Painting on your own can be challenging for beginners and seasoned professionals alike. Finding the right balance of color, texture, and even finish is crucial to providing your home with the best do it yourself paint job possible. The most challenging, and often first step for many at-home painters is figuring out how to properly use primer. Primer can do many things to help facilitate the easy and quality painting of any room or area.

 

How To Choose a Primer:

Primers can fall into several different categories which makes them specific to certain jobs and desired results.

 

Original Primer:

The first category of primer is those products that are independent of any other product. These are things like white and grey paints that are very thick, dry matte, and that provide a clean painting surface for new paint colors. This sort of primer is best for those jobs that require the covering of very dark or intense colors that are already on the walls or for making bright colors even more vibrant and eye catching.

 

Built-In Primer

The second type of primer is built-in primer. This is any additive that helps to make paint more vibrant and helps to cover in fewer coats. Many name brands carry a paint that has a built in primer as well as paints that are simply the color that is chosen. Paints that have built in primer are a bit more expensive than other paints that do not have the primer built in but these are best for residential painting jobs as they help the painter complete the job in as little time as possible.

 

Hybrid Primer

The last type of primer are those that work with the paint and that can either be used independently or can be added to the paint during the painting process. These primers are best for those individuals that want to choose a specific type of primer and want to have a bit more control over the completed project.

 

Should You Prime?

 

When Using Very Dark or Bright Colors

There are a few different instances in which priming is unnecessary and a few in which it is vital. For those jobs that require the covering of very dark or very bright colors priming is almost always essential. Also, those jobs that require covering colors that may taint the finished color may also need priming. Generally, colors like dark browns, blues, and reds need to be primed in order to keep the new color true and to help make painting much easier.

 

Patches and Repairs

Another instance in which primer is helpful is in cases where walls are patched or repaired. Things like spackle and putty are porous which means that they tend to suck up any paint that is applied to them. This can mean an uneven finish, rough patches, and even patches of lighter color when the job is completed. Using a primer over repaired or patched walls is the best way to insure that the paint dries evenly and does not coat the wall in patchy spots.

 

Quick Jobs

While priming is necessary in many cases, in others there is no real benefit to priming. With paint jobs that will take only one coat, are of similar color, or that are not really that complicated and that do not need extensive preparation, priming is not necessary. For paint jobs that are of similar color painting one or two coats is easy and does not really require any extensive priming to make the job complete.

 

The Prime Primer

Taking the time to consider priming in any residential painting job can help to save time, money, and overall effort which can make the process easier, more enjoyable, and worth while. Plus, the results are normally fabulous and much longer lasting.

Understanding and utilizing primer can seem difficult or overwhelming however, you are now equipped with the knowledge you need to get the job done right.

If you’re still feeling a little overwhelmed, go through some of our other blog posts here at Value Painting and build your confidence up or, if you feel like the project is too much for you, you can always give the Nashville painting pros of Value Painting a call. Get in touch with us a (615) 651-5033.

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Did we leave something out about priming that you feel DIY painters need to know? Did you have any questions of your own? We always respond to comments on our blog. Post below and we’ll definitely get back to you!