Painting techniques: Using primers and other sealers effectively
BY READERS DIGEST
1st Jan 2015 Home & Garden
Unsure of what primer is or how to use it or what kind of undercoat to go for? Use our guide to paint your way to perfection.
Knotting
- Paint onto resinous areas, especially knots, in wood.
- Prevents resin in wood from seeping out and discolouring paint.
- When dry, coat knotting with primer.
Read more painting techniques: How much paint should I buy?
Primer
- Apply to new or bare wood, plaster or metal.
- Seals pores in absorbent surfaces and forms a key to which other coats grip.
- Buy primer for a specific surface or use all-purpose primer.
- Prime bare plaster with proprietary sealer or a coat of emulsion diluted to one part water and four parts paint.
Read more painting techniques: Which painting tool should I use—brush, roller, pad or spray gun?
Primer-sealer
- For stained walls and plaster, old bituminous coatings and areas treated with preservative.
- Contains fine scales of aluminium and forms a barrier to seal the surface.
- Apply a second coat if stain is still visible after the first has dried.
Read more painting techniques: Preparing to paint difficult surfaces
Stabilising Solution
- Sometimes used to seal distemper.
- Binds together surfaces to provide a firm support for paint.
- Apply fungicide before stabilising solution on a mould-affected surface.
Fungicide
- Kills mould on any affected surface.
- When spores are dead, brush them away and apply another coat.
