One basic rule of painting your home’s exterior is not to even think about trying it under a blazing hot sun. Quite apart from how uncomfortable the summer heat can make it for the painter — and that nasty glare of bright new paint on the eyes — you won’t get as good a result. The paint dries far too quickly on the surface, under strong direct sunlight, and it just won’t cure properly. That, and the sense (left over from our school days?) of making a bright new start in the autumn, is one reason why fall is prime painting season!
This is just one of many useful tips I’ve picked up from one of my favourite DIY sites, the Paint Quality Institute, a source of reliable information about interior and exterior painting that is not specific to one particular brand of paint. Read on for more —
Fall, a Prime Time for Exterior Painting!
Primer and Sealer Tips from the Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute
by Debbie Zimmer
The Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute
Falls sun-filled days and clear, cool nights set the stage for great outdoor painting conditions. But before you brush on that first coat of paint, review these tips from the Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute. Just like quality paint, primers and sealers help to improve the appearance, performance and longevity of a finished paint job. The necessity of using either a primer or sealer varies from job to job and surface to surface.
Primers perform several valuable functions. They help the topcoat adhere better to the surface that’s being painted. They do this by making the surface more uniform and accepting for the top coat, so that when the paint is applied, it can get a better “grip” than it would on a bare surface. In addition, primers help give the finished paint job a more uniform appearance in terms of color and sheen, thereby making it more attractive. This is especially true when the surface being painted is porous or uneven. Finally, some primers help prevent stains from coming through the paint from the surface below.
While primers are generally pigmented, sealers are not. The role of a sealer is to seal a porous surface like weathered concrete or stucco so that a finish coat can develop a uniform sheen or gloss. Sealers also help protect the finish coat on masonry from efflorescence which is a white, salt-like residue and to help seal out moisture.
No matter what your painting project this fall might be, remember to use a primer or sealer in these circumstances:
- When painting new wood or any other surface that has never been painted before.
- When repainting a surface that is uneven or badly deteriorated.
- When repainting a surface that has been stripped or is worn down to the original surface material.
Just like paints, primers and sealers perform best when the surface is properly prepared. Regardless of the application, the surface to be primed or sealed should always be clean and free of dirt, loose or flaking paint and other contaminants before the primer or sealer is applied.
For additional information on paint, painting, and color selection, visit our website www.paintquality.com – where a great paint job begins!
