# Does the BRAND of paint primer matter as much?



## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

Welcome Wade. The textbook answer is yes, quality primer is as important as quality paint. However, you can get a good primer for less in Zinsser brand. It depends on what you need it for as to what particular primer. As to the floors, again, where are they, what are they? Generally, floor enamels don't require primer. They either go full strength over bare wood or use a 50% dilution on first coat and full on the second, depending. Choose your floor finish and follow the base coat instructions.


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## wadelee218 (Sep 7, 2011)

thanks! but i am not sure what type of floor i have, all i know is that it is wood and i have read that i have to sand down the floor first before i prime/paint. 
Good thing home depot has zinsser because i have gift card but there are so many, which one should i go with? I need to prime my walls/ceiling and wood floors(indoors). http://www.homedepot.com/Paint-Prim...&catalogId=10053&searchNav=true#/?c=1&3mz=3mz

Thanks a bunch!!!!:thumbsup:


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

Why do you have to prime your walls and trim? Are they new and bare substrate? 
If your walls and trim are painted, you probably don't need primer, as primer is really only used for new surfaces. If the paint surfaces are fifteen years old, or new but unusually decrepid, yes, prime, but otherwise no primer. For painted surfaces, interior, primer is basically used to "start over". Like Ben Moore, Fresh Start. 
Are the floors bare or already painted? You're going to make me drag every detail out of you, aren't you? Whether bare or painted, yes, sanding is important. However, you can't put "paint" on floors, you need a floor enamel. Paint is not formulated to be walked on. Priming instructions will be determined by the floor enamel of choice. Spend a few bucks on floor enamel, or you'll regret it, believe me. Don't go cheap on floor enamel, or you'll be sorry, trust me. Are you hearing me?

Sorry Wade, I meant to mention Zinsser 123 for the primer. I had the page to it opened, just went to close it and realized I never mentioned it. Then I notice that some other guy came along and beat me to it. :laughing:


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

That's a sign- that there are many. That means there is different ones for different situations- different problems.
If you are going over something glossy, AFTER a light scuff sand, you want a bomding primer. Zin123 is great for that.
If you are going over raw mud, patches, a variety of surfaces- you need a primer that will even out the porosity. And it also depends on the sheen of your finish coat. 
!23 if going to something like an eggshell, Bulls Eye ( says dries flat) would be better for under a flat paint and ceilings.
Gardz can be used to seal, and also solve specialty problems.


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## housepaintingny (Jul 25, 2009)

Qality paints and primers have better and more resins in them along with 100% acrylic binders, where as cheaper paints lack the resins, binders and are probally not 100% acrylic. If you need to prime you should use a quality primer and not a vinyl primer. A quality primer will give you a better base coat for adhesion, better coverage and truer color for your final and finish coat of paint.
Most floor paints, enamels and epoxys don't require a primer. Proper prep will be needed though.


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## wadelee218 (Sep 7, 2011)

oh boy, this is more complicated then i thought.
i need to prime my walls because nothing has been done to it for over 15 years and it looks pretty dirty with dark spots etc.
ok, so my floor would this be good to use? http://www.benjaminmoore.com/portal.../product_pages/paint/prd_c112#recommended_for

For the zinsser 123 primer, should i get the water based? some say primer/sealer, would i need the sealer part? would i use the same prime for my wood floors(the floors are really old too(15 yrs) and scruffed up on most parts) after i sand?

THANKS JSHERIDAN, BRUSHJOCKEY and HOUSEPAINTNY!!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

Yes, use the latex 123. 
For the floors, that would be great. However, you might be able to use a latex version. Personally, I would prefer oil for interior floors, it looks more decorative. An exterior porch floor I would use latex. Here is a link to the technical data page that might be of interest, it will have priming data. Keep us posted. It's better to come here with questions before you screw up than to come here after and ask how to fix them.


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## wadelee218 (Sep 7, 2011)

ok so for my walls i would use latex 123.
thanks for the link, for wood flooring it says "Wood (Flooring): Primer: Self Priming, apply 1 coat Porch & Floor Alkyd Porch & Floor Enamel Finish: 1 or 2 coats Porch & Floor Alkyd Porch & Floor Enamel" , so does that me i do not need to use a separate primer since it says "self priming"?


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

Yes. Be sure to give the floor a good sanding, cleaning, and vacuuming. And, vacuum again as you go. Wood floors never seem to be dust/dirt free enough for paint, especially a high gloss. I don't know what time zone you're in, but in this one it's past bedtime.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Sealers
Primers
Underlays

I wish we could learn to discuss them, and their hybrid forms. 

Yes, the brand of any of these makes the same difference as quality paint. Behr primer is almost more crappy than their paint but you can get them together. 

I adore discussions of how cheap paint and primer can be folded into one can. At the end of painting career I started mixing Benjamin Moore Alkyd based Fresh Start with thawed cans of Aura folks left to freeze over the winter. It saved them money.

Seriously, sometimes I can only watch and wonder: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOOs8MaR1YM


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

About the floor paint- I respectfully put in a plug for the latex version of porch and floor- I have had real good luck with it and perfer its more eggshell ( and less slippery) sheen. It is a modified epoxy so isn't a week coating.
But it does depend what floor ( I have only used it on basement cement floors) and what kind of look you want.
And I back up the clean, clean vacuum vacuum and still you will have some bits.


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

Brush, I agree that oil has some shortcomings, odor, dry time (two to touch, 24 to recoat) using spirits, and it's high gloss is probably a nightmare in socks. But, it has a much nicer appearance, imo, from an interior design perspective. Is that a BM product you're referring to?


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

jsheridan said:


> Brush, I agree that oil has some shortcomings, odor, dry time (two to touch, 24 to recoat) using spirits, and it's high gloss is probably a nightmare in socks. But, it has a much nicer appearance, imo, from an interior design perspective. Is that a BM product you're referring to?


Just curious because I preferred acrylic floor paints as well unless for marine applications or something. Gloss looked fine to me. And you cannot or should not use oil floor paint on concrete and things. Chemical reaction is not nice.


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## wadelee218 (Sep 7, 2011)

Thanks for all the info guys! so on sanding the wood floors, what is a cheap floor sander one i can buy? i only need to use it once so something cheap will do, preferably from home depot since i have a gift card. and what type of sand paper do i put on it?


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

Wade, how many square feet of floor do you have?


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## wadelee218 (Sep 7, 2011)

about 260


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

Wade, at 260 you could probably get away with a palm sander, or one of the longer rectangular ones, can't think of exactly what they're called, about forty bucks at hd. I would use eighty weight paper or so if it's real rough. If it's not use 100. Maybe each in succession. The problem with using a high gloss is that sometimes it will highlight scratches from sanding. Don't use pressure on the sander, let the machine and the paper do the work, just glide/guide it along. After you're all done sanding and cleaning up, it might be a good idea to do a sample sq ft area to see how the finish will look and if it's scratch free, which you won't really notice till it's dry. You don't want a completely first coated scratched floor, you'll have to call a bulldozer lol. Have fun.


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## wadelee218 (Sep 7, 2011)

thanks sheridan, i will take before and after pics. but are you sure the zinsser 123 prime will be better than the behr prime? because the behr one costs more


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## jsheridan (Jan 30, 2011)

wadelee218 said:


> thanks sheridan, i will take before and after pics. but are you sure the zinsser 123 prime will be better than the behr prime? because the behr one costs more


Yes. Are you going to use it to prime the floors, or is this just for the trim?


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## wadelee218 (Sep 7, 2011)

i will be using it to prime the walls and trim because the benjamin moore porch & floor enamel says that no primer is need for wooden floors


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

wadelee218 said:


> thanks sheridan, i will take before and after pics. but are you sure the zinsser 123 prime will be better than the behr prime? because the behr one costs more


 
no doubt what so ever, none:no::no::no:


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