Primer 101

As promised, today I'm going to give you all the deets on Primers!!!!!    Well, not ALL the deets, cuz if I did, then this article would get waaay too long!!!  So I'm going to make understanding Primers easy for you!

Basically, a primer is an undercoat you put on your walls to help the paint adhere better to them.

When should you use a primer?   Over brand- spankin' new sheet rock, over bare wood if you plan to paint the wood, to block stains such as smoke damaged walls or water-stained ones, after you remove wallpaper and have scrubbed the walls down, or if you are changing from a light wall to a dark wall or vice versa.

There are different types of primers:  Latex, Oil-based, Bonding

LATEX - This is the primer I use most in my business.  It is water-based, so it doesn't smell hardly at all.  It dries fast - which is another plus!  It is easy to clean-up - all you need is soap & water!!   I use this primer when painting on new sheet rock or if a wall hasn't been painted in a long time and needs a bit more TLC (tender loving care).  I will also break out the primer if the existing wall is a deep, dark color and you decide to change it to a very light color.   Latex primers can be tinted to match the new color you decide to put on your wall.  All-in-all I think latex primer is awesome!!!

OIL-BASED - The only time I use this primer is after one of my clients has just removed wallpaper from their walls and has decided to put some beautiful paint on them.  Now some paint pros will tell you to use latex primer after wallpaper removal.  Well, take it from me - I've painted over a ton of walls where my client removed the wallpaper and the BEST primer to use is oil-based.  The oil-based primer will block out ANY residue that might be lingering on those poor walls.  Removing wallpaper is one of the most horrible jobs I can imagine.  Scrubbing your walls after removing that paper is probably the 2nd most horrible job I can think of.  (Can you tell I am NOT a fan of wallpaper?)  Even the best scrubber in the world won't get all the stuff off those walls, so your best bet is to open up the oil-based primer and get a nice coat on there.  Remember, it's super smelly - you MUST, I repeat, MUST keep all doors & windows open AND keep several fans going in the room as you paint.  Best thing to do is wear a mask if you have one, for extra protection from the fumes (I do this and it does help alot).   Oil-based primer dries slowly but it's awesome for covering up residue (like old wallpaper residue) and stained walls.   If you decide you would like to keep your brushes & rollers after using oil-based primer (or paint), you need to use smelly agents like turpentine to clean them.  Want my opinion?  Just throw everything away!!  It's seriously not worth the effort, mess and smell!

BONDING PRIMER - I was introduced to bonding primer about 5 years ago.  I had a client who had a vinyl material for their kitchen back splash.  They didn't want to remove the vinyl, as it was in great condition, but desperately wanted to change its color, so I did some research and found BONDING PRIMER.  Seriously - this stuff is amazing.  You can paint anything with it.  Glass, metal, plastic, you name it, anything.  I have used bonding primer to change a once cute looking lamp into an adorable shabby chic masterpiece!  I've also taken worn-out looking cabinet handles in my kitchen and turned them into current, oil-bronzed jewels!  (check out the tutorial).   Bonding primer is easy to use, doesn't cost much, doesn't smell bad and clean-up is a breeze - just use soap & water!

Now don't get too hung up on Primers.  If you still have questions about Primers, do not hesitate to visit one of our awesome stores in the area that sells paint & primer.  Or if you would rather talk to ME (which I would love), then leave me a comment!  OR you can contact me via my website - I'm always happy to help out in any way I can.

Until next time - Happy Creating!!!!
Judy