Paint & Wallpaper

Start Your Next Paint Job with a Fresh 'Canvas'

(WMS) - Professional painters recognize that a quality paint job starts with surface preparation. Just like an artist who carefully prepares a canvas before he begins to paint, a good painter prepares the surface to ensure that existing colors, stains and imperfections don't compromise his work. The use of a quality stain-killing primer is an essential part of his or her "prep".

Whether you're painting a new house or an old apartment, it's important to use a high quality primer-sealer, like Zinsser's Bulls EyeŽ 1-2-3 Primer-Sealer, before you paint. Here's why: 

* A quality primer creates a sealed, consistent surface so paint spreads further and will be more uniform in color and sheen. If the surface has been previously painted, priming will help keep the previous color from showing though and create a more uniform finish. If you're painting new drywall or painting over "builders flat," a paint that's often found in new homes, priming seals these porous surfaces. That means you'll use less paint and create a more even, consistent finish. Hint: Tinting your primer toward the color of your paint will help the topcoat cover in just one coat.
* A quality stain-killing primer blocks stains and prevents them from bleeding through the topcoat. Ever try to paint over a water stain, crayon mark or kitchen grease? It's almost impossible to cover them completely without priming before you paint. Water-base stain killing primers, like Bulls Eye 1-2-3, are great at sealing oil-soluble stains like kitchen grease, lipstick and crayon. For water stains or other water-soluble stains, like smoke or ink, use a shellac-base primer, like Zinsser's B-I-NŽ Primer-Sealer or an oil-base primer, like Cover StainŽ Primer-Sealer.
* Zinsser primers are formulated to stick to glossy surfaces without sanding. Unlike ordinary paint, which will not stick to glossy paint or other slick surfaces, bonding primers, like Bulls Eye 1-2-3, B-I-N and Cover Stain are formulated to stick to glossy surfaces without sanding. That means you can paint over ceramic tile, enamel paint -- even FormicaŽ cabinets -- when you use a primer as your first coat.

For more information about Zinsser primer-sealers or other helpful home improvement tips, visit www.zinsser.com or call (732) 469-8100.

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WHETHER YOU'RE PAINTING a new house or an old apartment, a high-quality primer should be a key component of your painting preparation.


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