01 May What You Need To Know About Primers Being Used in San Diego
Primer is essential in any painting project, no matter the scope. Priming helps prep, seal, and protect the surface before you add a topcoat of paint, making it look more professional and helping your paint last longer. Primers work great to seal in stains, level out surfaces, and ensure greater adhesion between the topcoat and the underlying surface.
In San Diego CA, most homeowners don’t have the time or expertise to prime their walls properly. But as high-quality painting residential painting contractors can tell you, skipping this step can lead to a lackluster finish and cracked or peeled paint. So it’s important to understand when priming is essential and not.
Before priming, it is important to ensure that your walls are clean, as dirt and dust can interfere with the adhesion of the primer. Once your walls are clean, you will need to prime the walls according to the instructions of the primer you use. Once the primer is applied and dried, add your paint topcoat.
Why You Might Need a Primer
Primers are an important part of the painting process and play a vital role in achieving a flawless finish. Professional interior painters prioritize applying a primer before using a topcoat of paint to ensure that the paint goes on smoothly and evenly. Priming can help you achieve better results when painting various surfaces, from raw unfinished wood and raw drywall to masonry and uncoated metal and plastic. Using a quality primer can also prevent darker colors from bleeding through to the surface underneath and can reduce the appearance of grease spots or glossy areas.
Using a primer is especially helpful for surfaces that don’t take paint well, such as water stains, other types of stains, and areas that make it difficult to adhere to the paint. Primers are designed to create an even, uniform surface that allows a topcoat of paint to adhere better. Without it, the paint will likely chip or peel off the wall quickly.
Priming is usually necessary for a successful and long-lasting result if you take on a painting project. Priming acts as a bonding agent that covers any imperfections, stains, and varnish on the wall and provides a smooth and even surface on which to apply paint. Under normal circumstances, the priming process should always be the first step to ensure an even and cohesive finished result. However, there are times when the priming process is not necessary.
You can skip the priming process if the walls you paint are clean, dry, and without strong staining or discoloration. This applies to interior walls, such as bedrooms, dining rooms, and hallways, that are transitioning to a color similar to their current paint color. Furthermore, you can proceed without priming if you paint over a previously painted wall.
It is important to note that when it’s possible to bypass priming, you should choose a high-quality paint product for your project. Low-end paints will not cover well or last as long as top-tier paint. Research and choose a paint that is suited for the wall surface you are working with and will provide ample coverage that protects and beautifies.
Don’t trust two-in-one paints and primers, just branded products with higher solids concentrations. Though paint manufacturers might brand their products as “paint and primer in one,” these products add a higher concentration of solids to make the paint thicker, so it’s more likely to hide the previous paint color. But these two-in-one products don’t provide the same benefits of prepping, sealing, and protecting a surface as an individual primer. You should consult professional interior painters for professional-quality results and better adherence. At Extreme Painting, we understand how daunting and time-consuming painting projects can be. Our experienced team of interior painting contractors in San Diego CA is ready to help you and provide excellent services with top-quality materials. Call us today for a free estimate, and let us help you create a beautiful, professional-looking finish for your next painting project.