What is the purpose of using a primer when painting?

Answer 1

Primer is used for several reasons.

1. Bond the paint to the surface; paint itself won't stick to slick surfaces, so you can use a bonding primer, then coat over that.

2. Seal the surface on new drywall or other surface like wood, masonry, concrete etc.

3. Cover and/or hide; i.e. crayon marks, magic marker, previously painted finish from extreme color change to extreme color change, such as white to yellow or red to white etc.

Hope this helps

Answer 2

a primer will seal the wall and block any stains from bleeding through, it helps the paint stick to the wall especially if its a new wall. also if you use the same color primer or one like it that you are using for the paint then you don't have to put so many coats of paint on.

Answer 3

1. Priming seals the surface, assuring a smooth base for your topcoat of paint. Because primer is formulated to seal the surface, its application will make it easier to apply the topcoat. Primer seals the base, preventing uneven absorption, which leads to uneven paint color.

2. Priming maximizes topcoat hide, so it's ideal for color changes. Want to go from cranberry red to sunshine yellow? Even two or three coats of quality paint may not completely hide your previous color, whether it’s lighter or darker than your new choice. One coat of primer will hide the previous color, ensuring that the color on the paint chip matches what ends up on your walls. Stainblocking primer such as KILZOriginal or KILZ Premium will hide stains on the walls such as crayon, marker, water, smoke and grease, and will prevent these stains from resurfacing in the future.

3. Priming increases paint coverage and topcoat adhesion. Many household surfaces are either too porous or too slick to allow two coats of paint to adhere properly. Porous surfaces like wood, drywall and masonry soak up paint unevenly and require multiple coats to achieve the desired look. Slick surfaces such as glass block and ceramic tile, and even previously painted glossy surfaces such as cabinets and furniture could cause the paint to flake if not primed first.

4. Priming promotes a consistent sheen and uniform finish. Once you have chosen the paint sheen (flat, satin, semi-gloss, high gloss) that best meets your needs, prime the area first to ensure that the topcoat is uniform and will stay true to the finish you have chosen.

5. Priming seals stains from mold and water damage so they don't bleed through your new paint. Bathrooms, basements and other moisture-prone areas are liable to have mildew growth. KILZ Premium contains a mildewcide to help retard mold and mildew growth on the primer’s surface.

Primers are available in oil and water-based formulas, for interior and/or exterior applications. Odorless formulas for interior use also are available.

Hope this answers your question...

Answer 4

When you use a primer it makes the color more uniform over the entire room. If the color before you use the primer is dark, the primer acts like a barrier so the color doesn't bleed through and show.

Answer 5

To cover what was on the walls before - such as we had a dark color on our walls and wanted to re-paint in a light color, we put the primer on so the darker color would not show through.

Answer 6

http://www.house-painting-info.com/tinted-primer.html
I hope this helps.