While nearly every wall paints these days come with paint and primer in one, there are still some instances where primer is needed. Let’s go through the top reasons now and the primer option that will help.

How To Choose A Primer

Annie, Ace's Paint Expert, runs through how to choose a primer to help get the paint results you are looking for?

Let me first say, primer is not the time to skip reading the labels. From oil to water based, you want to make sure your primer and paint can work together.

When you are covering up a stain with a primer, the idea is to block the stain from bleeding through the top coat.  With that in mind, you don’t need to keep priming over the stain until you don’t see the stain anymore, but you need to cover it enough so that it doesn’t bleed through the top coat.  I hope this makes sense, but if not, please reach out.

Water Damage If there are spots in your home that were damaged by water like floods or plumbing backups, then I’d recommend KILZ restoration.  Keep in mind, this isn’t going to repair those spots. It’ going to block the stains that come from the damage. You will need to properly handle the water and fire issue, not just hiding it with paint.

 Odor Whether the home was impacted by fire or cigarette smoke, the restoration primer is a good choice here as well.  When you use a primer for a bad smell in your home, it’s not the primer that’s just masking it, but’s sealing it from the surface. Once you apply the Restoration Primer, follow up with a topcoat with water-based or oil-based paint.

Oil I was painting kitchen cabinets recently and above the stove, the cabinet just felt so sticky. It’s like oil was coming out of the wood.  Besides being gross, it was posing a risk on my entire project. And no concoction  in the world seemed to help. So here is yet another time you need a primer. Zinsser® Bulls-Eye 1-2-3®  was a great solution for those cabinets. It is a great bonding primer and stain blocker. It trapped the oil and created the surface I needed to stop the oil and allow my paint to cling to the primer. Good stuff, I highly recommend.

Mold and Mildew I hear a lot of people talk about painting just to hide mold and mildew whether it’s in a bathroom or basement. Just like I’ve said before, you do need to address the root issue of mold and mildew before you consider just painting over it. Once you have the problem addressed and you can safely paint, then Zinsser Mold Killing Primer is just what the doctor ordered. This primer includes an antimicrobial, exactly what you’ll need to prevent the growth of mold, mildew and other fungal organisms on the paint film.

Rust Rust is a common problem when something is painted outside. Applying Zinsser® Bulls-Eye 1-2-3 to the area will provide a rust inhibitive coating, not only helping you repaint things like railings and pipping, but it will inhibit the rust from coming back. I’m a big fan of priming the entire metal surface, not just the problem area with this product before repainting the entire project.

Spray Paint Whether it’s the act of vandals or a mistake you made on a project, spray paint can be disguised if it got on a surface it shouldn’t be. For this priming project, we turn to Zinsser® Bulls-Eye 1-2-3 ®Plus because this primer will trap the stain and provide a film over the spray paint, allowing it to be repainted after bring primed. After applying two coats of this primer, it’s like it was never there!

 

Published on 2/23/2022.

Always follow manufacturer's instructions before using any product.

For more helpful tips and advice, visit a neighborhood Ace or visit us online at acehardware.com

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