Everything You Need to Know About Priming Furniture
Not every piece needs it but, if I am going to prime a piece I am going to use Wise Owl's primer for a couple of reason:
Adhesion - It has superior bonding properties. It's perfect for slick surfaces like laminate and plastic.
Stain Blocking - It can block tannin bleed-through with just two coats (normally, unless you have a real bleeder on your hands)
It's water based. It doesn't have strong odors like an oil or shellac based primer.
How do you know when you need primer?
When painting with white or light colors always prime.
If you have a slick surface.
If you are using One Hour Enamel
What color Primer do you need?
I use clear with pieces I want to distress and with dark colors.
I use white with light colors that I will not be distressing.
I use gray with reds, pinks, and medium toned colors when I am not distressing.
I use dark gray on dark colors like Jett Black.
How do you use primer?
Clean the surface. It cannot have any dirt, grease, grime, wax, or chalk.
Remove all flaky paint by sanding, scraping, or using a wire brush.
Fill any holes, cracks, or imperfections you want to get rid of.
Stir primer while lifting until it is all the same consistency.
You can apply using a paint brush, roller, or by spraying it.
For best brush application results, use a quality nylon/polyester brush and a 3/8” nap cover. It may be thinned with up to 10% water for spray application.
You can reapply or paint over in 4 hours under normal drying conditions. If you are using to stop bleed-through, apply a second coat and wait 24 hours before painting over.
After painting wait 24 hours to apply top coat.
Clean your brushes or rollers immediately after painting in soapy water. I use dawn to clean my brushes. It works great.
Here is a chart you can save to help you decide what color primer you need with what color:
Buy Wise Owl Primer
If you ever need any help please feel free to e-mail or message me on social media. I can help you troubleshoot.
