Giving a room a fresh coat of paint is the perfect way to give it a new lease on life. But one part of painting can be especially tricky, and that’s the priming stage. Not everyone agrees on whether paint primer is even necessary, or when you should prime a surface before painting.
That’s why we’ve put together a helpful list of everything you need to know about paint primer, including when and when not to prime before painting.
If you prefer not to take on this project alone, why not let us help? We’re professional painters and decorators in central London, and we’d love to hear from you.
What’s the point of primer, anyway? –
If you paint your walls yourself, it might seem pointless to prime them first. After all, it’s time-consuming and ends up being covered by paint anyway. Except priming does have a few benefits.
Priming a wall first can give you the perfect canvas for a beautiful fresh coat of paint by hiding any unsightly marks and stains, giving your wall the perfect texture for the paint to adhere to.
If these benefits don’t outweigh the time and effort that goes into priming walls, consider hiring painting contractors to get the job done for you.
When to prime your walls first. –
You need to prime your walls if they’re stained or have a less than ideal texture. Professional painters and decorators can usually tell you if using primer is necessary, but if you’re unsure, we recommend you prime your wall first if it has any of these issues:
- Porous texture : New drywall, bare wood, and brick walls are all examples of porous surfaces that need paint primer first.
- Glossy surface : Glossy paints have a smooth texture, making it particularly difficult for a coat of paint to adhere to unless you roughen the texture with primer first.
- Stained or marked : Primer is the easiest way to cover unsightly marks before applying a fresh coat.
- Radical colour change : If you’re moving from a dark colour to a light one, priming first is essential to allow your lighter colour to pop the way you intended.
Times you can skip primer –
Although we recommend priming in most cases, there are a few cases where painting without priming is okay:
- Clean surfaces : If your wall is clean and in good condition, the paint should adhere well, so you can skip the primer.
- Subtle change : If your current colour is similar to your new paint colour, you might need less primer.
- Self-priming paint : As the name implies, self-priming paint allows you to forgo the primer because of its thicker texture, but only if your walls are in good condition.
How to prime your walls before painting –
The good news is applying primer follows the same technique as painting. If you’re not sure about proper painting technique, you can follow these simple steps:
- Prep the room so you don’t damage the floors, cornices, skirting or plug points.
- Paint or cut in borders along the edge of the walls using a comfortable paint brush. Be sure to remove excess paint from the brush for a smooth finish.
- Use a roller to paint large “M”’s on your wall with even pressure. This will help distribute the paint quickly. You can then go back in and fill in any missed spots.
- Take a small section at a time and only move on to the next wall when one wall is complete. This will give you a smooth finish.
- Prep for the next coat. Once your primer coat is dry, give the room a light sanding to smooth out any irregularities. Then use a tack cloth to wipe the dust off. If the primer is thick enough, you can move on to your colour paint. Do this step between each coat.
If you’re still unsure about painting your walls yourself, you can contact our team of central London painting contractors.
Here are some further resources if you’d like to find out more:
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Article Source: How to prime your walls video