Prime Opportunities to Increase Sales...and Customer Satisfaction

In order to get the best painting results, it’s often necessary to use a primer or sealer before applying the paint. But deciding when to use a primer or sealer and determining the type of product to apply are mysteries to many customers, especially do-it-yourself homeowners.

All of which provides you with a prime opportunity to increase your store’s sales and your customer’s painting satisfaction...which, in turn, pays dividends in the form of repeat business and positive referrals.

How can you take advantage of this opportunity? By simply promoting the benefits of primers and sealers, and then guiding your customers in their choice.

A working knowledge of primers and sealers and how they can improve the appearance, performance and longevity of a paint job is a very valuable selling asset. To make sure you’re up-to-date, here’s a short primer on the subject.

Benefits of Primers
Primers are specially formulated coatings that perform several valuable functions:
First, they help the paint adhere better to the surface that’s being painted. They do this by making the surface more uniform and accepting for the top coat, so that when the paint is applied, it can get a better “grip” than it would on the bare surface.

Second, primers help give the finished paint job a more uniform appearance in terms of color and sheen, thereby making it more attractive. This is especially true when the surface being painted is porous or uneven in porosity.

Third, some primers help prevent stains from coming through the paint from the surface below and ruining its appearance. This is especially important with latex finish coats, which otherwise are vulnerable to stain bleed-through. With each primer you sell, it is important to understand whether or not stain blocking is one of its capabilities and, if so, what types of stains will be blocked.

Sealers Enhance Uniformity
Closely allied with primers are sealers. While primers are generally pigmented, sealers often are not.

The role of a sealer can be to seal a porous surface like weathered concrete or stucco, so that a finish coat can develop a uniform sheen or gloss. Sealers also help protect the finish coat on masonry from efflorescence and alkalinity. And some sealers are used on masonry to help to seal out moisture, in which case the masonry is often left unpainted.

When to Use a Primer or Sealer To help your customer achieve a quality paint job, always recommend a primer or sealer in the following circumstances:
•	when new wood, new drywall or any other surface that has never been painted before;
•	when repainting a surface that is uneven or badly deteriorated; and
•	when repainting a surface that has been stripped or is worn down to the original surface material.

Just like paints and other coatings, primers and sealers perform best when the substrate is properly prepared. Regardless of the application, the surface to be primed should always
be clean and free of all dust, dirt, grime, loose or flaking paint and other contaminants before the primer is applied.


Types of Primers and Sealers
Once you recognize that a customer can benefit from a primer or sealer to properly complete a painting project, it’s important to recommend the right type of product for the application.

As with paints, there are two broad classifications of primers and sealers: latex or water-based products, and alkyd or oil-based products. Both types come in interior and exterior
formulations. There are also shellac-based primers that have alcohol as their thinner.

In most cases, quality latex primers and sealers perform as well as oil-based products, if not better. However, on severely staining wood and on heavily chalked surfaces, oil-based primers do provide better stain blocking and adhesion.

Exterior Applications
The necessity of using a primer or sealer — and the type of product to use — varies from job to job. Here are some general guidelines for common applications:

New Unpainted Wood. If the wood isn’t severely staining, recommend either a quality acrylic latex or an oil-based exterior wood primer. In the case of severely staining woods, recommend an oil-based stain-blocking primer. Tell your customers to prime and paint bare wood within two weeks to keep wood fibers from deteriorating and reducing adhesion.

Weathered and Unpainted Wood. Recommend either a quality latex or oil-based primer. Advise the customer to scrape and sand the wood thoroughly before priming because the deteriorated wood fibers must be removed, or adhesion will be compromised. Also, stress that the primer should be applied shortly after surface preparation.

Previously Painted Wood. All loose paint should scraped off and rough edges feather-sanded. Any bare spots should to be sanded thoroughly and dusted off. In addition, as much chalk as possible should be removed before priming. If the old paint is very chalky, and all the chalk cannot be removed, recommend an oil-based primer. If the old paint is in sound condition and is still adhering well, priming can be beneficial, but is not necessary.

Stucco and Other Masonry. On new masonry, or older surfaces that are very porous, recommend a latex masonry sealer or primer. In a repaint situation, use a sealer only where the old paint has been removed during surface preparation or through weathering.

Aluminum or Galvanized Iron. Remove any white, powdery oxide, using a non-metallic scouring pad or steel wool (be sure all steel particles are washed off). Then apply a corrosion-inhibitive metal primer to all exposed bare metal.

Ferrous Metals. Remove any rust by wire brushing. Rinse, let dry and then apply a latex or oil-based rust-inhibitive primer. Two coats of primer will provide added protection against future rusting.

Interior Applications
Most interior primers are designed for very specific applications. They often come in both latex and oil-based formulations, so you have a choice of products to recommend. Keep in mind, however, that latex products are much lower in odor, which is a significant advantage on indoor projects.

Here are some common types of interior primers and the applications in which they should be used:

Drywall Primers. While they are called primers, these coatings actually serve as pigmented sealers on drywall to give the top coat of paint a uniform appearance. They also help enhance appearance by providing additional hiding.

Stain-Blocking Primers. These interior primers protect the new coat of paint against bleed -through of such stain-producing agents as dirt, ink, crayon marks, smoke residue and waterborne material. Both latex and oil-based products are available. Oil-based products are most effective for blocking water stains.

Vapor Barrier Primers. These primers are useful in bathrooms, kitchens and other damp rooms, where they help minimize the passage of moisture through the walls to the outside,
thereby reducing the likelihood of exterior paint failure. They also help keep indoor humidity comfortably high in winter.

Latex Enamel Undercoaters. Using these primers under semigloss or gloss paint helps ensure that the top coat of paint will develop its maximum gloss and have a uniform look. For best appearance, some manufacturers recommend that their product be lightly sanded after application.

Bonding Primers. These specialty primers are designed for use on very slick or glossy surfaces such as glass, ceramic tile and Formica™-type laminates. For maximum adhesion, sand the surface first with fine (#220) aluminum oxide sandpaper.

Check the Chart
Refer to the PQI Magazine, Fall 1999 issue (or download the pdf) for the chart on pages 10 and 11 that shows what types of primers and sealers should be used on various exterior and interior applications. Keep the chart handy as an aid to answering your customer’s questions. With this information nearby, you should be able to decide whether your customer needs a primer or sealer, and you’ll be able to quickly recommend a product that is right for the job.

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