The right primer for every job

The most adhesive primer on earth!

BIN primer sticks to all surfaces. Widely used by contractors on cabinets and old wood millwork. Roll it on and sand it smooth.

Pros: Adhesion 10/10. Blocks all stains guaranteed. Sands easy to a smooth finish. Dries super fast and can be coated by any other paint/primer

Cons: Highly flammable. Foul smell. Like all other fast-drying paints/primers, it does not do well outside - does not like extreme cold/heat.

Best interior primer: millwork

Millwork that is stained/varnished requires oil-based primer. While it still requires the varnished to be etched using very fine sand paper, Cover Stain Classic Oil 100 is our #1 choice. This product adheres extremely well to sanded doors, baseboards, cabinets, and other previously unpainted interior surfaces.

Pros: Highly adhesive. Block stains and tanning. Fast drying. Once dry, it sands smooth.

Cons: Toxic formula. Very thick and difficult to apply. Requires high-pressure paint sprayers Not water clean-up

Sealing New texture or new sheetrock

We lean away from the standard sheetrock sealer, also known as PVA. PVA is basically the cheapest form of sealant - absolute minimum required. As standard interior water-based primer does a much better job of sealing new texture/sheetrock. Our favorite right now is the Zinsser® SmartPrime®.

Pros: Excellent hide (it blocks and seals virtually anything). Water-based. Low odor.

Cons: Best suitable for walls and ceilings. May not adhere to surfaces previously painted with semigloss or gloss sheen.

Role of primer in house painting

All too often house painting companies skip this very crucial step when painting exteriors. Unsuspecting home-owners can not tell the difference between a well prepared and primed surface, and a paint job that produces substrate protection for only a short period of time. It is important that you hire only reliable and established painters who have proven themselves over time. Drive by and see some of their model homes, contact references, and learn how long the painting company has been around.

House painting and wood rot

Raw wood is constantly trying to return to nature (rot). Wood surfaces breath and have a natural humidity of ten to fifteen percent. This humidly level fluctuates based on air humidity. When exposed to high humidity, dead wood will capture some water from the air. Living plants have microscopic pockets of water, but in dead wood, these pockets are consumed by fungai, and the walls between the pockets open up. This allows more moisture to be absorbed in the wood, providing more humid wood, which is more favorable to rapid growth of fungi, thus accelerating the decay of the wood.

Role of Primer in Exterior House Painting

Priming is mandatory for exterior surfaces in our damp climate. Primer acts as sealant. It covers water stains, oil stains, and any other material that be be present on the substrate. Wihtout primer, your wood siding is exposed to the elements. Primer is an under-coat applied before painting. Priming improves adhesion, increases durability, and is an excellent protector for exterior substrate. As paint dries, it undergoes chemical reactions. Water evaporates from paint as it cures. Primer controls the curing pace of finish paint and allows it to cure slowly while the chemical reaction is taking place.

Applying Exterior Primer

Primer should never be sprayed on. Having a thin, sprayed layer of primer sitting on the surface offers little to no protection. Brush and roll method is recommended to ensure proper penetration, even spread, and better adhesion.

Please feel free to call, email, or text us if you have any questions about our procedures, or any of our do-it-yourself articles. We are not just a business, we are here to help.

never before painted surfaces – Because this home was previously stained, applying primer to the entire exterior is the only durable option.

By Elegant Painting

MyHouse@Eelegantpainting.com

Phone: (425) 242-4646

Exterior painting professional Preparation techniques

Exterior Painting Preparation

Painting Preparation is key to a durable, professional paint-job that can withstand our damp Northwest climate. Elegant Painting uses the following professional Preparation techniques to prepare exterior surfaces for painting. This process removes any loose or chipping paint and mildew, leaving the substrate ready for primer & paint.

Steps:

Power washing

Washing is the first step in any painting job. After moving items, such as patio furniture, planters, garbage cans, etc. a safe distance away, we wash they house by first soaking each wall, then we apply a mixture of TSP and bio degradable house bleach to any visible mildew and water-stains. The solution is then allowed sixty seconds to activate and washed using Honda power washers. The tip of the wand is kept a safe distance away from siding to prevent damage. Windows and doors are rinsed from an even further distance to prevent water entering the house. After the wash, we rinse all exterior surfaces to remove any debris before they dry.

One of our painters uses a disk sander to remove lose paint from a verge board in Sammamish, WA

Sanding & Scraping

After allowing sufficient drying time, our painters remove any peeling or chipping paint. We start by using Makita disk sanders to remove not only paint that is currently peeling, but also anything that we feel might peel anytime in the future. The Makita disk sanders remove loose paint as well as any early stages of dry-rot that might be developing underneath, leaving the substrate ready for primer.

Masking and cover-up

Elegant Painting gurantees, in writing, that our painters will complete a thorough masking and cover-up job and will not slop paint on any surfaces; windows, plants, walkways, driveways, patio furniture, deck, etc.

Primer before caulk

AFter all the sanding dust has been removed, KILZ oil based primer is applied using brush and rollers. We used brush and rollers to ensure proper penetration into the substrate.

Caulking

Caulking is done after the primer has dried. Much like paint, Caulking materials adhere best to primer. We caulk all gaps, cracks, nail-holes, and joints.