Before building any building, the first thing to consider is the foundation. This is also the case when repainting any surface. The foundation in painting comes in the form of primers and sealers. The most challenging part is deciding the type of primer you need for different projects.
Whether you are working with plastic, metal or wood this guide will help you select the best primer for the project.
Primers help you to come up with a consistent paint finish. It improves the adhesion of your paint’s topcoat, which becomes more durable and appealing. Besides that, primers block substances like grease, tannin, smoke and water from damaging the original substrate.
There are different types of primers: urethane and epoxy primers. Finding the best primer can be difficult, mainly because the market is full of varying primer coatings. To make things easier, we will look at each of these primers and when you should use them.
Urethane primers are designed for a high film build with excellent sanding, adhesion, hold out and fast-drying properties. It’s perfect for properly prepped metal, wood and fiberglass surfaces. Urethane is only a surfacer primer and you might need to use a sealer over the top of the sanded urethane primer before you paint. Urethane primers also come in handy when you want to smooth anything out. They are an excellent choice to use after you’re done with any bodywork.
An epoxy primer is ideal for bare steel. It will help improve adhesion and prevent rust and corrosion. This primer can also be applied to properly prepped plastic substrates as well. It is the best standard base when bonding the paint with metal surfaces to bring out a quality finish. It’s normally also designed to be sprayed as a sealer so you can paint directly onto the primer without having to sand the primer first.
Basically, an epoxy primer works as a sealer that produces a good finish on a substrate. You can count on an epoxy primer to prevent the oxidation of bare metals and give you excellent durability and flexibility.
When picking a primer, it’s essential to check the firmness or flexibility you need. For example, urethane primers are more hard and prevent movement of the surface. Although a urethane primer is strong, it will eventually crack on moving surfaces.
Epoxy primers will still retain flexibility. It’s perfect for surfaces that expand and contract over time with changes in temperatures or seasons.
The choice of primer to use depends on how smooth or textured you intend the surface to be. Urethane primers are the best when it comes to texture. They can help fill in the areas that need sanding and smoothing out. Surfaces that are already smooth normally work best with epoxy primers as they remain smooth after being sprayed.
Everyone using a primer normally wants to develop a chemical-resistant surface. Sometimes you can’t stop the surface from coming into contact with acids and bases. Epoxy doesn’t react very well with acids and bases however, when comparing epoxy and urethane in terms of chemical resistance, epoxy performs way better. Urethane primers tend to have a slightly less chemical resistance than epoxy primers.
Picking a suitable primer for your project is not a one-size-fits-all undertaking. It depends on the type of surface, durability and the desired results. With this guide, you should have all it takes to pick the best primer for the job.
501-455-5500
501-455-5500
info@liquidconcepts.com
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