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Mount Lawley, Perth WA 6050

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Primers and Sealers: What are they? Why are they essential?

Peeled Paint

Primers and Sealers: What are they? Why are they essential?

Even after having painted across Perth domestically and commercially for over a decade, we are still shocked every time we come across dodgy paint jobs. Too often in a rush to get a job done, or as a result of a lack of expertise, the proper painting preparation hasn’t been done and we are left peeling off old paint.

Peeled Paint

Un-primed Paint Job

This is why today we wanted to talk about the importance of using primers and sealers in preparation for any paint job undertaken.

First to answer the question, what are primers and sealers?

A primer is a coat of paint that is applied directly to the surface being painted. They are formulated to adhere to the substrate and create a smooth surface for the colour coat. Primers stick to the surface, and finish coats stick to the primer. They bond to raw wood, and seal porous surfaces like drywall.

Sealers are just as important as primers, and work to make porous surfaces, non-porous. They also serve the purpose of covering knots and mildew to keep them from showing through the colour coats.

There are two broad classifications both primers and sealers. Respectively, latex or water-based products; and oil-based or alkyd products.

Why are primers and sealers needed?

There are a number of reasons primers and sealers are essential when completing paint jobs. If surfaces aren’t primed and sealed with the correct products, the top coat products do not bond to the substrate properly. This sees paint jobs lasting a significantly shorter amount of time before they begin to peel and deteriorate in condition.
Primers also function to recondition poor substrates, inhibit moisture reaching the substrate, prevent stains, and often mean you use less coats of colour paint as porous surfaces will soak up the primer instead of the colour coats.

Primers and sealers are a necessary step in preparation for any paint job, that saves time, effort, and money.

The next obvious question is which primer/sealer should I use for my job? Primers and sealers come in many different formulations. Different surfaces require different products.

With our knowledge and experience of painting in Perth, we have found the following Dulux products to be best suited for each particular job. We love the consistency and reliability of Dulux products and trust them with many projects we take on.

  • White Set Plaster
    For this substrate we use an oil base sealer. This prepcoat effectively seals porous surfaces and binds unpainted powdery surfaces.
  • Plasterboard
    An acrylic sealer has excellent hiding power and sanding properties perfect for plasterboard surfaces.
  • Bare Timber/Wood
    We prefer an oil base primer & sealer. This allows for strong surface adhesion and the prevention of stains.

Before applying any primers or sealers, it’s important to always prep your surface. All surfaces must be thoroughly dry, clean and free of all loose dirt, surface chalk, grease, mould, mildew and wax. Scrape off loose and flaking paint on any previously painted surfaces.

Hopefully it is clear now what primers and sealers are and why they are a necessary step of any paint job. We don’t expect our days of peeling off old paint, because the previous person hasn’t done the proper preparation, will be over any time soon… so if you are looking for a professional Perth painting service to do the job right the first time, whether domestic or commercial, contact us today for a quote.