Do I Need Primer to Paint Walls? 

Priming prior to painting is a case-to-case basis taking into consideration of the texture, material, and finish of the walls. Paint primer is a type of base coat shown to prepare surfaces before painting, including certain woodwork, furnishings, or surfaces. Primer is similar to paint, but somehow it contains a higher particle viscosity as well as a bonding agent. It would be more like plaster or a coating than paint in only certain instances. It protects the area you’re dealing with and creates a perfect, smooth finish for the paint to adhere to. Furthermore, while not all activities or developments require priming, it is indeed beneficial to understand what variables determine to choose whether or not to use it.

When Should You Prime the Walls?

A layer of primer would seem like a waste of resources, but it’s virtually invariably worthwhile whenever painting walls. Primers are required for repainting new drywall, however, they are superior to traditional glossy or semi-gloss finishes. We have rounded up the factors to consider in priming the walls. 

Stains and Odor

Damaged or stained walls could benefit greatly from a layer or two of primer prior to painting. Certain blemishes may appear under fresh paint, including drawing doodles or greasy patches. Surface imperfections could also appear when a lighter color of paint is used so that if the walls have several to hide, it is indeed worthy of your attention to be using a primer. Use a primer that can conceal fungus or mildew on the walls, but does not hide fungus or moisture on the walls. It can only get worse. Firstly, focus on eliminating any source of the infection. Then after, you’re ready to prep and paint. Following repainting, tobacco smoke as well as other unpleasant scents still may persist.

Porous Surface

If the walls are porous, prime them first before painting. Whenever surfaces absorb moisture, humidity, grease, scents, or discoloration, which is said to be spongy. Completely new drywall, for instance, is indeed a porous substance. Moisture or humidity compromises both of the sheet that wraps it but the drywall putty when they’re not protected first through primer. When you wouldn’t prime beforehand, this substance may soak the paint straight into the surface. Wood that has not been cleaned or dyed is similarly permeable. 

You’ll also see spots of spackle or bond solution upon that surface whether you’ve mended or restored drywall. Without any need to purchase a supplementary primer if indeed the spots are minor. You might use a small amount of your regular paint to lightly touch up the areas you’ve previously mended. You could try painting properly once the places are totally dry, as well as the areas you concentrated on will not come through.

Glossy Finish

Paint has extreme difficulty adhering to polished areas. One might paint coat after coat but don’t get it to adhere whereas if the surface is coated in a high shine paint, lacquer, or whether the wooden paneling has indeed been chewed up. Whereas these areas should undoubtedly require priming, we would indeed suggest sanding or burnishing prior to the application. This phase ensures that the area of the walls seems to have enough roughness for the primer and paint to bond properly.

Drastic Change in Color

You’ll almost always have to prime before painting when going from such a dark to a lighter color. Exceptionally rich color combinations can appear over brighter, least vibrant colors. Spare yourself the torture of five to seven coats of paint by priming this over the searing color of paint before continuing with the attractive white. Gray is perhaps the most preferred priming color when covering or preparing a surface for strong colors. This one has been documented in several studies that this really aids the sense of sight in diffusing strong hues.

Wallpaper

While it’s normally a good decision to remove the paper prior to painting, there really are rare instances when painting above wallpaper can be helpful. But first foremost, the drywall or concrete walls beneath the wallpaper will not be damaged. Clearing old paper, especially multiple sheets of paper, might create unforeseen wall deterioration. The walls should retain their current conditions if the paper is left in place. Secondly, keeping the wallpaper in position would make painting the walls much easier and faster. Because discarding wallpaper is tiresome and time-consuming, most people might prefer to avoid it.

When to Skip the Primer of Walls?

Priming the walls or not is the million-dollar question. That is the issue. Producers developed so-called self-priming paints years back, allowing users to forgo priming entirely. Nevertheless, this is still debatable if this is a brilliant approach. But when it comes to priming, there seem to be situations even when it’s not required. You may eliminate the priming if such an area was already painted but it is in excellent condition. Ensure there’s really no cracking or flaking. Internal walls which merely require touch-up or have been painted a similar color won’t require priming with most instances. We have rounded up factors to consider when you can skip the priming part of the walls. 

Self-Priming Paint

Self-priming paint is basically a relatively thicker version of normal paint. This develops up higher and makes a thicker covering because it is thicker. Using a different primer and paint is recommended. Nonetheless, if the surfaces are all in relatively good shape, you could use a paint and primer mixture. Self-priming paint isn’t the real treatment that several people imagine it to be. A heavier paint layer results in a relatively weak finish that requires time to dry. Furthermore, due to the obvious greater per-unit expense and the possibility of needing more than claimed single layer, this may not prove to be a time or budget-friendly alternative.

Healthy Walls 

When the surfaces are spotless and in excellent shape, you may be able to bypass applying primer altogether. It’s incredibly easy to give the surfaces a simple yet complete cleansing. With a soft clean rag, wash down the walls with a thin solution with tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) and water. You’re all prepared to start painting. 

Paint of Similar Color

Another use for primer would be to retouch the color scheme so that the change in color turns up brightly and precisely. The need for priming is lessened, but not fully removed if the prior and fresh hues are more or less the same. The requirement for priming is considerably decreased or perhaps removed whenever the old color, as well as the fresh color you’ve selected, were the same even though comparable. The base color isn’t distinct enough just to alter or enhance the topcoat’s appearance.