To answer the question, primer is not really necessary every time you are house painting in Pleasant Hill. However, if you want to attain a smooth and professional-looking finish, you might want to use one. Additionally, certain surface conditions do call for a primer, and a professional painting company will know which ones do and which do not.

So what is primer? It is a preparatory coat which is applied on a surface. You may or may not need primer depending on the surface. For instance, if a previously painted surface is in good shape — no peeling, flaking, or chipping — then you don’t have to use a primer. However, if the previously painted surface has stains that need to be covered or you would like to paint with a color that is drastically different from the current paint color, and then you will need to use primer.

This undercoat works real wonders on the surface. Apart from its ability to cover stains, a primer seals the surface and helps cover and fill its imperfections. It also helps the paint to adhere better and faster. Plus, it can also save you time and money because it protects the surface from environmental elements such as rotting and mildew, so you don’t have to spend as much on repairs in the long run. To further save painting time, you may also want to buy paints that are added with priming properties.

For professional contractors who do house painting in Pleasant Hill and surrounding areas, a primer is a blessing. They see primer is an important and powerful tool especially for interior painting projects.

Here are some other instances where applying primer is necessary:

• New wall or drywall
  The mud used as drywall seams poses a particular challenge because it doesn’t absorb paint in the same way the rest of the drywall does. This leads to an uneven, inconsistent finish. To prevent this problem, you can use a drywall primer-sealer. It will protect the entire surface and prepare it for consistent adhesion of the topcoat. If you need to cover small imperfections such pockmarks, fine ridges, and scuffed paper, it is recommended that you buy a high-build drywall primer-sealer for this purpose.
• Stains and odors (especially for interiors) 
  No matter how many coats of paint or primer you have applied on the surface, some stains will still just bleed through. The same problem goes for noxious odors such as smoke from fire and cigarettes. The solution for this is to apply a stain-blocking primer which is available in both oil-based and water-based varieties. Oil-based primer, while giving off a noxious smell itself, can otherwise block water-based stains (such as rust) and odors. It also needs a thinner for the cleanup. Water-based stain-blocking primers, on the other hand, are more reliable for blocking solvent-based stains (such as grease) and odors. It is easy to clean, less odorous, and comes in both low- and no-VOC formulas.
• Plaster walls
  For plaster walls where minor and major repairs are being made, use an oil-based stain-blocking primer. This will prevent lime from the plaster from developing stains and will stop it from bleeding through to the topcoat.
• Moisture-prone areas and mildew
  There are portions of the house that are more susceptible to high moisture, leading to a variety of problems such as mildew. For this, a primer is needed to prevent paint from bubbling and peeling as well as developing mildew. But before applying a primer, get rid of the mildew by using a bleach solution (one part bleach and three parts water). Leave the bleach for a few minutes then rinse the surface thoroughly. Afterwards, wash the surface with water, brush, and detergent, then rinse again thoroughly. Let the surface dry completely. Then apply a coat of stain-blocking primer to prevent the stains from bleeding through to the topcoat.
• Change of color
  If you have a dark-colored wall but want to paint it with a lighter one or vice-versa, a primer is needed. This will help minimize the number of new paint coats that are required to sufficiently cover the old one. You can tint the primer with the new topcoat color to enhance its ability to mask the old paint. To paint a light-colored paint over a dark one, mix a small amount of the light-colored topcoat in the primer. To paint a dark-colored paint over a lighter one, tint the primer with your choice dark-colored paint or a gray-colored paint. First though, check the specifications on the primer’s label to make sure that it can be mixed with paint or if it should not.

While a primer is not needed for every situation, it is an excellent problem-solver that effectively fixes several surface problems. If you encounter problems such as the ones mentioned above, don’t hesitate to use primer the next time you do house painting in Pleasant Hill.