There is a point in almost every painting project when you look at the wall and think, “It looks fine. I’ll just paint over it.” Sometimes that works. Other times, it is exactly how a simple weekend project turns into a frustrating one.

The existing surface might be glossy, stained, porous, heavily patched, or dramatically different in color from the new finish. In those situations, the success of the project can depend on what happens before the final color goes on. Choosing the right paint and primer combination can help create a more consistent surface and give the finish coat a better foundation.

The Paint Shops carries a range of primers and paint products for different situations, including Benjamin Moore Fresh Start primers, KILZ products, STIX Waterborne Bonding Primer, and Benjamin Moore interior paint-and-primer products.

Primer Isn’t Automatically Required for Every Wall

One of the most common painting assumptions is that every wall needs a separate coat of primer.

That’s not necessarily the case.

Benjamin Moore notes that many previously painted, undamaged and untainted surfaces may not require a dedicated primer when using a quality interior paint. However, primer becomes particularly useful when dealing with adhesion problems, significant color changes, bare surfaces, stains, or difficult substrates.

So the better question isn’t simply, “Do I need primer?”

It is:

What condition is the surface in, and what does the new coating need to accomplish?

That small change in thinking can make product selection much easier.

Look Closely at the Existing Surface

Before buying anything, inspect the surface from different angles.

Run your hand across it. Look for areas that are unusually glossy, chalky, porous, stained, patched, peeling, or uneven.

A wall can look perfectly acceptable from across the room while having several areas that need attention before painting.

Benjamin Moore recommends preparing walls by addressing uneven areas, removing loose or flaking paint, sanding where appropriate, and cleaning away dust before moving on to primer or paint.

Preparation is not the glamorous part of painting, but it often determines how good the final coat looks.

When Adhesion Is the Main Problem

Some surfaces simply don’t give ordinary paint an easy place to grip.

Glossy paint, certain plastics, PVC, laminate, glass, glazed surfaces, and other hard-to-coat materials can present adhesion challenges.

That’s where a bonding primer can be especially useful.

The Paint Shops carries Benjamin Moore STIX Waterborne Bonding Primer, an acrylic-urethane primer designed for challenging surfaces including glossy tile, PVC, vinyl, plastic, glass, glazed block, glossy paint, fiberglass, and galvanized metals. The product is designed to provide strong adhesion and can be top-coated with many different products.

This is a good example of why “primer” should not be treated as one generic product category. Different primers are formulated to solve different problems.

A Dramatic Color Change Can Be a Different Story

Changing a light-colored room to a deep blue is not quite the same project as refreshing an existing pale wall with another pale color.

The existing color can affect how quickly the new color reaches the appearance you want.

A suitable primer can help establish a more uniform base before the finish coat. Benjamin Moore identifies dramatic color changes as one situation where primer can be particularly useful.

The Paint Shops’ Fresh Start High-Hiding All Purpose Primer is designed for maximum hiding and a uniform finish across many interior and exterior surfaces. Its product information specifically identifies significant color changes as an appropriate use and also notes stain suppression, fast drying, and superior adhesion.

That can be especially helpful when you’re trying to make a major color change without endlessly adding coats of the finish paint.

Stains Need More Than a Pretty Color

A new coat of paint isn’t necessarily a stain remover.

Water marks, smoke damage, tannin bleed from wood, grease, and other discolorations can continue to show through an otherwise attractive topcoat.

A stain-blocking primer is designed to address this type of problem before the final paint is applied.

For example, The Paint Shops carries KILZ Original Oil-Based Primer/Sealer products designed to block difficult stains such as smoke, water, grease, tannin, and other discoloration.

KILZ also offers water-based primer/sealer products for applications such as drywall, woodwork, plaster, and paneling, with stain-blocking and sealing capabilities.

The important thing is to identify the stain before choosing the primer. A product designed for ordinary surface preparation may not be the right choice for severe staining.

Porous Surfaces Can Absorb Paint Unevenly

Fresh drywall, bare wood, plaster, and other porous substrates can absorb coatings differently from an already sealed painted surface.

If you apply finish paint directly to a highly absorbent surface, the result may not look as uniform as expected.

Primer can help seal the surface and create a more consistent base for the topcoat. Benjamin Moore specifically recommends primer for bare substrates and surfaces that have been sanded back to the underlying material.

This is one of those situations where spending more time on the first coat can actually make the later coats easier.

Don’t Ignore Previously Glossy Paint

Glossy walls, trim, cabinets, and other painted surfaces can look smooth and attractive, but that smoothness can create an adhesion challenge for a new coating.

Surface preparation comes first.

Benjamin Moore recommends dulling glossy surfaces through appropriate sanding and removing the resulting dust before painting.

If the substrate is particularly difficult, a bonding primer can provide another layer of preparation. The appropriate product depends on the material and the existing finish.

What About Paint and Primer in One?

This is where things can get confusing.

Some modern paints are formulated to provide strong hiding and self-priming performance in many situations. Benjamin Moore notes that products such as Ben Interior, Regal Select Interior, and Aura Interior can provide self-priming levels of hide that may help with many color changes.

The Paint Shops also carries products specifically marketed as paint and primer, such as Regal Select Interior in several sheens. The product is designed to provide durability, washability, hide, and smooth application.

That doesn’t mean a paint-and-primer product eliminates the need for a dedicated primer in every situation.

A heavily stained surface, bare substrate, difficult material, or significant adhesion problem may still call for a specialized primer.

Choose the Finish After You Understand the Surface

Once preparation and priming requirements are sorted out, you still have the question of sheen.

The finish affects both appearance and maintenance.

A flat finish can be useful on ceilings and lower-traffic areas, while satin or semi-gloss finishes may make more sense where durability and cleaning are important.

For example, The Paint Shops lists Regal Select Interior Flat as a finish suited to ceilings and low-traffic areas, while its semi-gloss version is designed for trim and surfaces subject to more abuse and soil.

This is another reason not to select the paint based solely on color.

The surface, room, traffic level, cleaning requirements, and desired appearance all need to work together.

Don’t Rush the Preparation

Painting is one of those jobs where rushing the first hour can create problems for the next several years.

If old paint is peeling, remove it.

If the surface is dirty, clean it.

If there are holes or cracks, repair them.

If sanding is necessary, don’t skip it.

If the surface needs primer, use the appropriate product.

Benjamin Moore’s wall-preparation guidance specifically recommends removing loose paint, smoothing surfaces, cleaning away dust, and allowing the surface to dry before priming and painting.

The finish coat gets all the attention because it is the visible part of the project. But a large portion of the final result is determined before that coat is applied.

Choose the Primer for the Problem

Instead of asking for the “best primer,” describe the problem.

If you’re dealing with:

Bare drywall or wood: look for a primer appropriate for sealing and preparing the substrate.

A major color change: consider a high-hiding primer.

Stains: choose a primer designed for the type of stain you’re trying to block.

Glossy or difficult surfaces: consider a bonding primer.

Previously painted, sound walls: determine whether the selected finish paint can provide the necessary coverage without a separate primer.

The Paint Shops’ current selection includes products addressing each of these kinds of situations, from Fresh Start High-Hiding All Purpose Primer to KILZ stain-blocking products and STIX bonding primer.

A Better Finish Starts Before the Color

A painting project doesn’t really begin when the paint can is opened.

It begins when you look at the surface and decide what it needs.

Sometimes that means cleaning and painting. Sometimes it means sanding and applying a specialized primer. Other times, a quality paint-and-primer product may be perfectly suitable for the job.

The key is not adding extra steps just for the sake of adding them. It is matching the preparation and coating system to the actual condition of the surface.

When choosing paint and primer, think about adhesion, stains, porosity, existing color, surface material, sheen, and how the finished area will be used. The Paint Shops’ selection includes options for ordinary repainting as well as more demanding preparation challenges, making it easier to build a coating system around the project rather than forcing every surface into the same process.

A little more attention before the first coat can make the final color look smoother, more consistent, and much closer to what you had in mind.