand. Wearing the correct respirator, such as a cartridge respirator, is essential to avoid inhaling fine paint particles that can cause lung damage. Long-sleeved clothing is also recommended to prevent paint from coming into contact with your skin.

Renting equipment

Purchasing tools is the recommended strategy for individuals who engage in multiple projects or wish to maintain a fully-stocked workshop. However, what if you’re undertaking a single task that demands an expensive tool? Alternatively, would a six-foot ladder be insufficient for painting an 18-foot-high entry? Or are you cognizant that a high-end sprayer would yield superior results, but it’s beyond your present budget? Be reassured.

Equipment rental stores provide a valuable service to customers with unique requirements. They furnish superior heavy-duty equipment that, although not necessarily brand-new, is meticulously maintained. The rental periods are accommodating, offering daily, half-day, or hourly options, underscoring the need for thorough preparation to leverage the equipment’s capabilities efficiently.

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SPRAY PAINT CHOICES

Premixed spray paints provide not only basics, but also designer colors and special finishes. You’ll discover primers, clear finishes, metallics, and basic colors in flat, semigloss, and gloss. Additionally, you’ll encounter a wide range of designer colors, as well as specialized coatings for painting plastic toys or outdoor furniture; heat-resistant paints for barbecue grills; paints that replicate the look of hammered metal; textured paints to simulate stone-even blackboard and magnetic paints.

TOOL TIP

CLEAN, NOT CLOGGED

The nozzles on spray equipment – or spray cans – are often finicky. To ensure optimal paint performance, it is crucial to achieve a balance between viscosity and coverage. If the paint dries or clogs the nozzle, its ability to spray effectively will be compromised. Avoid attempting to clear blockages by inserting a pin into the hole, as this can cause damage. Instead, adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions and allocate time to clean the equipment thoroughly after use. For spray paint, turn the can upside down and spray briefly to clear the nozzle. For power paint spray equipment, cleaning involves running water or paint thinner through the spray-gun nozzle to remove lingering paint residue.

Traditional rollers permit faster paint application than brushes. At intervals, it becomes necessary to halt the process and recharge the roller by dipping it into the paint bucket or tray, which incurs time. Nowadays, multiple systems have been created to dispense with this step.

The main disadvantage of power rollers lies in the moderately higher initial investment in equipment and the need for fastidious post-use cleaning to maintain the equipment properly. However, when dealing with large projects, the time saved outweighs these disadvantages.

High-quality rollers feature either a hollow handle that stores paint internally or a flexible plastic tube that runs from the paint can to the roller. The paint enters the roller cover through small holes in the cylinder, allowing for continuous painting as long as the paint can remains filled.

These are somewhat more expensive than standard rollers, but they last longer save time. From the ourside, the specialized roller covers look the same as regular covers.  They are more expensive but they can be washed and reused.  Don’t try to use regular roller covers with a power roller-they won’t work.

🔺 There are several different systems for continuous paint rolling. This one features a flexible tube that connects to the paint can; a pump extracts paint from the bottom of the can into the tube until the can is empty.

🔺 Although it looks conventional, the roller cover is distinct from standard types. There are hundreds of small holes inside that permit paint from the roller mechanism to flow through to the nap for continuous painting.

🔺 Set up the equipment. Place the paint can on the pump and seal it with the specially designed lid. A tube connects the bottom of the can to the roller. The pump draws paint through the tube and into the roller, where it is released into the nap through holes on the underside. This continuous flow enables painting without frequent interruptions to reload the roller.

🔺Control the flow by starting and stopping it. Painting the entire room without stopping is not necessary; the flow is regulated by a button on the handle. Each time you press the button, more paint is dispensed; when you are not pressing the button, you are painting with the paint already in the roller. Observe the spatter-guard, which can be adjusted to prevent paint splatters.

AIl color schemes begin with a vision. You want a blue dining room. A red house. A yellow nursery. But after that, what?

Look at the blue dining room, for instance, and consider

several approaches.

Monochromatic: Do the entire room in shades of blue.

You might choose light-blue walls and deep-blue trim.

Analogous: Paint the walls that same light blue, but choose a trim color from one of blue’s adjacent slices of the wheel.

Complementary: If blue-on-blue proves overpowering, add a touch of its complementary color, the one directly opposite on the color wheel. The complement of blue is orange; instead of painting the trim orange, you might add the color with a brass chandelier or terra-cotta upholstery on the furniture. Either way, the two colors work together to spark up the room.

Triadic: For more variety, choose triadic colors-those that are equidistant from each other on the wheel. Tints and shades of blue, red, and yellow are shown. Garish? Not if you choose an abstract painting or a neutral rug with small bits of these colors.

There are also other ways to simplify choosing a color scheme.

Consider pulling colors from a favorite fabric or a rug. Or use a painting as inspiration for an entire room. Some perennially popular color combinations are classic: blue and white, blue and yellow, or red-white-and-blue, for instance. Paint manufacturers have helped make your choices easier with brochures showing shades that go together. Some even offer sample-size containers or stick-on color patches so you can test a color on your walls.

Photos in decorating magazines or books may give you ideas on up-to-date color combinations. When you see something you like, the paint department can scan the photo to match the colors shown.
Paint chips look different when they are in various lighting conditions. The same problem is true of photos in magazines and books. Often the text tells you what specific color the paint is, but it looks different when photographed. To ensure you get the color you want always buy a quart of each color you are considering, paint a small section of the wall, (or a piece of poster board that you tape up) and look at it under your own lights, both day and night. If the color you’ve selected doesn’t work, try another shade.

Monochromatic colors

Shades and tints of a single color.

Analogous colors

Two colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel. One color dominates.

Complementary colors

Two colors opposite each other on the color wheel.

Triadic colors

Three colors equidistant from each other on the color wheel.

Analogous colors with complementary accents

Two adjacent colors combined with a third that is opposite either of the first two.