What Primer To Use When Painting Furniture

You’ve probably heard that you should prime your furniture before you paint it. 

Well, what you heard is true!

  

For the best quality paint job you should always prime your piece before adding paint. 
Priming before painting guarantees a much longer life span of the paint job. Why have to do a project twice, when you can just do it right the first time! 
But the big question is, how do you know which primer to use on each project? 
Today we are going to break down the basics for you! 
Let’s start off by defining the different types of primers and what they are used for.
 
 *Safety First* Remember when using any strong chemicals to wear protective eye gear, gloves and a respirator mask.
See our “How to Safely Dispose of Staining Materials & Rags” blog to learn more about disposing of products safely. 
 
Different Types of Primers: 
Shellac
Clear Primer
Adhesion Bonding
Regular Primer
     
    Now, let's break down what these Primers are used for: 
     
    Shellac Primer (or BIN) blocks stains & smells that were previously there, while protecting the project from future stains and bleed through. Bleed through can occur when the tannins in the wood begin to release after sanding, or sometimes just in general depending on the wood. Shellac primer is a great primer option to choose if you are planning on using a light paint color over your wood surfaces.
    For example, if you are working on a super dark wood piece but are looking to paint it white or light pink- Shellac would be a good selection to ensure there isn't any bleed through. BIN is also a great option when painting over melamine material. BIN will create a barrier on the surface to ensure that your paint does not leak into the melamine causing moisture bubbles under the surface.

    You can see an example of a piece we used BIN Shellac Primer on here

     
     
     
    Clear Primer is a primer that is used when you want to see wood through your painted projects. For example, if you are painting a piece black but would like to expose some of the original wood, you would choose a clear primer. 
    You would prime and paint your piece. A few hours after the paint has dried, you would wet distress the piece to show off some of the wood. Wet distressing is when you submerge a cloth into warm water and rub it along the paint to take some of it off. 
    It gives it a polished, antique look to a newly finished piece. Photo below for reference. 
     
     
    Adhesion/Bonding Primer is used for slick surfaces like glass, plastic, particle board & melamine. Have you ever tried to paint one of those Ikea bookcases and the paint just scraped right off? That is because you need to use a bonding primer. Make sure you sand down your surface with a 120 grit sandpaper to scuff up the surface first. If you don’t sand it down to scuff up the sleek surface, the primer won’t stick properly. Wipe away all the dust before applying the primer. Take a look at our favourite melamine flip to date!
     
      
     
    Regular Primer is great to have as it gives something for your paint to stick to and makes painting easier. Using a primer before you paint could potentially save you 2 or more coats of paint. A basic primer is always a good product to have around. A great tip is to Tint your primer with the paint colour you plan on using. This just makes the painting process a little easier for you. If you are planning on painting a piece black, it would be a bit annoying to use a white primer first. Tint the white primer with your black paint. You can do this with any colour! We used this method on our recent upcycling project
                           
    It Is important to know what primer to use so that you as an artist can have peace of mind about the durability and lasting quality of your furniture. Whether it is for sale or for your own home, the quality can vary if you don’t use the right primer!
     
    Pro Tip: Debris like hair, fluff, and dust can easily get trapped in the primer leaving you with an uneven surface for your paint. After using 1-3 coats of the mentioned primers, it is important to lightly sand down your piece with 320-400grit sandpaper to remove any imperfections in the primer. After sanding the piece down, make sure to wipe it clean before painting. This will ensure your paint will go on smoothly. Just look at how smooth this finish is!
     
     
    Happy Priming from Handmade Home Co.
    If you or anyone you know is looking for a new marketplace to list their high-end handmade furniture or home decor - apply to become a vendor today!
     
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    Bonding Primers: 
     
    Clear + Odour Blocking + Stain Blocking Primers: 
     
    White + Odour Blocking + Stain Blocking Primer + Bonding: