Benefits of Primer When Repainting House
Homeowners repaint their house walls to protect the structure, change the color to enhance the aesthetics, and spruce up the look. While repainting the house, everyone wants the paint to last as long as possible. The key to a successful repainting job that ensures longevity is the preparatory coating painters put on before painting the walls. Primer, also known as an undercoat, though considered a waste of time and money by many, is highly recommended by professional painters as an adhesive to the subsequent paint coats, adhering to all surfaces and offering multiple benefits.
Primer is a sticky, light-colored, preliminary paint coat that improves the wall appearance and saves time and future repair expenses. Choose from oil-based primers, bonding primers, shellac primers, water-based primers, and all-in-one paint and primer, depending on the surface, paint type, and frequency of use.
Here are some crucial benefits of using a primer before repainting a home:
Offers better paint adhesion
The primary job of a primer is to ensure that the paint sticks to the surface. It works as glue, making sure that the final paint coat doesn’t peel, dries quickly, and endures indoor and outdoor elements.
Increases paint durability
Primer offers incredible durability to the paint job. The coating underneath prevents potential water damage, stains, and mold growth, adding more life to the newly painted wall. Experts suggest using a primer before painting the exterior and the interior walls to ensure longevity.
Hide imperfections of previous paint
If the previous paint is discolored, has blemishes due to water damage, has peeled off, developed cracks or stains, or has been patched, primer works to hide all imperfections offering the wall a uniformed look and protection from further damage. It provides a perfect base to seal stains and odors and cover the previous paint color.
Wall requires fewer paint coats
When a painter applies primer to a wall before painting, it requires fewer paint coats for a flawless finish. Neutral color primers bring out the actual paint color.
Ease of painting while making significant changes in wall color
When repainting a dark wall using light-colored paint, applying a coat or two of primer ensures that the dark color underneath doesn’t shine through it. White or neutral color primer effectively hides bright shades, offering a superior paint finish and highlighting the painted color.
Facilitate repainting over a glossy surface
If the previous paint had a glossy finish and the homeowner now wants to repaint it using paint with lesser sheen, the biggest challenge here is to make the paint stick to the surface. Sand the wall properly and apply a couple of primer coats to ensure the paint adheres well and offers a perfect finish.
When to skip primer before repainting
There are some situations where DIY painters can skip the critical step of applying primer before repainting a wall:
The previous paint has not suffered any damage, and the walls look clean and maintained.
Both the earlier and the new colors are almost the same.
While using an all-in-one paint primer.
There are few disadvantages to applying primer before repainting a wall. The house looks beautiful, and the walls stay protected from general wear and tear for a long time. A painting expert can suggest whether the walls need a primer, the required number of coats, or the primer for a seamless finish.
M & B Painting, a Father-Son family-run business, has a proven record of Service Excellence in residential and commercial interior and exterior paint projects. Call us at 623-289-3366 for all of your painting needs!