Carrying out repairs in the room with your own hands, it is important not to forget about such an important event as priming the surface before painting or wallpapering. In this case, it does not matter at all which material underlies the walls or ceiling, as well as what texture and shape the area necessary for processing has. Therefore, you should consider in more detail how to prime the walls and ceiling of the room correctly. But it’s best to start with the mixture used as a base, that is, directly from the primer.
What is a primer?
This composition is a special solution, the main function of which is to process a particular surface before applying paint or wallpaper to it. It is very convenient to work with the primer, as the material fits perfectly on any area, creating a kind of film on it. To understand why this or that place is to be primed, it is important to remember that without this solution the paint can absorb very poorly, and after drying, the result of the work may turn out to be far from ideal, since the surface will be full of lines and stripes of poorly applied composition.
Do not forget that there are several types of mixtures, so you should pay attention to the difference between them, the purpose of each of them and decide not only how to prime, but also what it is better to do.
Primer types
In accordance with the composition, it is customary to distinguish between calcareous, oily, alum, emulsion and other primers, so it is worth considering only the most common of them.
The lime-based mixture has a wide range of possibilities and is used both for interior decoration and outside buildings. The main function of such a primer is to prepare for the subsequent finishing of the brick surface, as well as plaster or concrete.
The use of alum solution is not as widespread as that of lime, since this material is suitable exclusively for preparation for adhesive applications.
The manufacture and storage of mixtures based on copper sulfate is carried out strictly in wooden containers or containers made of plastic, as the steel tank may rust. This primer is used for interior decoration, usually it is applied to a plaster or surface of concrete for the purpose of subsequent glue or silicate painting.
The oil composition, as it becomes clear, is used only together with oil paint, which is the main component of this mixture (the primer must be diluted with varnish).
The main purpose of the emulsion solution is to dilute paints that are thick in consistency.
What is a primer for?
During the repair, many owners often wonder whether it is necessary to prime the walls of the room or whether this procedure can be completely dispensed with. However, this work has two very important points, considering which, it can be concluded that it is definitely necessary to prime the walls before wallpaper or before painting:
- this mixture allows the coating (wallpaper, paint, decorative plaster) to adhere more firmly to the surface being treated, preventing the appearance of various and visually recognizable defects;
- Using a primer, it is possible to clean a specific area in a special way, getting rid of dirt and dust, thereby increasing the adhesive properties of the walls and their absorption capacity. Thanks to these factors, paint or other finishing material can be applied freely, moreover, the liquid coating will be absorbed evenly, and the wallpaper will fit tightly against the wall.
Priming tools
We must not forget that many primers are too toxic, so you can not use them to treat concrete surfaces. As a rule, the main types of mortars for walls are acrylic and polystyrene compositions.
To figure out how to properly primer a particular surface, you must first have a certain set of tools required for this work. These include:
- small pile roller;
- small brush;
- roller tray;
- sponge;
- bucket;
- respirator (required item when working with paints and varnishes to comply with safety regulations).
Priming process
The application of the fixing composition, like any other work on the interior decoration, requires compliance with a certain procedure. The algorithm of how to primer a particular surface is as follows:
- First you need to thoroughly clean the desired area from dust and dirt, and then wipe it with a sponge moistened with water.
- After this, the primer must be poured into a roller tray specially designed for this and begin to apply it to the surface.
- It is important that the mixture lay in a thin layer, while proportionality must be observed, avoiding the accumulation of a large amount of solution in one place, otherwise this can cause the appearance of stains.
- Uncomfortable places, for example, corners, can be processed with a small brush, but here you should also carefully ensure that the applied layer of the mixture is uniform.
- A prerequisite for the result of the work to be positive is to allow the surface to dry.
Features of priming drywall
Some owners are firmly convinced that it is not necessary to prime drywall, since it is even and smooth. However, this is not true, because in this case, for example, when changing the wallpaper, it will be possible to remove the old coating only together with part of the drywall base.
When deciding how to primer drywall walls, it should be remembered that it is forbidden to use alkyd compounds, since they can easily damage the layer of material. This will lead to the appearance of bubbles on the surface and peeling of paper, which, of course, will not be able to positively affect the reliability and quality of work.
Since the gypsum plasterboard wall should be primed in a special way, the work process can to some extent differ from the standard one. It is important here that the mixture previously diluted in the pelvis is applied using a roller from top to bottom throughout the entire treated area. The minimum coating thickness should be 0.03 mm.
Primer drying time
In order to maximally ease the task for the consumer, manufacturers, as a rule, indicate the required drying time of the primer directly on the pack, so immediately before you prime the surface, you need to read the instructions. But in order to protect yourself from possible troubles, it is recommended to remember these terms once and for all.
The acrylic-based primer should dry for at least 3-4 hours, while the oil solution takes a whole day. In addition, you should remember about the optimum temperature, which should be approximately 25 ° C. The drying result will be good even if a parameter such as humidity is 65%.
Provided that the above values are lower, then, accordingly, the time required to dry the mixture will increase by 2-3 times. The surface can be checked by touch, but you shouldn’t trust this method too much, since the minimum moisture of the primer can simply not be noticed, and it is absolutely impossible to work with a wet base.
Additional primer recommendations
A variety of such mixtures allows you to purchase absolutely any composition, for example, having an antiseptic effect and helping to get rid of harmful microorganisms and mold. To perform the entire procedure, you first need to treat the desired surface with hydrogen peroxide or vinegar diluted with water, then leave it to dry for a while. After this, a primer can be applied. With significant damage to the wall, the fungus is allowed to repeat all the manipulations again.
We must not forget that the mixture can be applied exclusively to a previously prepared surface, which must be properly leveled and covered with a reinforced mesh. It is imperative to get rid of any remnants of the old plaster.
If you plan to primer for wallpaper, which have a lot of weight, then the best solution here is to purchase an acrylic-based compound that not only aligns the desired area well and prevents the formation of fungus and mold, but also prevents bubbles from appearing and holds the wallpaper tightly on the wall.
Following all these recommendations, you can provide a reliable and high-quality coating of any surface and forget about the need for any kind of interior decoration for a long time.