Does Self Priming Paint Really Work?

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Does self-priming paint really work?
To answer this simply, yes but not all primer/paints are the same. If you would like to delve a bit deeper, we can offer an explanation. If you’ve researched paints either online or at a paint store you’ve no doubt come across paints that say they are a paint and primer in one or so-called self-priming paints." Simply apply one coat of these paints, they claim, and you’ve painted and primed. While many do-it-yourself painters may take that claim, professionals are more cautious, mainly because primer and paint serve different purposes. A primer is used for:

  • Sealing in tannins, grease, smoke stains, etc. to ensure they don’t bleed through the fresh coat of paint.
  • Soaking or “Biting” into a substrate to improve the surface for the top-coat to adhere to, making it last longer.
  • Creating a uniform film on bare surfaces makes the paint coat more attractive.

There are different kinds of paint that claim to be paint/primer in one. Some are thin and try to soak into the substrate to create a better bond. Some are thicker and add better glue to adhere to the substrate better.

Paints are meant to provide a finished look in both color and texture, including a uniform and lasting appearance.

  • Many professionals note that combination paint and primers such as Sherwin Williams Duration, make an excellent primer or paint on its own.
  • These primer-paint combinations do have a thicker composition, but we also know that each primer has its own special properties for particular surfaces such as wood, metal, concrete, and interior walls.
  • Primers both seal the surface and help paint bond to it. Some primers do both, but they tend to do one better than the other. That means that the primer in a self-priming paint may seal when it makes more sense for a primer to create surface for paint to bond to, or vice-versa.