AT HOME PRIMER: IS IT REALLY ESSENTIAL By Tresa Erickson Looking for an easy way to change the look of a room in your home? Paint it, but before you crack open any cans, consider whether you need to use primer. Primer can be beneficial, but depending upon various factors, it is not always needed. Primer offers many benefits. It covers stains and seals the surface, allowing for faster, easier coverage with less paint and longer-lasting results. It prevents old colors from showing through and allows the topcoat to adhere better and shine more. Not every job requires primer, however. Whether you should prime your walls generally depends upon three factors: the condition of the walls, the color of the topcoat and the type of paint used. Light-colored, stain-free walls coated in latex-based paint may not require the use of a primer, providing you have chosen a latex-based topcoat in a darker color. If you are going lighter in color or using an oil-based paint or a latex-based paint in a different sheen, flat over gloss, for example, you may want to prime the walls first. This will provide you with a clean slate for the paint to come. Primer is also a good idea when you have selected a darker color of topcoat. You can have the primer tinted the same shade as the topcoat in order to allow for easier coverage in fewer coats. Primer is a must in some cases, and you may come across dozens of choices when shopping. Do your homework. Know what brands experts recommend and why. DonÕt just look at the cost. A low-cost primer may not yield the high-quality results you expect. Look for a brand that is consistently rated at the top. Traditionally, primer is applied under the topcoat. Some manufacturers today offer paint and primer in one. Instead of applying the primer first and then the topcoat, you can do it all in one step, saving valuable time. Paint and primer in one can be expensive, and not all brands are equal in quality. Do your homework and make sure you will get adequate coverage in fewer coats. You donÕt want to spend $60 on paint and primer in one and still have to do five coats when you could have done the same for half the cost with a can of tinted primer and a can of latex paint. Consult with the experts where you shop, and should you need primer, make sure you choose the right one for the job. Painting takes time and money, and it is not something you want to have to redo. Do it right the first time with a quality primer if needed.
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