REGULAR RE-PAINTING
Colour Change: Pre-coating with medium/good white or tinted primer will help achieve a consistent professional looking finish when re-covering surfaces with a new colour. Paint and primer in one coatings are very effective in eliminating the need for a separate primer. (note: many brands perform extremely well in this capacity while others are inadequate.)
Water Based Substrate: Coat with any water or oil based primer.
Oil Based Substrate: Coat with regular/better oil based primer, or a good water-based primer meant for high adhesion to glossy/oil based surfaces.
SEAL A POROUS SURFACE
If not properly sealed porous surfaces such as stone, brick, new wood and bare drywall will absorb a lot of paint. It is important to seal the pores as this will save time, money, and paint while promoting adhesion, consistency.
New Drywall: Sealing bare drywall requires only a basic drywall primer, or general purpose primer.
Masonry and Brickwork: The pores in cultured stone, natural rock, masonry and brick work will require a medium/good quality oil or water based primer to seal the surface.
PROMOTE ADHESION
Glossy surfaces, smooth wood, metal, or vinyl, and areas once coated with oil based paint can be next to impossible to re-coat without the use of a proper primer. When you are working with a difficult surface it is important to use a high adhesion primer. Some bond promoting primers will grip without sanding however, scuff sanding in preparation for any coating will always help adherence and durability.
BLOCK AND SEAL ODORS
Deeply imbedded odors such as smoke, and animal urine are challenging to eliminate. Without the use of the right primer the odor will undoubtedly leach through your coating and back into the space. This level of blocking usually requires an oil based, or shellac based primer. There are however, water based options which successfully mimic the qualities of oil and shellac based primers. They tend to have much less odor and easy soap and water clean up.
BLOCK MEDIUM TO SEVERE STAINS
When a surface is exposed to fires, smoke, water leaks, floods, or animal activity it will eventually become stained. These types of stains are considered severe because of their tendency to leach through top coats if not properly sealed. When this type of staining occurs no amount of cleaning, scrubbing, or bleaching will effectively remove the unwanted discolouration. This generally requires a medium to high quality oil based primer, or an excellent quality water-based primer with oil-like properties.Grease.Nicotine.Fire damage.Water damage.Markers.Rust.Wood tannin.Spray paint.Cosmetics.Animal stains
BLOCK LIGHT TO MEDIUM STAINS
Many light to medium stains can still penetrate paint which means it is often necessary to create a barrier between the substrate and your new paint. Using a medium to good quality oil or water based primer it should be easy to block light-to medium stains. Stains such as: Hand prints. Scuffs.Felt pen.Ink pen.Crayon.Pencil.Food.Light grease.Pet marks.Some cosmetics.Water stains (oil based primer)
MILDEW RESISTANT FINISH
High humidity, and moisture prone areas such as bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements, decks and fences are likely to be exposed to mold and mildew. Painting directly over mold and mildew is only a temporary solution. It is always recommended to first clean the affected area with a cleaner specific to mould and mildew treatment. This type of cleaning agent will contain the enzymes required to actually kill mold and mildew spores. Bleach will not do this. Bleach will only make the surface of the mold transparent and leave the healthy spores to continue growing. Once the area is cleaned and dried, it is ready for a mildew resistant primer.
