Yes, Prime. We prime 90% of what we paint and 100% of what we paper. The only things we don’t prime are repaints that we have painted previously, and know there was a blocking primer applied the first time. Wall Covering Inststiute of America guidelines require a dedicated wall covering primer under all installations. Builders stopped priming a while back when the newest generation of builder flats came out, so anything built in the last 5 years requires primer before any painting or wall covering.
Zinsser 1-2-3 for custom paint and wall covering installs.
Zinsser 1-2-3 is our go to for under our custom paint and wall covering installs. It is a vapor barrier when dried and will keep wall covering adhesive from permeating drywall allowing better seams and easier removal of wall covering. It is available in white and gray, and is custom tint-able. We tint to the background color of the wall covering or 50% of the paint color. It is perfect under Farrow and Ball Estate Emulsion when tinted to exact match will usually allow just two finish coats. It pays for itself with less finish paint required.
Zinsser Gardz comes to the rescue for damaged drywall and paper projects.
Damaged drywall or paper projects with a lot of previous drywall repair get a coat of Zinsser Gardz. This is a clear penetrating primer which will adhere drywall paper, block out drywall mud and spackle, and seal drywall surfaces to allow wall paper removal in the future. It is available in a tint base but we always use the clear.
Zinsser Cover Stain masks lingering odors and serves as a great enamel base.
Zinsser oil-based Cover Stain is great for odors and cigarette tar and is a great enamel under-coater since it sands easily to a smooth powder finish. We use this a lot on custom doors and handrails to hide grain and previous paint attempts and get a quick smooth durable base for enamel.
Water damage or stains? New wood cabinetry? Zinsser BIN is what you need!
Zinsser BIN is an alcohol based primer stain killer designed for repairing water damaged drywall. It dries in minutes and will block out water stains so they don’t bleed through to acrylic finish coats. Also great for quick sealing knot holes and as a spray base for new wood cabinets since the alcohol will not raise the grain and dries quickly.